July 9, Mt. Laurel, NJ: Ian Fleming's second James Bond novel is being adapted to the graphic novel format this fall. Live and Let Die follows the successful Casino Royale release and agent 007 as he traces stolen pirate treasure from the smoky jazz clubs of Harlem all the way to the formidable shores of Jamaica.
Writer Van Jensen (Flash, Green Lantern Corps) returns for this entry following his critically acclaimed Casino Royale graphic novel with Dennis Calero. This time, Kewber Baal (Army of Darkness, Jennifer Blood) has been enlisted to provide art. Complimented by his steadfast partner Schimerys Baal's (KISS) coloring. Fay Dalton (Vampirella) returns to bestow Bond fans with another sleek noir-inspired cover. This top tier creative team is primed to tackle one of the most unique Bond adventures.
In Live and Let Die, Bond is at first sent across the Atlantic to The City That Never Sleeps to investigate Mr. Big, an agent of the Secret Service-opposed SMERSH. Fan-favorite CIA agent Felix Leiter is brought in to help, as the two uncover a plot full of voodoo and deadly sea creatures... There is also the unforgettable "Bond girl" - the beautiful and talented tarot reader Solitaire.
"Live and Let Die is an intense sprint, full of huge action and terrifying villains," said writer Van Jensen. "It's both a mystery and a thriller, as Bond digs into the world of Mr. Big and fights to survive against sharks, and even a very hungry octopus. To work in the world that Ian Fleming created is an incredible honor. This was a particularly fun project, given how grandiose it is, full of intricate action set pieces and fun visuals. Translating the novel to comics was all about staging those beats in the most fun, intense way possible. Kewber has been a perfect partner in that work. The underwater battles particularly are the highlight of the book, but every page has something wonderful."
Artist Kewber Baal adds, “Drawing James Bond is a milestone for me! James Bond is one of the greatest characters in literature and one of the biggest movie franchises. Working with Van is awesome! His scripts are detailed, but with a fluidity that makes the art come naturally!”
"James Bond is one of the all-time best characters across fiction and we continue to be proud to work so closely with Ian Fleming Publications to bring these prestigious stories to the comics and graphic novel format," said Nick Barrucci, Dynamite CEO and Publisher. "Fleming only wrote so many classic novels, so we want to make sure each adaptation is planned and executed perfectly." JAMES BOND: LIVE AND LET DIE will be solicited in Diamond Comic Distributors’ July 2019 Previews catalog, the premier source of merchandise for the comic book specialty market, and slated for release in September 2019. Comic book fans are encouraged to preorder copies with their local comic book retailers. It will also be available for individual customer purchase through digital platforms courtesy of Comixology, Kindle, iBooks, Google Play, Dynamite Digital, ComicsPlus, and more! ###
About Dynamite Entertainment Dynamite was founded in 2004 and is home to several fan-favorite comic book titles and properties, including The Boys, Red Sonja, Nancy Drew, Game of Thrones, Project Superpowers, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, Bettie Page, Altered Carbon, Sweet Valley High, Army of Darkness, Twilight Zone, Green Hornet, Barbarella, Six Million Dollar Man, Warlord of Mars, Sheena, and more. Dynamite owns and controls an extensive library with over 3,000 characters (which includes the Harris Comics and Chaos Comics properties), such as Vampirella, Pantha, Evil Ernie, Chastity, Purgatori, Smiley the Psychotic Button, Reanimator, and Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt. In addition to their critically-acclaimed titles and best-selling comics, Dynamite works with some of the most high-profile creators in comics and entertainment, including Garth Ennis, Christopher Priest, Mark Russell, Gail Simone, Kelly Thompson, Neil Gaiman, George RR Martin, Brandon Sanderson, Kevin Smith, Alex Ross, Andy Diggle, Amanda Conner, J. Scott Campbell, John Cassaday, Jenny Frison, Jae Lee, Marc Guggenheim, Mike Carey, Marguerite Bennet, Greg Pak, Brett Matthews, Matt Wagner, Amy Chu, Steve Niles, James Robinson, and a host of up-and-coming new talent. Dynamite is consistently ranked in the upper tiers of comic book publishers and several of their titles - including Project Superpowers - have debuted in the Top Ten lists produced by Diamond Comics Distributors. In 2005, Diamond awarded the company a GEM award for Best New Publisher and another GEM in 2006 for Comics Publisher of the Year (under 5%) and again in 2011. The company has also been nominated for and won several industry awards, including the prestigious Harvey and Eisner Awards. |