James Bond: 007: Your Cold, Cold Heart Review (Garth Ennis, Rapha Lobosco)

The Ruskies have nicked weaponised water - “stalvoda”, literally “steel water”, which instantly freezes after exploding - from the Brits, who originally nicked it from the Ruskies during the Soviet era. Bond’s gotta - sigh - nick it back. International espionage, eh?

James Bond: Agent of SPECTRE Review (Christos Gage, Luca Casalanguida)

There’s civil war within SPECTRE and Blofeld enlists the help of Bond, Jamesh Bond, to help him defeat his rival Titania (teehee) Jones. Bond and Blofeld on the same side? I can’t believe it’s not butter!

James Bond 007 #1 Review (Garth Ennis, Rapha Lobosco)

50 years ago, an MI6 00 Agent stole Soviet Russian research for a form of weaponised water: Stalvoda (“Steel Water”). Now, the Brits having perfected its use, the Russians have stolen it back. The man tasked with retrieving it and killing the thieves? Bond. Jamesh Bond. Da da duun da da! Doo doo doo doo… etc.

James Bond 007, Volume 1 Review (Greg Pak, Marc Laming)

A Russian smuggler has a special case and is making his way to the bad guys for a big payday - not if James Bond has anything to say about it! But what’s this: a Korean spy is also after special case - and he’s got a deadly bowler hat…! What an odd… feature. Will superspies save the whatever who cares.

The Shape of Elvira Review (David Avallone, Fran Strukan)

For the purposes of this book The Shape of Water doesn’t exist in Elvira’s world and a fancy-pants director decides she’d be perfect for the starring role in his version of that movie opposite a really committed actor in a really convincing outfit. Yeah, definitely not an actual Abe Sapien-type! But Elvira soon finds out that the movie is just a pretence for what the director’s really shooting for…

The Boys: Dear Becky Review (Garth Ennis, Russ Braun)

Set ten years after the events of the last book, Hughie and Annie are living a happy, quiet life in Scotland - a life suddenly disrupted by the delivery of Butcher’s notebook. A notebook full of letters to his long-dead wife, Becky - but what secrets does it contain, and who sent it?

Project Superpowers, Volume 2: Evolution Review (Rob Williams, Sergio Fernandez Davila)

The Avengers have a cool-sounding but confusing superhero team name (what’re they avenging??); Justice League sounds hella corny but perhaps appropriately so for a team headed up by Superman; Project Superpowers though is by far the (green) lamest, most naff-sounding superhero team evarrrrr! But, credit where credit’s due: I wasn’t bored with this book like I usually expect to be, and almost always am, with the likes of Avengers or Justice League.

James Bond: Case Files Review (Kieron Gillen, Jody Houser)

James Bond: Case Files collects four standalone specials, none of which are very good or special!

Kieron Gillen and Antonio Fuso’s Service is a boring story about some baddies trying to break up the UK/US’s “special relationship” - guess whether Bond saves the day or not?

Pumpkinhead Review (Cullen Bunn, Blacky Shepherd)

One group of cartoon hillbillies wants revenge on another group of cartoon hillbillies so they get a cartoon witch to summon an albino Xenomorph called Pumpkinhead to kill dem. Lord amighty, this is one dumb horror comic!

James Bond: Kill Chain Review (Andy Diggle, Luca Casalanguida)

Russians are trying to break NATO – Bond’s gotta keep the alliances “bonded” together (arf)!

Following their first excellent Bond outing, Andy Diggle and Luca Casalanguida reunite in Kill Chain. It’s not as good as Hammerhead but it’s a fine spy thriller nonetheless.

James Bond: The Body Review (Ales Kot, Luca Casalanguida)

The name’s Bland. James Bland. At least it is when Ales Kot is writing him!

Bond fights an assassin. Then a terrorist. Then some Nazi arms dealers. He chills out with some lady in the mountains. He fights another bad guy. And that’s James Bond: The Body. Still awake? Me too - barely.

James Bond: Black Box Review (Benjamin Percy, Rapha Lobosco)

Black Box is the first stinker in Dynamite’s otherwise strong new line of James Bond comics. From the Alpine opener to the showdown with the villain, the whole book reads like Benjamin Percy sat down and made a list of things readers expect to see in a James Bond story and then wrote his script, ticking them off as he went! 

James Bond: Felix Leiter Review (James Robinson, Aaron Campbell)

James Bond’s cyborg buddy Felix Leiter is brought in by the Japanese Bond, Tiger Tanaka, to identify a beautiful (but deadly – of course) Russian spy. Things are never that simple though and Felix and Tiger soon find themselves wrapped up in a complex web of intrigue involving a death cult and North Korea!

James Bond: Hammerhead Review (Andy Diggle, Luca Casalanguida)

Spinning off from Warren Ellis’ James Bond series, creators Andy Diggle and Luca Casalanguida take 007 on a new adventure in Hammerhead. A villain called Kraken is targeting Britain’s nuclear arsenal with plans to wipe out London - here comes Bond to save the day! Bah da bah baah, bah da daah! 

James Bond: Eidolon Review (Warren Ellis, Jason Masters)

Vast amounts of dirty money is being laundered through MI5 at the same time MI6 - Bond’s division - has been disarmed. Eidolon has infiltrated the highest levels of British intelligence. Eidolon: another word for ghost… or spectre...

Project Superpowers: Blackcross Review (Warren Ellis, Colton Worley)

Like last year’s Supreme: Blue Rose, Warren Ellis takes an obscure superhero title and does some weirdness with it - this is Project Superpowers: Blackcross! 

In the small town of Blackcross, a man douses himself in petrol, strikes a flame, and walks into a lake, burning. Elsewhere, bodies are found with the American flag carved into their chests and six random people feel like they’re being haunted - by superheroes?! 

James Bond, Volume 1: Vargr Review (Warren Ellis, Jason Masters)

Doo doo doo doo, doo doo doo doo...

A new drug originating from Germany floods British junkies’ veins, killing them viciously. 

… bah da bah baah, bah da daah…

After avenging a fallen 00 agent in Helsinki, James Bond aka 007 heads to Berlin to teach the Krauts a lesson! 

… bah da DUH bah da DUH ba da dada! 

BANG! 

James Bond #1 Review (Warren Ellis, Jason Masters)

A James Bond comic written by Warren Ellis and drawn by Batman artist Jason Masters – of course it’s good! 

Red Sonja, Volume 3: The Forgiving of Monsters Review (Gail Simone, Walter Geovani)

The Forgiving of Monsters is the third and final volume in Gail Simone and Walter Geovani’s wonderful Red Sonja run. Unfortunately, they close out with an uninspired last gasp. 

The Complete Battlefields, Volume 3 Review (Garth Ennis, Russ Braun)

This is the third and final volume in Garth Ennis’ Battlefields series, a title which focuses on Ennis’ favourite subject: WAR! Volume 3 is made up of two three-issue stories: The Fall and Rise of Anna Kharkova, drawn by Ennis’ The Boys artist Russ Braun, and The Green Fields Beyond, drawn by Judge Dredd co-creator Carlos Ezquerra. And, like the other books in the series, it’s a quality read!