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Reviews
Kill Shakespeare: Backstage Edition Volume 1 by Anthony Del Col, Andy Belanger, Conor McCreery
j_olip's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting concept. The paneling is sometimes hard to follow, the characters are drawn too hyper masculine or feminine and the battle scenes are boring but the storyline keeps things moving at an enjoyable pace.
thelucyfan's review against another edition
2.0
I wanted so much to like this book and the series, but i found it lacks the cleverness it should possess. I also do not enjoy a graphic novel in which the characters are drawn in ways which make them difficult to identify easily. Lady Macbeth and Iago were inconsistent in features, specifically.
bushraboblai's review against another edition
5.0
Juliet finally gets to be more than just a setting for Romeo's thespian tendencies and become the magnificent hero she was meant to be.
krpollard's review against another edition
3.0
A really fun reimagining of Shakespeare's characters. Lady MacBeth is a predictably awesome villain, and Hamlet is as whiny as you'd expect him to be. Also loved the appearances of Othello, Iago, and Richard III.
ashkitty93's review against another edition
2.0
Last night's review didn't do my disappointment justice. This one's better.
I was promisedSix A Pantheon of Characters in Search of an Author to Murder, and yet here I am, vastly disappointed. The premise is cool if you stick to it, okay? This could've been so cool.
I think I must be spoiled by other comics' artwork, because this was Not It.
And while I can totally gel with wanting to write this specifically because you're one of those I Hated Shakespeare in High School sorts of people, that doesn't mean the dialogue can be all willy-nilly. If you're gonna write pseudo-Shakespeare, at least get your thee's and thou's in order, and canst vs dost etc etc. Because when you screw up the menial stuff like that, it loses your (supposed? assumed? aimed-for?) demographic of Shakespeare lovers. *waves*
I did get to see Othello and Juliet though, so that was neat. Cross-dressing Hamlet and Falstaff were not what I was expecting, nor was Lady M, but the inclusion of so many characters in this first volume really was cool.
Same thing only better, pls.
I was promised
I think I must be spoiled by other comics' artwork, because this was Not It.
And while I can totally gel with wanting to write this specifically because you're one of those I Hated Shakespeare in High School sorts of people, that doesn't mean the dialogue can be all willy-nilly. If you're gonna write pseudo-Shakespeare, at least get your thee's and thou's in order, and canst vs dost etc etc. Because when you screw up the menial stuff like that, it loses your (supposed? assumed? aimed-for?) demographic of Shakespeare lovers. *waves*
I did get to see Othello and Juliet though, so that was neat. Cross-dressing Hamlet and Falstaff were not what I was expecting, nor was Lady M, but the inclusion of so many characters in this first volume really was cool.
Same thing only better, pls.
ellelainey's review against another edition
4.0
I read Issues 1 and 2 individually, before trying Volume 1:
Issue 1 Review:
"I'll admit, I got this one for free on Amazon and I got it only because it said it was about Shakespeare. At first, it was really strange and I wasn't sure what to think. The concept of taking Shakespeare's characters all facing off against each other and trying to kill/capture him sounded so original that I couldn't resist. When it started, it didn't work. The rehash of Hamlet's story was so quick, so sudden, and so rushed that I really wasn't sure I'd enjoy the rest of the story. Once I read a bit further, I realised that the rehash of Hamlet was to provide context and the back story of just why Hamlet was leaving, what he'd experienced, and how he'd be convinced to go along with King Richard's plan. It made sense, after a while, but it really did make me unsure of where the story was going, at first.
Overall, it got better as it got about halfway, but it took a while to get there."
Issue 2 Review:
"While generally unsure about Issue 1, I felt that Issue 2 was a much more original, and well plotted concept. It felt like it all came together in this one, showing me where it was going to go. I found the characters came into their own, here, and became a bit less like the characters we know from the classic Shakespeare stories; they found their own voice, their own stories, and managed to portray that in this Issue of the story. It was much more clever, with better plotting, more original and intriguing that Issue 1. I'm intrigued to read more."
The rest of the volume was great. It expanded on the originality of the plot and characters, offering a new slant on well known characters from Shakespeare classics. I love seeing Juliet as a kick-ass women, not the weak version she was in the original. I'll definitely be reading Volume 2.
Issue 1 Review:
"I'll admit, I got this one for free on Amazon and I got it only because it said it was about Shakespeare. At first, it was really strange and I wasn't sure what to think. The concept of taking Shakespeare's characters all facing off against each other and trying to kill/capture him sounded so original that I couldn't resist. When it started, it didn't work. The rehash of Hamlet's story was so quick, so sudden, and so rushed that I really wasn't sure I'd enjoy the rest of the story. Once I read a bit further, I realised that the rehash of Hamlet was to provide context and the back story of just why Hamlet was leaving, what he'd experienced, and how he'd be convinced to go along with King Richard's plan. It made sense, after a while, but it really did make me unsure of where the story was going, at first.
Overall, it got better as it got about halfway, but it took a while to get there."
Issue 2 Review:
"While generally unsure about Issue 1, I felt that Issue 2 was a much more original, and well plotted concept. It felt like it all came together in this one, showing me where it was going to go. I found the characters came into their own, here, and became a bit less like the characters we know from the classic Shakespeare stories; they found their own voice, their own stories, and managed to portray that in this Issue of the story. It was much more clever, with better plotting, more original and intriguing that Issue 1. I'm intrigued to read more."
The rest of the volume was great. It expanded on the originality of the plot and characters, offering a new slant on well known characters from Shakespeare classics. I love seeing Juliet as a kick-ass women, not the weak version she was in the original. I'll definitely be reading Volume 2.
juntakinte1968's review against another edition
3.0
To begin with, it is an amazing premise--to have these characters play in a shared sandbox. It obviously builds on League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and Fables. And to see the interactions is cool. I just wish that with all of the promise of the premise that it went a but further. The use of Shakespeare's fantastical elements is okay (the ghost of Hamlet's Dad, the Weird Sisters, etc.), but it really could've been expanded on. I also think that some of the interpersonal chemistry between these characters in their eventual meetings could've held for some great discussions (Hamlet and Othello could've really talked about being consumed by revenge). And the visual storytelling of the layouts sometimes leaves much to be desired. But still, it's a fantastic idea, some cool artwork, and builds towards something. Recommended, and a great way to introduce or supplement Shakespeare to those just learning about his work.
pagesofpins's review against another edition
2.0
The author could have done some clever things with the mashup of Shakespeare plays in a world where he is worshipped/feared, and I hoped this would be a good intro to the bard for older teens. Instead, the violence and bawdy jokes reflect Shakespeare's style, but minus the wit.
psykobilliethekid's review against another edition
3.0
This was just ok. I felt the description on the back of the book and the summary on Wikipedia gave more than what this volume had to offer. This is only the first of two volumes of the core story, but I started to get bored at the end. Maybe things start to pick up in the next volume but I wasn't that impressed with this one.
buer's review against another edition
2.0
Effing A. I just wrote a really long review of this and for some reason when I tried to submit it I got an error and my review disappeared.
The short of it is that this a great idea executed poorly. It is similar to the Fables series, but Fables had the distinct advantage of having more universes to draw from and characters with less developed personalities. At this point in the series, I'm also going to go out on a limb and say that Fables' overarching plot of "Kill the Adversary who is making all of us move to stupid unmagical 21st Century NYC on Earth" is much better than Kill Shakespeare's overarching plot of "Find and kill William Shakespeare and/or steal his quill because it is magical." Actually it sounds kind of cool when I say it like that, but the execution. is. poor.
And the thee/thy/thou thing is excessive and clearly done by someone who has no idea how those words are supposed to be used/has not read Shakespeare in a while and is therefore not great at imitating his style.
From what I can tell, this book appeals most to people who don't like Shakespeare, but like the idea of Shakespeare (the introduction is a very enthusiastic endorsement of the book by a self-professed Shakespeare hater and from the reviews I've skimmed on Goodreads, it seems like the more familiar a person is with Shakespeare, the less they like the series.
There were a few things that I liked about the book. Juliet is kind of bad ass (although her good cop/bad cop routine with Othello got boring in two pages), there are enough interesting developments starting up that I'm at least curious about what will happen next, and the habit of all of the characters to say things like "By Will's beard!" and "For Will's sake!" is pretty cute (although it also doesn't make sense. Hamlet had never heard of Shakespeare before King Richard kidnapped him, so that's messed up.)
The art is good but not great. It is sometimes confusing. In particular there was one conversation between Hamlet and Falstaff that I had to read three times because it wasn't clear that Belanger had decided to run the art across both pages. There's also a scene where Lady Capulet and King Richard trap her husband in a crypt, but it looks like he's just fading in and out of consciousness until the last minute. Belanger also didn't communicate really well with McCreery, because Hamlet is buff and scruffy even though Juliet describes him as being young, weak-looking and wet behind the ears.
TL;DNR: I am disappointed that I bought this. I will probably read the next one, but won't buy it unless shit randomly gets really good.
The short of it is that this a great idea executed poorly. It is similar to the Fables series, but Fables had the distinct advantage of having more universes to draw from and characters with less developed personalities. At this point in the series, I'm also going to go out on a limb and say that Fables' overarching plot of "Kill the Adversary who is making all of us move to stupid unmagical 21st Century NYC on Earth" is much better than Kill Shakespeare's overarching plot of "Find and kill William Shakespeare and/or steal his quill because it is magical." Actually it sounds kind of cool when I say it like that, but the execution. is. poor.
And the thee/thy/thou thing is excessive and clearly done by someone who has no idea how those words are supposed to be used/has not read Shakespeare in a while and is therefore not great at imitating his style.
From what I can tell, this book appeals most to people who don't like Shakespeare, but like the idea of Shakespeare (the introduction is a very enthusiastic endorsement of the book by a self-professed Shakespeare hater and from the reviews I've skimmed on Goodreads, it seems like the more familiar a person is with Shakespeare, the less they like the series.
There were a few things that I liked about the book. Juliet is kind of bad ass (although her good cop/bad cop routine with Othello got boring in two pages), there are enough interesting developments starting up that I'm at least curious about what will happen next, and the habit of all of the characters to say things like "By Will's beard!" and "For Will's sake!" is pretty cute (although it also doesn't make sense. Hamlet had never heard of Shakespeare before King Richard kidnapped him, so that's messed up.)
The art is good but not great. It is sometimes confusing. In particular there was one conversation between Hamlet and Falstaff that I had to read three times because it wasn't clear that Belanger had decided to run the art across both pages. There's also a scene where Lady Capulet and King Richard trap her husband in a crypt, but it looks like he's just fading in and out of consciousness until the last minute. Belanger also didn't communicate really well with McCreery, because Hamlet is buff and scruffy even though Juliet describes him as being young, weak-looking and wet behind the ears.
TL;DNR: I am disappointed that I bought this. I will probably read the next one, but won't buy it unless shit randomly gets really good.