James Bond Origin, written by Jeff Parker and drawn by Bob Q, launched in September (see “James Bond Gets an Origin Story”).  The series begins with a 17-year-old James Bond, an orphan student in Scotland, being called on by an old family friend.  Unfortunately, this visit coincides with The Clydebank Blitz, a devastating German attack against Scotland.  The exclusive six-page story is set in March 1941, and chronicles Bond’s exploits during WWII.

The James Bond Origin team was thrilled with the chance to create a short Bond story for Playboy, with Parker saying it harkened back to the days Fleming’s short stories would run in the magazine.  Playboy first published a Bond short story, “The Hildebrand Rarity,” in the March 1960 issue.  That story would then be published a month later in Fleming’s For Your Eyes Only short story collection.  The magazine also serialized On Her Majesty’s Secret Service for American audiences in its April, May and June 1963 issues, ahead of the opening of the first James Bond film Dr. No.