James Bond (2019) #5 is out June 10, 2020. — **James Bond (2019) #5** is out June 10, 2020.

By Jarred A. Luján — If you’ve been following along with the site’s reviews for Dynamite’s James Bond series, you probably know by now that I love this book. I wrote a Get Hype for the site when it was announced that Danny Lore and Vita Ayala were teaming up to co-write the series, as well as several reviews for issues so far. The series has been a lot of fun so far, and it’s one of my favorite things on my pull.

So, you can guess that I liked this issue…and you’d be right! Except this issue isn’t just good, it’s big. Let’s get into the nitty gritty.

Brent Peeples takes over the work on the art section of the book this time around. I think the third page is all you really need to see the way Peeples utilizes emotion and detail in his art. The deep dive in fake art is fascinating and the way the minute details matter makes it a way more fun read than just being told what they are. This particular book has so many big action sequences, and within them, the art just sings. These are probably my favorite action panels in the series so far, with all of them not only coming off clean and fun, but really gritty. I loved that the character of Keys finally gets to show off just how intense she is, with her sequence feeling impactful blow by blow.

One of my favorite parts of this book has been the fashion. That’s probably a weird thing to say for a comic, but man, the fashion is just so dope. Peeples handling the drawing of Keys and Nadya’s outfits, along with all the great details of the Bond suits, is really fun. I’m not sure it’s a “Bond” story without some great clothing in it, and this is kind of above and beyond in that department. Including the very cool sequence with our new big bad.

As always, colorist Roshan Kurichiyanil does a stellar job. He does more than his part to receive some credit for the stellar way those outfits look, but the way Rosh captures the ambiance of panels is second to none. The final page of the book is one of my favorite pages of this series so far, and that blue is so gorgeous and really just brings it all the way home. Absolutely great work.

Ariana Maher, one of my favorite letterers around, proves why she’s great in this issue. Absolutely great work as she makes some dialogue heavy panels easily readable and consistent. Her work on the SFX throughout the fight scenes elevates each sequence as it goes along. Maher has a sixth sense of lettering placement, making sure everything fits just right to where it doesn’t blog any of the vital elements of the book. In an espionage book built around the very fine details, that’s an accomplishment all on its own.

Which brings me to my favorite part: the new villain reveal. I’m not going to dive into spoilers, because I think that this moment is best read without expectation, but damn). Ayala and Lore have sort of been laying out little bits and pieces about the greater villain. They’ve hid the twist so well throughout the series, so well that it’s still both shocking and believable. This addition is proof, not just that Ayala and Lore have absolutely done their Bond research, but that they’re such a great team to write this book. This issue, in particular, feels like we’ve really finally hit that moment of Lore and Ayala’s greater ambition for the series and I am tremendously excited.

OVERALL: If you are a Bond fan and you’ve slept on this series so far, this is me telling you to buy the back issues, write an apology letter, and get it on your pull. 9/10

James Bond (2019) #5

James Bond (2019) #5
Writers: Vita Ayala & Danny Lore
Artist: Brent Peeples
Colorist: Roshan Kurichiyanil
Letterer: Ariana Maher
Publisher: Dynamite
Fakes are everywhere. 007 has no clue who to trust. His training and intuition are all that stand between the shadows and the light. By VITA AYALA (Morbius, Gamora), DANNY LORE (Queen Of Bad Dreams) and ERICA D’URSO (Captain Marvel).
Release Date: June 10, 2020
Buy It Now: Click here!

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Jarred A. Luján makes comics, studies existential philosophy, and listens to hip-hop too loudly. For bad jokes and dog pictures, you can follow him on Twitter.