Reviews
Kill Shakespeare, Vol. 1: A Sea of Troubles by Anthony Del Col, Andy Belanger, Conor McCreery
rothcoe's review
2.0
I was not crazy about this. The art style was alright (I loved the gallery of covers in the back), but it wasn't fantastic. The premise is good, but I had some issues following the narrative and it ended up just being meh.
lillian_francis's review
2.0
Read the first 2 issues (they were free on Comixology) but nothing I saw or read would convince me to part with actual cash for this. The story is confused at best and the artwork was a mess.
alireadsbooks's review
3.0
The synopsis behind this is really awesome: Shakespeare's most famous characters are out on a quest to find him, either to help him or to kill him. The idea is that Shakespeare is a sort of god with divine right; the "bad guys" (Richard III, Iago, Lady Macbeth) are out to steal his quill and take back their free will.
However, this left me pretty disappointed. The plot was fun and engaging, but I expected a lot more from something called "Kill Shakespeare". I expected a good amount of research into the characters, and I just didn't feel that. For the most part, the characters stopped at the trope level: Hamlet the unlikely hero, Lady Macbeth the evil temptress, Richard III the ruler out for blood. Even weirder, Juliet was a mature, revenge-driven heroine, despite the fact that she's only 13 during the play.
I might continue with these eventually, just because it ended with a cliffhanger and the plot was still pretty engaging. But I don't think I would recommend this to any Shakespeare scholars or fans.
However, this left me pretty disappointed. The plot was fun and engaging, but I expected a lot more from something called "Kill Shakespeare". I expected a good amount of research into the characters, and I just didn't feel that. For the most part, the characters stopped at the trope level: Hamlet the unlikely hero, Lady Macbeth the evil temptress, Richard III the ruler out for blood. Even weirder, Juliet was a mature, revenge-driven heroine, despite the fact that she's only 13 during the play.
I might continue with these eventually, just because it ended with a cliffhanger and the plot was still pretty engaging. But I don't think I would recommend this to any Shakespeare scholars or fans.
emtobiasz's review
2.0
My boyfriend suggested this one to me after picking it up himself. The idea of rewriting and mashing up Shakespeare's plays to tell one epic adventure is a neat one, and I was intrigued by the storyline. But the art was just a big turnoff for me. I read some graphic novels (not a lot, but my fair share) but I found the layout of this one confusing and had trouble keeping the characters (especially the males) straight. Oh, and the people were ugly. I'm not asking to look at gods and goddesses on every page, but don't tell me Hamlet (or Juliet for that matter) is a babe if you don't have the art to back it up. All in all, I might pick up the sequel just because I'd like to finish the storyline, but I won't be looking for more from the author.
larakaa's review
4.0
this is one is not easy to rate. I, personally, liked it a lot. I'm a big shakespeare fan. I studied the fellow and his works at university. I like his language, his characters, his stories. (I prefer the tragedies).
However, if you're not a big fan of old Will or a unfamiliar with his works, this might be a bit more...difficult. There's a lot of long dialogue and in older English, too, so for some this might be boring or tiresome. It's also pretty violent and explicit. It's really like Shakespeare's plays. So, maybe, if you like the Fables stories, this could be something for you as well.
However, if you're not a big fan of old Will or a unfamiliar with his works, this might be a bit more...difficult. There's a lot of long dialogue and in older English, too, so for some this might be boring or tiresome. It's also pretty violent and explicit. It's really like Shakespeare's plays. So, maybe, if you like the Fables stories, this could be something for you as well.
velocitygirl14's review
5.0
It feels like a fever dream crossed with noir and all of Shakespeare's villains and heros make a cameo in this. Amazingly done story in that Hamlet bands up with a few others to find the mysterious wizard Shakespeare and either kill him or save him. It's a mad, trippy and crazy ride. Cannot wait to read the next two volumes.
vreadsabook's review
3.0
More like 3.5 stars. The back cover blurbs compare this graphic novel to The Unwritten and Fables. It is certainly in a similar vein, but lacks the depth of those two series. Instead, this is more of an amusing romp through the Shakespeare canon, with lots of amusing Easter eggs for those very familiar with The Bard. The artwork left a little to be desired in my opinion; it is not horrible, but very mediocre. I recommend this as light, fun reading.
On an unrelated note, it took me far too long to recognize that the title of the series is a pun on "Will Shakespeare," and I felt really silly when it clicked.
On an unrelated note, it took me far too long to recognize that the title of the series is a pun on "Will Shakespeare," and I felt really silly when it clicked.
alysasuh's review
Didn't actually finish. Maybe one day? I love the idea of it, but didn't really feel the need to pick it up and keep reading.
hogsandwich's review
3.0
It was - okay. Horrendous art but strong story. I reviewed it in depth over here: http://tinyurl.com/6j9l88t