James Bond is coming back to comics.
Dynamite Entertainment has signed a licensing agreement with Ian Fleming Publications, Ltd., the rights holders to all things 007, to publish James Bond comic books, graphic novels and digital comics. The first fruits of this partnership are expected to arrive in 2015.
Did someone say Bond, James Bond? :D #007 #JamesBond coming to @DynamiteComics pic.twitter.com/qyUPK9eOCI
— FrankenVillainstein (@f_francavilla) October 7, 2014
The Bond franchise is a huge get for Dynamite. The publisher owns the rights to some 3,000 characters, including The Shadow, Red Sonja, Vampirella, The Bionic Man, George R.R. Martin's A Game of Thrones and more. James Bond will easily be the best-known character on its roster, and should serve to heighten Dynamite's profile considerably.
Dynamite says that it plans to take full advantage of its new crown jewel. First, Ian Fleming's classic novels will be adapted into comic book form for today's audiences. Next, Dynamite is creating an ongoing 007 monthly that will tell new stories. But rather than be set in the same timeframe as the movies or the novels, the comic plans to rewind to the early years of Bond's career. The company expects these new adventures to be "raw" and "defining" for the character, drawing inspiration from Fleming's work while expanding on it in exciting ways.
The company also promises that a number of well known characters from James Bond's world will turn up for the prequel series as well, along with new characters created just for the comic book. We'll finally learn how Bond got his start working for her majesty's Secret Service, and how many of his villains got started, too.
What remains to be seen is if the comics will take any cues from the movies. For example, might this printed incarnation of 007 resemble Daniel Craig, or perhaps Sean Connery? It seems unlikely, since the film rights are completely separate from what Dynamite's just acquired.
No writers or artists for the various projects have been announced.
