Ian Fleming’s Classic James Bond Comic Strip Collection Is Essential Reading for 007 Fans

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Man, it’s been five years since we last saw our favorite spy on the big screen! But they’re finally bringing them back this year, though it’s not exactly the comeback everyone was expecting.

The first adventures of James Bond, originally created by Ian Fleming, are being collected and reprinted in a new comic strip collection called Ian Fleming’s James Bond Signature Comic Strip Collection Vol.1. This volume features some of 007’s most thrilling early missions.

I always thought James Bond started with Sean Connery in ‘Dr. No,’ but it’s amazing to learn his adventures actually began as comic strips! This book collects those very first stories, from July 1958 to May 1961 – three years before the first movie came out. It’s cool to see how they established his daring, high-stakes world even before he became a movie icon, and it’s the start of what’s now a huge collection of 25 official adaptations with different actors playing 007.

I’m really excited about this new collection, Ian Fleming’s James Bond Signature Comic Strip Collection Vol.1! It’s a collaboration between Ian Fleming Publications and Express Newspapers, and it’s packed with full graphic novel adaptations of seven classic Bond stories. They’ve included Casino Royale, which is where it all began for 007 in the books, and Moonraker – you might remember that one as the Bond movie where Roger Moore went to space! It’s awesome to see these stories told in a whole new way.

This book features unique artwork by John McLusky, the original illustrator of these comic strips. The stories and conversations are taken directly from the writings of Ian Fleming, who created James Bond in 1953 and continued to write about the famous spy—known for his love of martinis—in 12 novels and two collections of short stories until his death in 1964.

James Bond’s History In Comics

The illustrations by John McClusky, now available in Ian Fleming’s James Bond Signature Comic Strip Collection Vol.1, represent some of the very first appearances of James Bond in comic book form. But this was just the start of a longer trend.

So, the very first full comic book featuring James Bond was actually based on Dr. No. It came out the same year as the movie in the UK, published by Classics Illustrated. Then, things got interesting – the next year, DC Comics picked it up and reprinted it as part of their Showcase series. Pretty cool to see Bond pop up in different places back then!

It wasn’t until almost twenty years later that James Bond appeared in a graphic novel adaptation of Octopussy. Bond started appearing in comics more often towards the end of the 1980s with Acme Press/Eclipse Comics, beginning with a 1989 adaptation of Timothy Dalton’s last film as Bond, License to Kill, illustrated by Mike Grell. Grell also created the first original Bond comic book series, a limited series called Permission to Die.

After Dark Horse Comics gained the rights to James Bond in 1992, they published original stories like Serpent’s Tooth, created by writer Doug Moench and artist Paul Gulacy. Later, in 1995, Topps Comics planned a three-part miniseries adapting a specific Bond novel, but it was cancelled after the first issue due to issues with the cover art.

Since 2014, Dynamite Entertainment has been publishing James Bond comic books. Their stories have explored Bond’s early career, before he earned the “00” designation, and have also focused on supporting characters like Felix Leiter and M through spin-off series.

The next film adaptation is in the works with Denis Villeneuve, the acclaimed director of movies like Arrival and Dune, set to direct. Steven Knight, who created Peaky Blinders, is writing the script, but they haven’t yet cast an actor to take over the role from Daniel Craig.

Ian Fleming’s James Bond Signature Comic Strip Collection Vol.1 goes on sale on Nov. 3.

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2026-05-28 23:07