Javier E. Trujillo reviews the second issue of Dynamite’s newest James Bond thriller, 007!

As OO7 mourns the loss of Gwen Gann, the sinister forces of Myrmidon target him at home! Will they catch Bond off-guard?

Plot

007 and a small group of MI6 staff attend the funeral of Gwen Gann, 003. Bond later joins several OOs as they pour a drink out in remembrance. M tries to bring 007 in on what Gann was actually working on, but Bond is too angry with his boss to cooperate at the moment. Returning to his flat, 007 gets ambushed by Myrmidon and subdued.

Opinion

It’s hard to not hear the score to Skyfall as this issue opens with a military funeral and we see a coffin adorned with a Union Jack. Writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson once again employs flashbacks to showcase Bond’s past history with Gwen Gann. I’ve really been enjoying how he weaves it into the narrative. It helps set the pace and gives one insight into how much Bond cared for his fellow agent. Let’s be honest, OOs tend to come and go around Bond, so it’s not hard to imagine scenes like this happening “off-camera”. I appreciated Moneypenny offering solace to 007 at the service. It felt fitting that she would be there for him.

Meeting with fellow agents after the service at a nearby pub adds to a sense of camaraderie for the MI6 team. Whilst none of the other agents are ones readers would be familiar with, their quick tales add a layer to the legend of Gwen Gann and why 007 holds her in such high regard. It’s hard not to see shades of No Time To Die as the mourners pour a glass for the absent party who is being remembered.

More echoes of the Daniel Craig era were present as M and Bond converse in dark London streets, with Bond upset about M’s secrets, walking away from his boss. If it wasn’t for Bond’s sorrow, I’d have a harder time accepting 007 shirking his duty. Or perhaps it’s all a ruse. After all, M seems to think Myrmidon has “people everywhere.”

Buy online

Amazon UK | Amazon.com

Javier E. Trujillo is a lifelong fan of all things 007. He can be reached on Twitter as @JaviTru.