Percy Pens New James Bond Series

The next epic adventure for 007 kicks off in the snowbound French Alps, where Bond finds himself in the crosshairs of an assassin who targets other assassins. This is the first puzzle piece in a larger adrenaline-fueled mystery that will send Bond across the globe to investigate a digital breach that threatens global security. Writer Benjamin Percy explains how he always wanted to write Bond and tells you all about the action-packed adventure that's coming from Dynamite Entertainment!

James Bond: Black Box #1 (JAN171584) is in comic shops March 1.

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PREVIEWSworld: Let's start off by getting a feel for what you see in Ian Fleming's James Bond. How do you view the literary and cultural impace of the character, and your contribution to Fleming's legacy here?

Benjamin Percy: James Bond is one of the coolest, most thrilling and iconic characters in literature and film. Everyone aspires to be him – or sleep with him – for obvious reasons. He is perfectly confident and perfectly tailored, always saying the right thing, always making the right move, whether he’s sidling up a woman at the opera or leaping out of a plane or bulleting along a seaside highway in a silver Aston Martin.

But then there’s the other side of Bond. The part that sacres us – and fills us with wonder. Bond is cool, sure – but’s also cold. Occasionally cruel. Armored and unknowable. Yes, he’s the man in the tux toasting a highball along the Riviera – but he’s also the man peering through the scope of a sniper’s rifle or ditching a garroted corpse in an alley.

One of my favorite first lines – from any novel – comes from Ian Fleming’s Goldfinger. “James Bond, with two double bourbons inside him, sat in the final departure lounge of the Miami Airport and thought about life and death.” That’s a snapshot of a haunted man. Beyond the romantic, sophisticated veneer hides a blunt, bloodied instrument.”

PREVIEWSworld: What is your history with the character?

Benjamin Percy: I grew up on Bond. When I was a kid, my father and I would watch – over and over again – the Bond marathons on TBS. When I was in high school, I took a career test and wrote “spy” as my dream job. When I was in college, I signed up for an espionage novel course and fell in love with Fleming’s books. The first drink I ordered was a vodka martini – shaken, not stirred – though I now stay true to the novels and favor bourbon. And over the past year, I’ve followed the Warren Ellis run at Dynamite with admiration and jealousy. Bond is ingrained in me, a character who has centrally influenced my life and sense of story. So I feel ridiculously lucky to be contributing to the 007 canon.

PREVIEWSworld: Looking at your “Black Box” storyline, if you had a bullet point list of essential James Bond story elements, what would you be checking off?

Benjamin Percy: Readers are going to expect exotic locales, nifty gadgets, colorful villains, dangerous seductions, clever dialogue, wildly orchestrated action set-pieces. I got them covered, and then some. Every James Bond novel and film has made me feel awed. Filled with wonder and joy and exhilaration. I am putting all of my heart and muscle into this story to make sure my readers experience the same.

PREVIEWSworld: When it comes to writing James Bond, what’s your creative process? How do you get yourself in the mindset for an espionage thriller?

Benjamin Percy:  This is corny, I know, but I play the theme music to get myself in the mood. It always straightens my posture, narrows my eyes, tightens my skin into gooseflesh, as my mind floods with the hundreds of hours I’ve spent with Bond (paging hurriedly through a novel or leaning forward in a darkened theater).

But I’m a writer who never stops working. I’m open for business 24/7. So Bond is always on my mind, and if I’m on a walk in the woods or at the grocery store or on a plane, I’m likely scribbling down an idea for a cool gizmo or an action sequence or a dialogue exchange.

But beyond that, I’m always asking myself a single question: how can I thrill my reader? On every single page, I’m knobbing up the volume, raising the stakes, heightening the spectacle, because no way am I going to piss away this opportunity to write one of my favorite franchises.

PREVIEWSworld: What would you say to convince a potential first-time reader to pick up James Bond #1?

Benjamin Percy:  I write Green Arrow and Teen Titans at DC Comics, and as part of their “Rebirth” initiative, I’ve tipped my hat to legacy while making each series my own. I’m taking the very same approach to James Bond. I know and respect 007’s history – but I’m excited to put own unique mark on the future of the franchise. Part of that involves channeling cultural anxieties, and you’ll see – in this opening arc – a story that is born out of this age of digital insecurity. The artwork is incredibly cinematic, and feels like a close cousin to Eduardo Risso. You’re going to finish this first issue with a heightened pulse and a big smile on your face. Of this I’m certain.