(Titan �14.99)

BOND is back! The greatest super-spy of them all returns in a newly packaged collection of comic strips from the pages of the Daily Express. With adaptations of original stories by creator Fleming, and new tales by writer JD Lawrence, this mix of adventures offers a decisively different take on the exploits of Double-Oh-Seven.

This bumper volume includes seven stories - The Harpies, River of Death, Colonel Sun, The Golden Ghost, Fear Face, Double Jeopardy and Starfire - with artwork throughout by Yaroslav Horak.

The Bond of these stories is not the fast-quipping, gadget-laden hero of the movies, but a hard-edged, ruthless secret agent who will stop at nothing to complete his mission, and is closer to Daniel Craig’s recent interpretation than the versions portrayed by Roger Moore or even Sean Connery.

In spite of the restrictions imposed by a four-panel daily comic strip, which often require a reasonable cliffhanger at the end of instalments, these stories never feel disjointed, and serve as a perfect example of how to write a serialised narrative.

Unfortunately the Bond Omnibuses lack the behind-the-scenes bonus features of the original Titan releases, meaning these adventures have to be judged on their own merits rather than with the benefit of commentary, but it’s tantamount to the strengths of the creative team that this never proves a problem in terms of enjoyment.

A perfect addition to the collections of Bond fans everywhere, this book will leave you both shaken and stirred.