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‘The Phoenix Project’ next James Bond comic collection from Titan

Due February of 2007 the collection will also include the stories “The Black Ruby Caper”, “‘Til Death Do Us Part” and “The Torch-Time Affair”.

Titan's 'The Phoenix Project' Set For February 2007 Release In UK

Prototype cover art online

'The Phoenix Project' James Bond Collection Available To Pre-order

Due out in February 2007

'The Phoenix Project' James Bond Collection Released In UK

Titan's newest 007 collection

'The Phoenix Project' James Bond Collection Released In US

Collection also includes 'The Black Ruby Caper,' 'Til Death Do Us Part' and 'The Torch-Time Affair'

Sweet!

But it appears they've leap over The Girl Machine and a few other stories. Up until now, they've pretty much been going in order. Always wanted to read Girl Machine. Also love that title.

But this is all good. I'm really enjoying these orginal stories.

Excellent! Wonder why there has been the jumping around for this next collection.

My guess is that Titan had trouble obtaining some of the strips of those stories, so they decided to continue with what they had. Whatever the reason, they had skipped around with the Fleming strips, so there's no need to worry.

Are these good stories?

Here's the prototype COVER ART for The Phoenix Project.

Also, confirmed release date: Feb. 23, 2007.

Not a bad looking cover at all.

Titan's 'The Phoenix Project' Set For February 2007 Release In UK

[sub]Prototype cover art online[/sub]

Nice cover art!!

Black Ruby is excellent - very racy, more nudity than any of the other strips, HMSS portrayed as a blackmailer instead of being blackmailed, Bond as a serious blunt instrument, three Bond girls, a fat German version of Irma, Bond gets it on with Damara Carver, an ebony beauty (long before Rosie Carver ever came along) whose father is an estranged American ex-patriot.

Torch Time Affair - not as solid, ends very sharply and is very short, seems more like a collection of ideas rather than a cohesive plot, heavy on character driven situations, not a lot of action, Horak gets to draw more naked and slightly clad women, Bond in Acapulco. Lotsa betrayals and convoluted action scenes remind me of Gardner's work. Horak art here is amazing, mostly night scenes, brilliant shading.

Til Death - Ok, I lied. The theme to this collection so far is how much nudity can Horak squeeze into the first few frames of the story. The heroine here is topless for the first eighty strips (aka, she's clothed for the last few frames). This collection will not be one for the little kiddies. Short story about a honey-trap scenario, much tighter and better put together than Torch Time Affair. Only weak point is a film-inspired Q'esque car that turns into a boat and a hot air balloon.

Phoenix Project - Full blown adventure, long set-up piece with Bond not appearing for first quarter of the story, Bond works on English soil for some reason, but then heads to Istanbul. More tame than the other three stories with Bond's libido being kept mostly off screen, so to speak. The Phoenix Project is about an armour suit that is also flame proof, it's somewhat clunky looking, like Jack Kirby's early Iron Man get up.

Lawrence's female agent Suzy Kew appears in the first two stories. Black Ruby is the best of the four by a long shot with its complex characters and dark themes. For those following the Titan volumes, this collection has the darkest take on the ol' human condition with Bond and HMSS not always being portrayed as the lily white good guys. TDDUP and Phoenix are both strong stories, and TTA is more of a throw in.

This post has been edited by clinkeroo: 12 September 2006 - 02:53

Thanks, clinkeroo. Looks like I'll be flipping right to the first few pages of Til Death.

Drop me your email again, John. I might be able to help you scratch that itch .

Sounds like quite a solid collection then. Thanks for the descriptions, Clink!