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  1. 007 Spy Files Now Available In Australia

    By daniel on 2002-07-25

    [dark] has written in with this great report for us, so a big thank you is extended out to him;

    007 Spy Files are now available to purchase in Australia. The TV ads have begun airing for the series in the last couple of days. The first issue comes at the special introductory price of $2.95, with each subsequent issue (coming out fortnightly) for $5.95 each.

    The first issue is accompanied by a packet of various fact cards (which come with every issue) as well as a tin to store them in whilst carrying them about. It also contains a series of divider cards to break the cards up into their various categories. The second issue contains a box to store your magazines in. The third issue contains a second, larger tin, which is used to store your cards in permanantly. Both cases bear the 007 logo. The first issue also contains a subscription offer, whereby if you subscribe to future issues, you'll receive a nifty combination pen / voice recorder, as well as a free issue.

    Unfortunately, the magazines are clearly aimed at a younger audience. They contain several puzzles, games and (in the first issue), a two-page feature on "How To Booby-Trap Your Room" (one part suggests spreading talcum powder on your floor – – guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser with parents, I'm sure!). Not quite adult material. The magazine also focuses entirely on the films, with no references to the literary works of 007. However, if you're like me, any read about Bond is a good read. That said, even the language is aimed at youngsters, and one can't help but feel it's been signicantly dumbed down compared to the 007 books we've seen in the past ("007: The Secret World of James Bond" was a wonderful resource). Of course, all that is attributed to the fact it's been created with the young'uns in mind. On the plus side, parts of the first issue are nicely illustrated (the two-page spread on Atlantis comes to mind). However, some are awful (the main image on the "Booby-Trap Your Room" spread looks like a screenshot from a Game Boy).

    Nonetheless, for $2.95, it's well worth the purchase to see if you enjoy it. If you're a little disappointed like me, it's still worth it for the handy tin case. If you, or you know of anyone, are at the right age for this (10 years old?), then this is the perfect way to introduce them to the world of 007. It's slightly more innocent than the films, but does an apt job at describing James Bond and his adventures for the kiddies.