Die With My Boots On
| Publisher: |
Daily Express |
| Released: |
1st March 1973 to
18th June 1973 |
| Serial: |
#2173 to #2256 |
| Artist: |
Yaroslav Horak |
| Writer: |
Jim Lawrence |
Data Stream
| Villains: |
Benny 'The Barber' Pignelli, Mr Sforza, Ruvik |
| Bond Girls: |
Voyle, Posy Lee |
| Allies: |
Smoky Turpin, Nick Morgan (unseen), Dr John Gee (unseen) |
| Locations: |
New York City, USA; Helmsford, New York State, USA |
|
|
Above: Bond rescues the supposed
girlfriend of a murdered British agent at the beginning
of the adventure, who as per the M.O. of artist Yaroslav
Horak, has been stripped to her bra and panties by
her captors.
|
Synopsis
A revolutionary drug developed in Britain by a Hong Kong scientist
is aimed at eliminating all pain, but is open to abuse as
a recreational drug. The American Mafia have plans to get their
hands on the
formula to Nopane and control the underground market, but internal
fighting between the New York, Chicago and Californian factions
is rife. James Bond is sent to track down Posy Lee, the missing
niece of the scientist who developed the wonder drug.
Above: The opening panel of "Die
With My Boots On" |
With the assistance of former Royal Navy sailor
Smoky Turpin, 007 first rescues Voyle, the girlfriend of murdered
British agent Nick Moran who preceded 007 in the mission. She
leads the duo to upstate New York, where Bond rescues Posy from
the grasp of Mafia boss Benny 'The Barber' Pignelli - who he
dispatches with a zip gun hidden in his shoe. Bond discovers
Voyle was one of Pignelli's girls, and has been leading him astray
throughout. Posy Lee gets her revenge on her kidnapping by knocking
Voyle out, while Bond sends his car crashing through the front
of the Mafia HQ - taking out the remaining goons.
Above: Voyle tries one last time to
keep on Bond's good side despite his discovery that she works
for Pignelli. Little-seen Posy Lee gets the last laugh. |
|
Source To Strip
Jim Lawrence thrusts James Bond well and truly in to New
York, with 007 using local slang and colloquialisms
that fans of Ian Fleming's creation may have a hard
time swallowing. Out of character dialog aside, the
plot runs at a fast pace with Bond introduced to the
story
in an innovative way - with shades of "On Her
Majesty's Secret Service", Bond rides a girder
hung by a crane in to a high-rise office window.
Lawrence's characterization
of Bond is a brutal as ever: punching a
girl out cold to save her from her fear of heights, finishing
the villain off in cold blood, and gunning down goon after
goon with a Tommy gun.
As is a common trait in Lawrence's stories, the central
plot device (Nopane) fades in to the background
towards the end of the adventure. |
Artist Yaroslav Horak slips in and out of form in this adventure.
The opening sequences and fight scenes are up to his usual
high standard, with interesting perspectives and well cropped
cells, but some of the talking heads and dialog scenes sometimes
appear lazy and bland with occasional recycling of artwork
between panels. The depiction of Voyle brings nothing new,
although Horak does restrain himself from the usual high levels
of nudity. Horak successfully portrays the Mafia capo and his
goons, with hard lines and convincing costumes. Despite being
set in New York, there is very little to see of the location
with the exception of the helicopter scenes around the Statue
of Liberty.
Above: Bond takes some goons
on a sight-seeing tour in order to get them to talk |
Best Line
Bond: "Never say die, Voyle dear! "
Trivia
No other members of MI6 such as M, Moneypenny or Tanner are present
in the story. Bond alludes to a tattoo he has when he tells Voyle
he shares a Royal Navy connection with Turpin. Q-Branch supplies
Bond with a laser wrist watch, "Harlem Hotshot" zip-gun
shoes, and "image intensifier" binoculars. The title "Die
With My Boots On" alludes to soldiers
who die on active duty, but has no direct connection with the
story, and does not feature
in dialogue.
MI6 Rating
 |
|
Available Now!
Publisher: Titan Books
Released: 22nd September 2006
Titles Included: "Trouble Spot", "Isle of
Condors",
" The League of Vampires", "Die With My
Boots On"
"Trouble Spot"
by Titan Books
|
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