James Bond: Hammerhead Vol. 1 by Andy Diggle a Graphic book review

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COVER PAGE 👆


ALTERNATE CLASSIC COVER PAGE 👆

James Bond: Hammerhead Vol. 1
Synopsis
Bond is assigned to hunt down and eliminate Kraken, a radical anti-capitalist who has targeted Britain's newly-upgraded nuclear arsenal. But all is not as it seems. Hidden forces are plotting to rebuild the faded glory of the once-mighty British Empire, and retake by force what was consigned to history. 007 is a cog in their deadly machine - but is he an agent of change, or an agent of the status quo? Loyalties will be broken, allegiances challenged. But in an ever-changing world, there's one man you can rely on: Bond. James Bond.

Hammerhead Brief
Bond must navigate the murky waters of the arms trading world, as a radical anti-capitalist force, Kraken, schemes in the shadows.


After a covert mission to investigate Kraken in Caracas, Venezuela, ends with Bond's lead in pieces, 007 is recalled and sent by M to attend an arms fair by the side of the heiress to Hunt Engineering, Victoria. The pride of the convention is a cutting edge weapon: Hammerhead. The rail-gun can propel a sub-orbital ballistic warhead up to 2000 miles, and could be adapted to fire a nuclear payload.

Meanwhile, a decommissioned Trident warhead is intercepted on its way to a safe zone, spelling potential disaster for Mi6 and indeed the world. Machinations have begun for a devastating coup, and James is close to stumbling straight into the middle of it.

And unbeknownst to Bond, his actions in South America have not gone unnoticed... It isn't long before he becomes the target of assassins who will track his every move.

About the Author - Andy Diggle

Andy is best known for Green Arrow Year One, an inspiration for the TV show ARROW and Arrow's support staff John Diggle one of the key characters has been named after him. 
The Losers is his claim to fame, one of his most famous creations featuring a caper that was also made into a movie.

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35055064-james-bond" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="James Bond: Hammerhead Vol. 1" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1493789324l/35055064._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35055064-james-bond">James Bond: Hammerhead Vol. 1</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/59841.Andy_Diggle">Andy Diggle</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4656055537">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />


This six part Bond graphic novel or comic book as you choose to call it by Andy Diggle has all the elements that make Bond movies the most awaited spy movies in recent times. It has the visuals fit for the big screen and a story that has a sting, all of which are expected from a Bond extravaganza. In the spectrum of spies, Bond probably ranks higher than all other spy capers. 
There have been many from the times of Ian Fleming till date and probably Ethan Hunt of the Mission Impossible movies would come the closest in terms of success though in terms of recognition, would not hold a candle. 

<br />I mean "Shaken not stirred" or "the name is Bond, James Bond" spoken with utter suaveness is one of the most recognized and copied dialogue, right up there with Hasta la vista baby.<br />That is the popular pedestal on which the character finds itself. Expectations from the series, be it books, movies or graphic novels, are sky high.<br />

<br /> This book Hammerhead, is not about a shark although there is the august presence of a shark but is about a new super weapon that has been developed by Britain. Rail guns are technological marvels which in real life has turned out to be a tough nut to crack and as yet unfeasible. <br />Here we have Britain having developed one and we have an unknown threat in control of the same. 

<br />Not getting ahead of the story, the book starts with a night sortie by Bond in true movie style and a lot of bloodshed, earning his license to kill. 

<br />But in the overall situation, Bond blunders in the assignment to capture a Hacker who is an important cog in a giant wheel known only as the Kraken, having links to the terrorist and is grounded. 


<br />What's with Bond stories and sharks, while having nothing to do with the name we have a very vivid presence in the scene where Bond has got hold of one of the assassination team and while trying to get him to identify the brains behind the assassination of Hunt, the shark takes centerstage and gulps the person whom Bond is interrogating and he dies with a word in his lips hoping for salvation by Bond. He doesn't get support from Bond but the word clue remains.<br />

<br />Following this debacle, M assigns Bond to a mollycoddling assignment, bodyguard to an arms dealer, Owner of Hunt Industries and a weapon contractor of the state including what we find later Q branch; where while he is being Bond, flirting with the dealers daughter, his responsibility is terminated abruptly in a successful assassination attempt. <br />

Continuing his bodyguard responsibility now transferred to the daughter, Bond proceeds to get seduced and a romp in the hay, scratch that, a romp in a state of the art Airplane, owned by Hunt Industries. <br />Bond now consumed with finding Kraken gets a lead in Yemen, a smuggler who works with Kraken and lands in the hostile territory and we have a unique incident. <br />


Bond cars which are probably the most cherished vehicles in the planet turns rogue and tries to kill him. This is a nicely put storyline with Bond's car going all Christine on him (Christine as in the movie, car possessed). Bond survives practically with the skin of his teeth and is also captured.<br />We have seen Bond stories with unlikely alliances and another works here with the smuggler. <br /><br />Parallelly the world has gone to hell while Bond gets sunburnt in Yemen. M with Moneypenny and the corrupt British Minister of Defense are kidnapped while visiting Hunt industries and we come face to face with Kraken, the prodigal daughter. Her team have also managed to capture nuclear warheads and she has plans to destroy London. The British minister also gets his just dues from her men, shot in the head. <br />

Kraken and her group start holding Britain at ransom, years of dabbling in the defense contracts of the realm have given them unfettered access to all defense info and files. Their tech and hacking capabilities have them controlling much of Britain's arsenal. <br />There is quite a lot of blood and killing in the book and we view Bond as a ruthless killing machine.

<br />Moneypenny is in a robust avatar out of office and chaperoning M as her personal guard. She exudes strength and a latent violent streak very like Bond's in her brief field appearance. Here we see this streak as she takes charge to be the protector of M and more importantly his brain which contains all sensitive information of the realm. She goes to the extent of threatening to kill M when critically outnumbered and out maneuvered by Kraken. Her flirts with Bond in M's office are legendary both in the books and movies, so is it here.

<br />The book brings some nice surprises for the reader with key characters behaving diametrically opposite to what is expected from them. <br />The Bond car for instance, his eternal partner in crime and an all-round all-weather and all-terrain protector in several movies and books working against him due to a hacked chip is a beautiful crime in itself. The scene reads like payback for the times Bond's antagonists have suffered surprises due to the cars. The scene also underlines its importance in the overall scheme of the story. <br /><br />

In the last chapter of the book, Bond from far-off Yemen reenters the fight into offshore Scotland with a HALO to a submarine that is amongst the few ships that are near the Offshore facility where the arch villain, i.e. villainess Kraken aka Hunt Industries heiress is cooped up with M and Moneypenny as hostages.<br />

The Kraken targets the submarine with the rail gun, annihilating it. Bond makes the appearance at the rig and confronts Kraken and saves the day.<br />

The story presents very strong visuals of a Bond extravaganza with 007 himself an utterly ruthless version of his traditional self as written in the books but never seen before in the movies. <br /><br />

Loved the book, loved the visuals, loved the storyline.<br />

Recommend this as a good read.

<br />
<br/><br/>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/134366167-sanjib-dash">View all my reviews</a>

 



Please do not forget to post your comments. I am an equal opportunity person so would love to hear your love or your hate for the review or book in any order. Please write what you did not like or whether the book was an absolute disaster for you and why.

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https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4656055537


For a Bond book, this picture below 👇 just felt right. 😉

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