James Bond #4

Writer: Warren Ellis Artist: Jason Masters Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment Release Date: February 10, 2016 Cover Price: $3.99 Critic Reviews: 11 User Reviews: 10
8.2Critic Rating
8.4User Rating

James Bond is alone in Berlin, with nothing but the clothes on his back and the gun in his hand. When help is offered from an unexpected source, Bond has no choice but to accept it - even though it may guarantee that he doesn't live through the night. Dynamite Entertainment proudly continues the first James Bond comic book series in over 20 years! "Ian Fleming's James Bond is an icon, and it's a delight to tell visual narratives with the original, brutal, damaged Bond of the books." - Warren Ellis

  • 10
    Newsarama - Justin Partridge Feb 10, 2016

    Though it took four issues to get there, James Bond has finally achieved must-read status. The issues that proceeded this month's were good, but even the best of the first three pales in comparison to this latest one. Warren Ellis, Jason Masters and Guy Major have all hit there stride in a big way with #4 as each element of their work just flat out works. If you are looking for a tension-filled spy drama, James Bond is the book for you. If you want bone crunching action, James Bond has that for you as well. But above all, if you are looking for a stellar single issue of comic books that hits notes other comics just dream of, then James Bond #4 is the book you both want and need. Read Full Review

  • 10
    AIPT - David Brooke Feb 9, 2016

    This series has been fantastic as a whole but not without some pacing issues or a lack of action here and there. Not so here. This is the real deal and how action comics should be! Read Full Review

  • 9.5
    Outright Geekery - Rahmaan Adedoyin Feb 8, 2016

    Right off the bat I noticed that the artist Jason Masters totally abandoned the safe route, and decided to draw a truly unique 007, not borrowing from any of the movies. Overall the art is very clean except the action scenes which were deliciously graphic. The writing perfectly matched the pace the movies are known for, knowing exactly when to add plot twists and when to add that 007 dry wit we all know and love. This is an awesome title and seeing as though its only at issue 4 its a perfect time to jump on. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    SnapPow.com - John McCubbin Feb 10, 2016

    James Bond #4 is another fabulous entry in the series, with the creative team moving from strength to strength. Giving us an exciting set of events as well as some intense interactions, the creative team most certainly allow for a captivating experience, leaving me for one eager to return. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Comic Bastards - Asa Giannini Feb 10, 2016

    To put it simply, James Bond #4 feels for the first time like a proper espionage series with its own identity and not simply James Bond greatest hits. Ellis' take is grittier and more cynical than Bond fans may be used to (the amount of blood is a sobering reminder of the toll a Bond mission takes), with a sense of inevitability and misanthropy that makes the book itself feel introspective even if the central character remains detached. I hope that Ellis continues after the ‘VARGR' arc wraps up, as I think going forwards his series could become something special. As it is, it's just nice to see a book improving so rapidly. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    PopOptiq - Edgar Chaput Feb 13, 2016

    Everyone knows that Bond survives his missions. He isnt the sort of characters franchises kill off to resurrect a few months or years down the road. 007 is, essentially, immortal, but without the cheap shock value of deaths that will clearly be reversed shortly thereafter by fantastical means. Part of the fun is witnessing how he remains alive despite the odds, with special joy provided in discovering how he flees traps laid out by his enemies. Whatever happens at the start of issue #5, odds are it will be a corker. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    ComicBuzz - StephenFn Feb 17, 2016

    An excellent, fast paced issue of the current Vargr arc, No Bond or spy action fan should fall into the trap of missing this series. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    The Fandom Post - Chris Beveridge Feb 11, 2016

    As much as I enjoy James Bond in general and as much as I'm getting enjoyment out of this series, something is having a hard time clicking here. Part of it is that we're doing a simple story that doesn't have the gravitas it needs to feel bigger even with the threats in play, simply because of the constraints of the format. Should this stick to monthly? Should it be full-length graphic novels first? Or is there a way to do standalone chapters that tell enough of a story to make it worthwhile? And as much as I like Ellis, is he really the right writer for this? There are no issues with the VARGR storyline overall, but it's lacking something really compelling here to make it work, something that both novels and films are able to do but are falling short here. I'm curious to see how things go after this arc more than anything else at this point. Read Full Review

  • 7.1
    IGN - Jesse Schedeen Feb 11, 2016

    This issue amps up the excitement factor as Bond gets closer to uncovering the mystery of the duper-drug Vargr and the villain pulling his strings. The extended fight sequence ups the ante and provides Bond with his first real physical challenge of the series. Unfortunately, Jason Masters storytelling sometimes falters during this sequence. Read Full Review

  • 6.5
    Doom Rocket - Brandy Dykhuizen Feb 15, 2016

    All in all, Bond is always a treat, and Ellis and Masters have produced a solid comic designed to leave us in suspense by the end of each successive issue. This is a fun series for reading on a beach, paired with a Bloody Mary on a Sunday morning (I mean, I'm just guessing). And I definitely will be tuned in next time to see how our hero escapes the next predicament these creators put him through. Read Full Review

  • 6.0
    Comic Book Resources - Jennifer Cheng Feb 15, 2016

    Ellis' take on Bond still works well, but the villain's introduction falls flat. Read Full Review

  • 7.0
    BrightestDaycare.com Feb 19, 2016

    The art on this issue is great- I love the look of things in this story, but the momentum took a bit of a hit in this issue. I love that were getting a big cliffhanger for this issue, but we all know that whatever happened to Bond in this issue, he is James FLIPPING Bond; he can get himself out of anything. he will be fine, so a lot like the Star Wars stories that focus on Vader, Han, Luke and Leia between A New Hope and Empire- we all know that they aren’t going to die anytime soon, so it robs these big moments of their gravitas. Otherwise this is a strange and fun book, and I really like reading a book that is nothing like your “average” comic book story rife with capes and domino masks and punching. Though this book seems to get it more

  • 9.5
    Garthdude Jan 18, 2022

  • 9.5

  • 9.5
    Brandon Tindle Feb 12, 2016

  • 9.0
    tonpas1989 Jul 1, 2020

  • 9.0
    Gabriel Valões Dec 15, 2017

  • 8.5
    JAC8285 Aug 6, 2016

  • 8.0
    mseccatore Mar 3, 2016

  • 7.5
    Sayrus Jun 21, 2016

  • 7.0
    EggMath Feb 25, 2016

Reviews for the Week of...

May

1st

April

More