They won’t, if the writers who, by their own existence and employment, know it’s crap are jumping ship, there’s very little chance IFP will stick around.
I only followed this from a distance, and really only cursory, so I know next to nothing about the details of this fallout. All I can say is, shame that such a popular series - not a given with literary Bond these days - might stop dead in its tracks. While I didn’t read them myself the praise from fellow CBners here speaks volumes, especially in times where Bond fans have little other material to occupy them.
Looks like the print version is out today and the digital will be out next week. From what I’ve seen, any creator involved with it hasn’t been tagging Dynamite when promoting it on Twitter, so there’s still a schism seemingly. It’s a tough position when they’re no doubt proud of the work they did but do not want to associate with the publisher.
Anyone read REFLECTIONS OF DEATH yet, and if so, what’s the verdict?
Well my review, it’s in french (but there is a translate fonction at the right in the site) : https://www.commander007.net/2020/reflections-of-death-la-critique-du-comics/
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Thanks for the review! I look forward to reading this one and judging for myself.
Overall I found the package flat, disjointed and disappointing.
Summary
Something about the first story in the restaurant/bathroom didn’t sit well with me. Felt too much like a farcical parody, and I’m not even sure it felt like Bond. More like an adolescent jerk.
The other stories are okay, I guess, but nothing great.
IMO, Reflections of Death wasn’t worth the wait and isn’t Dynamite’s finest hour.
I agree, the artwork wasn’t nearly as good as Dynamite’s previous releases. Maybe I’m just spoiled after the excellent renditions of Casino Royale and Live and Let Die.
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If anyone is interested, I am selling on eBay a couple of these hardbacks.
Vargr and Black Box. £9 each. ebay name is simonfirth.
Best.
re: Reflections of Death
I don’t think it’d be spoiling too much to say this is an anthology of tales with an “envelope” story tying them together. As such, the tone and the art team for each tale varies, with some definitely better than others. In fact, the character of Bond himself comes off as inconsistent and muddled IF you take all the stories as “truth”. However the overall narrative is constructed in such a way as to make it possible that any given tale – or all of them – are fabrications designed to mislead and confuse. Thus we get “Bond as farce” in one tale, “Bond the cold assassin” in others and even “Bond the guy with a soft, gooey center” in one.
For me, the most off-putting parts are the links to Dynamite’s Bond continuity, which I don’t follow or care about. But I can live with it.
The cover is great.
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Fay Dalton. She does all the illustrated Fleming novels for The Folio Society.
Overall I’d agree with your reading of it. The collection of stories allows them to go with radically different tones and styles. It makes the book both enjoyable and off putting at the same time.
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The James Bond comics live!
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Sir Ian Fleming…
That’s a relief. I was half expecting to read they’d all been cancelled when I saw new posts in this thread. The premise of the new comic seems interesting. I recall enjoying the art from The Body and Kill Chain, so I’m glad Casalanguida is back too.
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We’re now in a Bond purgatory where every form is technically up and running, but we can’t see it.
(even Radio drama https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000clkv)
No Time To Die (if they can actually release it)
Agent of Spectre (provided nothing happens with Dynamite…again)
A third Horowitz Bond novel (if IFP go for it)
Project 007 (if it can get all the way through development)
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If these projects eventuate all the key mediums are covered, unless I’m missing one. NTTD comes with a soundtrack which is also something high up on my list. The aim then would be for these things to be more consistently released.
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VR!!! WE HAVN’T BEATEN VR!!!
But, yeah, given everything the character has done and exactly who (those up and comers Mark Gatiss, Steven Moffat, Chris Chibnall, Steven Spielberg and both Christopher and Jonathan Nolan) aspire to Bond, OO7 is in a very good place.
Project 007 will get made, I’m relatively certain of that. Videogames do get delayed, but they have the luxury of being home entertainment and any hiatus is purely creative unlike the situation with NTTD.
I’m hopeful the new comic series will see the light of day around its general release date. A third Horowitz remains an idea at this stage, so I’ll forget about that right now.