With Amazon taking control of the James Bond franchise, speculation about how the saga might be rinsed for all its worth has abounded. Surely Jeff Bezos and co. will try to wring as many James Bond spin-offs out of this thing as possible, and while that might result in some interesting off-shoots from the main franchise, fans aren’t necessarily jazzed at the prospect. But perhaps they needn’t fret. After all, there have been Bond spin-offs for years, just not on-screen.
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If you’re a reader of the Bond novels, you’ll know that beloved figures from the 007 canon have received their own standalone stories before. After all, original Bond author Ian Fleming wrote just 12 official novels, and when you’re talking about one of the most successful franchises in history, fans are going to want more. As such dozens of books have been published since Fleming passed away in 1964, and not just those that focus on Bond himself. There was the Miss Moneypenny trilogy, a series focusing on other Double O agents, and the “Young Bond” books about a teenage version of the super spy.
That’s just the books, too. Elsewhere, comic books have expanded the Bond universe, with one of 007’s greatest allies getting his first solo mission in a comic series. But it’s not just allies that have been given comic book reinventions, as one 2018 storyline from the “James Bond 007” comic books took a well-known henchman and reinvisioned him as an agent to rival Bond himself.
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Greg Pak reinvented a legendary Bond henchman for a new generation
Easily one of the most essential James Bond movies everyone should see, 1964’s “Goldfinger” introduced the world to Oddjob, a henchman for Auric Goldfinger who actually debuted in Ian Fleming’s 1959 novel of the same name. Played by Japanese-American actor and professional wrestler Harold Sakata in the movie, Oddjob was memorable for his steel-rimmed bowler hat and for facing off against Bond in Fort Knox during the film’s climax. In the novels, however, he is a 6-foot 6-inch beast who is only bested by Bond when the spy depressurizes a plane and Oddjob is sucked out the window.
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In 2018, writer Greg Pak decided to introduce yet another iteration of this legendary henchman. Known for his work on Marvel’s “X-Men” comics, including “X-Treme X-Men” and multiple independent stories including “Code Monkey Save World” and “Mech Cadet Yu,” Pak teamed up with Dynamite Comics to reimagine Oddjob as a South Korean agent named John Lee for the “James Bond 007” comics.
Prior to the series’ release, Pak told ComicBook.com how excited he was to rework the character for a new generation, saying, “Our new version of Oddjob has big, fun flaws and is driven by passion more than anything else, which is the kind of role I’d love to see Asian actors get in Hollywood more often.” The writer revealed that he thought of reinventing the henchman as soon as he was asked to write on the Bond comic series, and pitched a narrative in which the character was able to tell his story from his own point of view.
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The Oddjob storyline inspired a short film
Illustrated by artists Marc Laming, Stephen Mooney, Eric Gapstur and Robert Carey, The Odd Job Epic (as it was informally known) ran for twelve issues of “James Bond 007” between November 7, 2018 and October 30, 2019. It saw Oddjob depicted as South Korean agent John Lee, a rival to 007. In the story, Lee’s British counterpart has tracked a smuggler to Singapore in order to retrieve a mysterious case, the contents of which remain unknown. Lee, however, has also been tasked with recovering the case, prompting an entertaining rivalry between the two agents as they come to take on the terrorist organization ORU together.
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The storyline overall earned an 8.5 critic rating Comic Book Roundup, but fans were split on the series, with the average user rating coming it at 5.7. Still it seems those who loved Greg Pak’s take on Oddjob really loved it, and the story even inspired a short fan film adaptation in 2021. Entitled “Oddjob: A Kill From The Other Side,” the short came from YouTube channel Rogue Origin Films and showcased the John Lee version of Oddjob, as played by Josh Han, taking on Bond for possession of a case. It’s a well-made little insight into what a potential Oddjob spinoff could be.
Former Bond producer Barbara Broccoli and her family protected James Bond for generations, and while Amazon likely won’t hold back when it comes to wringing “content” from the franchise, perhaps Broccoli’s departure could have some positive outcomes. If Amazon takes its cues from comic storylines like Pak’s, we could see some interesting angles on the Bond saga which might actually help cinema’s most enduring IP to remain relevant moving forward. If Amazon’s James Bond reality show is anything to go by, however, we’re probably not going to see agent John Lee on-screen any time soon.
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