I’m not sure if I had my choice I’d have James Bond stop a nuclear war (he typically solves problems by the skin of his teeth), but it looks like that’s what he’s up to in the latest issue from Dynamite Entertainment. We check it out to answer the question, is it good?
James Bond: Hammerhead #4 (Dynamite Entertainment)
So what’s it about? The summary reads:
Bond finds himself at the mercy of Malfakhar, a Yemeni smuggler and black marketeer. But both men are mere pawns in a far greater game, with the fate of the world hanging in the balance. As the Hammerhead weapon is deployed and the true identity of the criminal mastermind Kraken is finally revealed, 007 makes a last desperate bid to prevent nuclear war!
Why does this book matter?
James Bond faces off against a potential nuclear war and the culprit is closer than you might think. This issue reveals who is behind Kraken and includes a wicked sequence as Bond attempts to stop a nuclear bomb from going off!
Fine, you have my attention. What’s good about it?
Yeah, this doesn’t look like an evil lair. Nope!
Andy Diggle writes a solid issue from beginning to end as Bond must befriend an enemy and use what he has to stop nuclear war, making Bond’s relationship with “The Fox” an intriguing one. After their war of words they must team up to save the world. It’s interesting to see the usually straight-laced Bond interacting respectfully with a guy he’d normally shoot in the head without hesitation.
Meanwhile, M attempts to get a handle on the company that has created the Hammerhead missiles and it’s quite clear Diggle is doing a bit of commentary when it comes to the greed of corporations. As M begins to discover what this company is made of, Bond pieces things together and the villain’s plan reveals itself. The issue itself is paced well, building towards new information and reveals in interesting ways.
The art by Luca Casalanguida continues to be good though a bit looser than in previous issues. Bond attempting to shut down a nuclear bomb is intense due to Casalanguida’s well crafted layouts and panel work which adds tension to the scene. Later, as Bond attempts to infiltrate a ship, you get the sense his calm resolve is an asset when sneaking up on enemies. This leads to another pulse-pounding scene with a bomb literally seconds from starting World War 3.
It can’t be perfect can it?
This is good espionage comics, but the plot does seem to be moving a tad slowly. Each issue certainly has a big action set piece and new information, but it feels like the pace is slower than it needs to be. It makes the big reveal of who the bad guy is rather ho-hum when you consider how obvious a twist it ends up being.
A friendship begins…
Is It Good?
James Bond: Hammerhead captures the espionage angle to a T, which makes for a riveting spy drama. The general pace is a tad slow, but not enough to dampen the solid storytelling in play.
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