Review: JAMES BOND: AGENT OF SPECTRE #3

James Bond: Agent Of Spectre sees the super spy working for his long time enemy Blofeld. The hero working with or for his greatest nemesis is a time tested tradition that this book makes great use of with a surprising twist that allows 007’s to explore the dark side of the black ops world, flirting with treason and disillusionment without making it seem forced or out of character.

Luca Casalangudia’s art and Heather Moore’s colours switch between sexy and stylized to rigid and ugly from panel to panel, and it’s a little jarring, especially for a James Bond story, which is often known for its slick and glamorous visuals. The two leads for this issue James Bond and Titania, alternate between attractive and unappealing quite frequently, which makes the signature Bond tasteful sex scene lose some of its Luter. For the most part, however, the art and stylized sketchy colours convey the events of the story well, particularly the action.

Playing For The Other Team
As mentioned before, Bond is working for long-time enemy Blofeld under the guise of being fed up with being unappreciated by the higher-ups at MI6. Issue 3 opens up with a firefight in a museum between Bond and Titania trading bullets and blows as the two strike a deal to team up and take Blofeld out of the picture so Titania can take control of the criminal empire Spectre. There’s a moment where Bond feeds the leading lady a cover story about not feeling unappreciated by his agency along with regrets of being like a tool only to be discarded when performance falters even the slightest bit.

While it is later revealed to be a cover story towards the end of the issue, this creates an exciting moment of introspection into 007’s mindset. Possibly hinting at some hidden feelings the super spy has against the way MI6 operates. Titania even mentions most of the talented killers under Blofeld’s employ have similar reasons for joining Spectre. The concept of Bond working for his long time enemy is a nice shake up however it’s good to know that 007 hasn’t actually turned his back on England. The whole thing is an elaborate ploy to take the enemy organization down from within.

Sleeping With The Enemy
The dialogue is dry and witty with clever back and forth; it feels like the movies. The firefight and the brief fling shared by Bond and Titania are the focal points of this issue, creating a setup for the next chain of dominions to fall in this game of deception that only gets more fascinating the further you read. The highlight of this story is the wordplay between its characters, from the seductive and calculated quips between Bond and Titania in their game of Spy Vs Spy to the goofy and warm banter Bond shares with his best friend in the final pages when he comes to visit him in the hospital.

The Bonds of Friendship
The end of the book sees 007 checking in on his best friend CIA Agent Felix Leiter after the injuries he caused him. The scene is a rare moment for Bond to share a genuine friendship with a fellow spy that manifests in a warm and touching scene where the two make fun of each other in the way only close friends can. This is an excellent way to end the issue humanizing Bond, allowing us to connect with the character to become more invested in his struggles against Spectre in the stories to come.

The short but emotional journey James Bond: Agent of Spectre #3 takes you on is a nice piece of the puzzle of the larger mystery to come. Writer Christos Gage’s script was my favourite part of his story pulling this entry together into an entraining package.

Final Score 3/5
“If you enjoy 007 films and books give it a go.”

(W) Christos Cage (A) Luca Casalanguida (CA) Aaron Lopresti
Publisher: Dynamite Comics