James Bond 007 #12: All Awesome Things…

In this final issue of James Bond: 007, author Greg Pak pulls out all the stops. I mean it. There is not 1 stop left. They’re all gone I’ve loved this comic series for many reasons. One reason is that it’s got more of a Bond book feel than a Bond movie feel. It’s decidedly grittier in tone, yet never goes over the top with blood or anything that’s off-putting. In this issue, Pak cranks up the action to eleven and pulls some pretty great surprises out of thin air. He brings this very intriguing battle with Goldfinger to a close using some fantastic pacing and story beats. Nobody overstays their welcome or leaves too early. There have been a lot of twists and turns regarding characters and their loyalty, and this issue’s no different. That’s been a particular enjoyment for me throughout this series. I have to say, this is one of the better Bond series and I do hope that someday in the near future Pak gets to do either a follow-up or give us a brand new take on a different classic Bond villain. A few years ago, the Fleming estate brought in acclaimed author Jeffrey Deaver to write a Bond novel that brought the world’s most popular spy into modern times. In short, it was met with an underwhelming reception and so-so reviews. They quickly went back to publishing original adventures of Bond set in the 1960s, with a lot of fans saying that Bond is a character that doesn’t work in modern times. He’s a character that, because of his habits, attitude, actions, and views, needs to stay in the 1950s & ’60s. I disagree completely and this comic series is my proof. Where others have failed, Greg Pak has succeeded brilliantly.

Robert Carey is one hell of an artist. He’s pretty much perfectly suited for this genre. His artistic style is not too “comic booky” or cartoony but it’s also not too realistic, instead, it falls somewhere perfectly in the middle. His art belongs on covers because his style really stands out from a lot of the other artists today. He’s got a great knack for drawing realistic weapons, aircraft, architecture and an even better knack for drawing action and putting life into each and every panel. Like Pak, I hope that Carey gets another go at a Bond book because he definitely has the skills for it. He’s drawn everything from Red Sonja to Batman, but I really think his talents shine through when he’s drawing a book with some realistic action, characters, and real-world technology. I think he would do a fantastic job on a Six Million Dollar Man book for Dynamite or even a GI Joe book from IDW. Wherever his next project is, that company is lucky to have such a gifted artist. I will definitely be picking up more of his books in the future, and I highly recommend that you do the same, you’re not going to regret it.