Daredevil Message Board

[Stanley]

So you can find it in either the Dark Knight Returns Foreword or the entirety of The Black Dossier, but the point is that Alan Moore has a firm belief that James Bond ultimately despises women.

I think Alan Moore is a genius. I think he has brilliant ideas. I think his stories are just amazing. (Fill with other stuff for disclaimer purposes, yaddayaddayadda)

But I think in this case, he couldn't be further from the truth.

Now, let's be clear, if anybody wants to respond, that's cool, but I will eviscerate you if you invoke the Bond movies into our discussion. The books are what matters--and if you haven't read them, just don't pretend you have and assume the movies have done a fair job characterizing him.

I'm sure Alan Moore has read the books, but I think that he's letting the movies bleed into his opinion of Bond.

James Bond is indeed a government agent, a blunt instrument wielded by others in high places. His job isn't to ask, but to follow orders and love doing so. He knows his country comes first, and the striking difference from the books to the movies is that, before he makes the improbable escape, he fully accepts his death as the only way to advance his side.

Think about that for a second.

In fact, in Moonraker, he reflects that he most likely won't make it to retirement. But the last chapter of that novel is probably the best evidence I can give that he cares about women and loves the idea of being with one that makes him happy.

And, as I think any reasonable person who reads the novels will tell you, James Bond is generally a serial monogamist who always hopes for the best when it comes to his women.

Usually, if Bond acts like a dick to women, it's because they're not acting empowered. Now think about that--it's a complete 180 from what Moore's saying. Anyone who despises women should want them to be subservient--but Vesper Lynd, arguably Bond's love, was his equal.

Sure, he wanted to conquer her body, to break her reserves, to make her his, and he had some cold thoughts on the way, but he grew to love her. And when it comes to Tracy Draco in OHMSS, he also loved her and treated her with respect.

Most telling, though, is a passage in OHMSS where he's pretty much sleeping with a woman solely to 'pump her for information'. (He calls himself a cad, by the way.) I'm not near the book, but it ends with them sexing each other up and then Fleming writes something like, 'and when they were done, they both knew that there was nothing wrong with what they just did.'

James Bond, the literary character worth so much more than the one depicted in movies prior to Casino Royale, loves women. He loves their company, he loves what they add to his life, and if he could find one worth making himself honest again, he would do it. Why he's a hero, and somewhat tragic, is that he'll never find that. Otherwise, why would he keep saving the world?

So, sorry, Alan Moore--you pulled the permanent threesome for a few years, and for that you're certainly a hero. But on this issue, I've got to respectfully disagree.

[james castle]

I love Watchmen.

I love V for Vendetta (well, for the most part).

The Killing Joke is potentially my favorite comic of all time.

Even so: Alan Moore is an idiot. Don't have the link handy but a documentary about Moore and his writing and his practice of "magic" just got released onto the internet for free.

A couple nights ago I made it about half way through the doc before having to turn it off out of sheer annoyance. Simply put, Moore has been reading his own press. A lot. And by "a lot" I mean "A LOT". Watch the doc for yourself but I can tell you it's pretty nuts. There's no doubt that Moore is a good and even great writer. There's also no doubt that Moore thinks he is the greatest writer of all time. Just one example is that when he's talking about Watchmen he says something along the lines of "Watchmen, if it did anything, changed the way people looked at the world". Look, Watchmen is great for all sort of different reasons but claiming it changed the way people look the world is just laughable. The doc is more or less a non-stop barrage of Moore saying these self effacing but actually quite ridiculous things.

Given that I'm not surprised that he's gone of and misinterpretted Bond. He's Alan Moore and he (thinks he) knows best.
_________________
JC

So why can't you see the funny side?
Why aren't you laughing?