Grant Morrison to write new James Bond comic series for IDW
IDW Publishing, partnering with Ian Fleming Publications, has licensed new James Bond comics and chosen Grant Morrison as writer. The series has no artist or release date yet; its first story is a six-part adventure called Sunbreaker.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2IDW Publishing, partnering with Ian Fleming Publications, has picked up the license to create all-new comic book adventures featuring James Bond, according to an exclusive in The Hollywood Reporter. The Hollywood ReporterLC “Partnering with Ian Fleming Publications, IDW has picked up the license to create all-new comic book adventures featuring the iconic British spy James Bond.” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ Screen RantN “IDW Publishing and Ian Fleming Publications are partnering for a brand-new James Bond comic book series.” Read at Screen Rant ↗ Mixed · 2The writer is Grant Morrison, known for All-Star Superman, a multi-year Batman run, Animal Man and Doom Patrol. The Hollywood ReporterLC “known for All-Star Superman and his multi-year Batman run as well medium-pushing comics such as Animal Man and Doom Patrol” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ Screen RantN “DC Comics legend Grant Morrison (All-Star Superman, Batman: Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth)” Read at Screen Rant ↗ Mixed · 2No artist has been named and there is no release date. The six-part opening adventure is titled Sunbreaker, but that is not the title of the comic, which has not been announced. The Hollywood ReporterLC “The comic has no artist on board yet nor does it have a release date.” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ Screen RantN “No artist has been named, and there is no release date scheduled for it yet” Read at Screen Rant ↗
Left · 1Morrison promises new cars, new gadgets and a new ultimate villain "ripped straight from the headlines". They describe Bond as gliding through a "deadly funhouse mirror" version of our world "like a killer shark among minnows". The Hollywood ReporterLC “Morrison is promising new cars, new gadgets, and a new ultimate villain ripped straight from the headlines.”“A world through which James Bond glides like a killer shark among minnows. Charismatic, ruthless, unstoppable.” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ Mixed · 2Morrison said they have been a Bond fan "for as long as I can remember" and likened the character to King Arthur, Robin Hood and Sherlock Holmes. The Hollywood ReporterLC “I’ve been a James Bond fan for as long as I can remember” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ Screen RantN “Morrison likens Bond to such iconic British characters as “King Arthur, Robin Hood, or Sherlock Holmes,”” Read at Screen Rant ↗ Left · 1IDW CEO Davidi Jonas said the company aims to "take radical swings" rather than provide "supplemental and optional stories". Ian Fleming Publications publishing director Simon Ward said some Bond adventures "can only be told through comics". The Hollywood ReporterLC “We strive to take radical swings which celebrate and stay true to the very qualities that make the franchise special”“there are some adventures that can only be told through comics” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗
Left · 1The Hollywood Reporter notes that Bond's comic history has been sporadic, with Marvel adaptations in the early 1980s and later work from Eclipse, Dark Horse and Dynamite. It calls the license a coup for IDW, which also publishes Star Trek comics. The Hollywood ReporterLC “The character’s appearance in comics has been sporadic.”“The license is coup for IDW, which also publishes a slew of Star Trek comics.” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ Centre · 1Screen Rant, citing The Hollywood Reporter, speculates that the lack of a release date means the comic is unlikely to appear before 2027. It places the news alongside the Bond film franchise being largely dormant since No Time to Die in 2021 and the success of the video game 007 First Light. Screen RantN “which means it isn’t likely to be released until 2027 at the earliest”“until the franchise was reinvigorated by IO Interactive’s 007 First Light” Read at Screen Rant ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- The Hollywood Reporter broke the news as an exclusive, with a trade-press, deal-focused angle and quotes from IDW, Ian Fleming Publications and Morrison.
- Emphasis
- Licensing deal, executive statements, Bond's history in comics and the coup for IDW.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not discuss speculation about release timing or the wider Bond franchise's current state.
- Charged language
- “license to thrill”“coup”
- For example
-
“IDW Publishing has acquired the license to thrill and has set Morrison, Grant Morrison, to shake, not stir, things up.” — The Hollywood Reporter
“The license is coup for IDW” — The Hollywood Reporter
Centre1 outlet
- Framing
- Screen Rant rewrites the Hollywood Reporter scoop as fan-oriented news, setting it against the Bond film hiatus and 007 First Light.
- Emphasis
- Excitement about Morrison's involvement, the franchise context and a guess at a 2027 release.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Leaves out the quotes from IDW's CEO and Ian Fleming Publications and the history of earlier Bond comics.
- Charged language
- “legendary writer”“shockingly”“incredibly thrilling”
- For example
-
“it’s incredibly thrilling to see such a legendary brand paired with such a legendary writer.” — Screen Rant
“the series’ writer will shockingly be none other than DC Comics legend Grant Morrison” — Screen Rant
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- IDW Publishing and Ian Fleming Publications are partnering on a new James Bond comic series.
- Grant Morrison is the writer.
- The six-part opening adventure is called Sunbreaker.
- No artist or release date has been announced.
Grant Morrison person
Morrison presents the project as a chance to put their own stamp on an iconic British character and promises a definitive Bond story with new cars, gadgets and a villain.
“this opportunity to put my own stamp on a British character as iconic as King Arthur, Robin Hood or Sherlock Holmes, was too good to miss.” — The Hollywood Reporter
IDW Publishing organisation
IDW says the project is an example of its approach to licensed properties: radical swings that reinvent a franchise for the modern comic landscape.
“Our goal isn’t to simply provide supplemental and optional stories.” — The Hollywood Reporter
Left1 article
-
James Bond Comic Book Series in the Works from Grant Morrison, IDW (Exclusive)
Neutral Exclusive trade report on the licensing deal, with wordplay in the lede and full quotes from the parties.
Centre1 article
-
New James Bond Series Officially Confirmed From Legendary Writer
Celebratory Fan-facing follow-up to The Hollywood Reporter that praises Morrison and adds franchise context and release speculation.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 9 Oct 17:00 First The Hollywood ReporterLC James Bond Comic Book Series in the Works from Grant Morrison, IDW (Exclusive)
- 9 Oct 18:23 +1h 24m Screen RantN New James Bond Series Officially Confirmed From Legendary Writer
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.