Kill Shakespeare | |
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![]() Alternative cover for issue #1, designed by Kagan McLeod. | |
Publication information | |
Publisher | IDW Publishing |
Format | Ongoing series |
Publication date | April 2010 – October 2014 |
No. of issues | 21 (As of October 2014) |
Main character(s) | Hamlet Juliet Falstaff Richard III Lady Macbeth Iago Othello Romeo |
Creative team | |
Written by | Anthony Del Col Conor McCreery |
Artist(s) | Andy Belanger Ian Herring Kagan McLeod |
Collected editions | |
Volume 1: A Sea of Troubles | ISBN 1600107818 |
Volume 2: The Blast of War | ISBN 1613770251 |
Volume 3: The Tide of Blood | ISBN 1613777329 |
Volume 4: The Mask of Night | ISBN 1631400584 |
The Complete Edition | ISBN 1613771304 |
Backstage Edition | ISBN 1613778511 |
Kill Shakespeare is a twelve-issue comic book limited series released by IDW Publishing. It was produced by Anthony Del Col and Conor McCreery, who also served as co-writers, with Andy Belanger as artist, Ian Herring as colourist, and Kagan McLeod as cover artist. The first issue was published on April 14, 2010.
A second series, the five-issue The Tide of Blood, was released in 2013. [1] A third series, The Mask of Night, was released in 2015. [2] The latest series, Past is Prologue: Juliet, which serves as a prequel to the main series, was released in October 2017.
The idea first came to Del Col and McCreery in 2005; however due to other commitments, the project was put on hiatus. The creators considered several mediums for Kill Shakespeare, including video game or movie, but ultimately decided on a comic. [3] In 2009, the pair attended the New York Comic-Con and sparked interest in publishing companies, from whom they eventually chose IDW. [4]
Kill Shakespeare #1 was released on April 14, 2010, and began the series' first story arc. [5] The first story arc ran for a total of 12 issues, and concluded on August 24, 2011. [6]
On November 9, 2010 IDW released a collected edition of issues #1–6 called, Kill Shakespeare Volume 1: A Sea of Troubles. [7] The second collected edition of the Kill Shakespeare series, Kill Shakespeare Volume 2: The Blast of War, was released on November 22, 2011. [8]
On October 11, 2012 IDW announced Kill Shakespeare's return in a new, five-issue, limited series titled, The Tide of Blood, which continued the story of the first series. [9] The first issue of The Tide of Blood, was released on February 20, 2013. [10]
On February 10, 2014 IDW revealed that a third series of Kill Shakespeare would be released. The Mask of Night was a four-issue limited series that picked up almost immediately after the end of the previous series, The Tide of Blood. The first issue of The Mask of Night was released on June 25, 2014.
On May 26, 2015, IDW announced that the first two books in the Kill Shakespeare collection would be collected as a deluxe hardcover. [11] The Backstage Edition would also be fully annotated with contributions from Shakespearean scholars across North America and Europe.
After a two-year hiatus, IDW announced that Kill Shakespeare was returning to comic-stores in 2017. Past is Prologue: Juliet would be a four-issue mini-series that would jump back in the series' history and focus on Juliet's journey from a self-destructive young woman, to one who would one-day lead the rebellion of the first two books. The first issue of Past is Prologue: Juliet was released on April 5, 2017. It featured a new artist, Corin Howell, as well as two colourists – Shari Chankahamma (who had worked on the 3rd and 4th books in the series), and newcomer, Alex Lillie. Due to health concerns with Howell's Father, the series was delayed – with the final issue coming out August 30, 2017.
Prince Hamlet is being banished with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern from his country of Denmark for the murder of Polonius. Before he leaves he takes one last look around his city and is confronted by a strange mist that tells him he should kill his uncle. Hamlet then denies that he's a killer and gets onto the ship headed for England. That night Hamlet has another encounter with the mist; the ship is then attacked by pirates. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are killed, but Hamlet manages to escape on a piece of the ship with a deceased sailor already on it. Hamlet then wakes up in a strange bedroom and meets Richard the Third. Richard tours Hamlet through his city, showing him that he is building libraries and schools for them. He then asks Hamlet if he will help steal Shakespeare's quill because he is the only one who can find Shakespeare; in exchange, Richard will resurrect Hamlet's father. Richard then demonstrates this by bringing the sailor that Hamlet was found with back to life. [5] Hamlet agrees to join Richard's quest to find Shakespeare. Hamlet doesn't know how to find Shakespeare. Then, Iago asks him if he[ who? ] could just relax, and this causes a path to appear in the woods. Richard's party go down the path and find themselves in a small village where they are attacked by a group called Prodigals. Richard hands him[ who? ] a knife to protect himself. That night Hamlet is almost killed by bandits but is saved by Falstaff, who knocks him out and kidnaps him. Iago is sent to find Hamlet. [12] Hamlets wakes up and Falstaff says he was trying to protect Hamlet from people trying to kill him. Hamlet tries to escape by creating another path, but can't. Falstaff offers to take him to a safer place through the woods. While they travel through the woods, they meet Puck; Falstaff then reveals that he's a Prodigal. Hamlet tries to get away from Falstaff, but instead Falstaff takes him to a brothel. The bandits attack the brothel, and Hamlet and Falstaff escape dressed as women. At the same time, Richard is attempting to create an alliance with Macbeth. Lady Macbeth kills her husband because she's in league with Richard. [13]
Hamlet and Falstaff meet up with Juliet Capulet and Othello, the leaders of the Prodigal Rebellion. Falstaff tells them that Hamlet is the "Shadow King" but they don't believe it. Richard's army attacks, Hamlet saves Juliet's life and then Iago saves both of them by attacking Tamora Andronicus, one of the bandits. [14] Othello tries to kill Iago but Iago manages to talk him down. Hamlet tries to leave with Iago, but Juliet won't let him do that, so she decides to make him her captive. Hamlet tries to escape with Iago late at night but Juliet catches them and Iago tells Hamlet to go by himself. Hamlet then meets with his father's ghost who turns into Polonius and then into Hamlet. Hamlet escapes and sees some of Richard's army torturing a group of Prodigals for information. Hamlet is found by Lysander, Demetrius and Adriana, who want to join with Juliet's rebellion. [15] Juliet, Othello, Iago and Falstaff meet up with Hamlet in a barn and they work on Adriana's farm for payment for hospitality. Later, they hold a meeting with several Prodigals and the rebellion begins. Then, Richard's army attacks and the rebellion protects Juliet. Juliet begins to believe Hamlet is the Shadow King, and Iago decides to join the rebellion. Later, Iago meets up with Lady Macbeth and they begin to conspire. [16]
A troupe of actors led by Feste, arrive in the camp of the Prodigal Rebellion and put on a production of The Murder of Gonzago, with Hamlet on stage. Hamlet is reminded of his father's murder and flees. Juliet chases him and they each relate their own personal tragedies, Hamlet's murder of Polonius and Juliet losing Romeo. [17] Hamlet, Iago and Falstaff get ready to begin the search for Shakespeare. The night before they leave Juliet meets with Hamlet and they kiss. The next day they begin the journey, but they are stopped by a group of Paladins led by Romeo Montague. [18] Hamlet uses his power to part the trees and shows the way to The Globe Woods where Shakespeare lives. Hamlet goes in by himself and comes across Puck. Puck leads him to a house on the other side of a river. Hamlet tries to swim the river but then gets pulled down into the water by creatures made up of manuscript pages. At the same time, Iago contacts Lady Macbeth and tells her that Hamlet was killed, but he's discovered by Falstaff. They start to torture Iago to find out what he knows, Iago tells them that Hamlet will kill Shakespeare and not survive his meeting with Shakespeare. Hamlet manages to escape the monsters and finally meets Shakespeare, who seems uninterested in doing anything with the Prodigals or Hamlet. Hamlet throws aside his knife, which then begins to move by itself and then tries to kill Shakespeare. [19]
After his Father the King is murdered by Hamlet's Uncle the young Dane vowed revenge. However, after killing family friend Polonius with a blow meant for his Uncle, The Prince questions his thirst for vengeance and flees Denmark. Still haunted by his father's ghost, confused and distraught, Hamlet is now caught up in a destiny far greater than he could have ever imagined.
One of the most powerful and shrewd generals in the land, Richard oversees a growing nation built on the backs of his serfs. Along with his desire to create a legacy through the glorification of his name Richard seeks to crush all opposition and conquer further kingdoms. He has formed a temporary alliance with Lady Macbeth after her betrayal of her husband, but can he trust her?
Beautiful and ruthless, Lady Macbeth has an unmatched thirst for power. Using her sexuality—and three witches as her council—she subtly steered her husband's rise to prominence. But with Lord Macbeth locked in a battle with Richard III the time was ripe for the Lady to step out of her husband's shadow. She drugged her husband's mead and walled him up in his Cawdor castle. However, will her own ambition lead her to discard Richard in his turn—and can she trust him not to betray her?
After fleeing from Othello's side Iago quickly attached himself to Richard III. Using wits and treachery the Spaniard efficiently moved up the ranks and is now one of Richard's most relied-upon deputies. But the corrupt influencer continues to play the odds, a charlatan who can easily change his allegiances—and does.
A wonderful pain-in-the-ass, Falstaff is quick with both the jab and the jibe. While he plays the quintessential fool he possesses more wisdom and heart than most. A man of faith, Falstaff is unshakeable in his belief in Shakespeare as Creator.
After he was unable to kill Iago in vengeance for Desdemona's death, Othello became a hired mercenary, but now leads the Prodigals resistance movement at the side of Juliet. He still hungers for revenge against his old adversary Iago, but has restrained himself thus far.
Her Capulet relatives spirited her away from Verona after she survived her attempted suicide. Witnessing injustice and oppression, and believing her 'lost love' Romeo is dead, she assumes the role of Prodigals resistance movement co-leader, and proves herself a courageous warrior.
However, unknown to Juliet, Romeo has also survived his own attempted suicide, back in Verona, and attempts to make amends by joining the Knights Paladin, who seek to aid the Prodigals resistance to Richard III and Lady Macbeth. Hamlet knows who Romeo is, but he has not yet told him that his former love is also still alive.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern ( Hamlet ), Puck, Demetrius and Lysander ( A Midsummer Night's Dream ) and Tamora and Titus Andronicus are featured as either bandits or mercenaries of uncertain affiliation. Furthermore, Mistress Page and Mistress Ford now run a brothel and are eager to renew their acquaintance with their old friend Falstaff. In Issue # 7, the travelling players enact The Murder of Gonzago, the same mise en abyme play used to provoke King Claudius into disclosing his guilt over the murder of Hamlet's father in Hamlet.
This quill gives the user the ability to change reality. Most of the characters want the quill for themselves. It is unknown what it looks like or if it really is a quill.
In ancient Rome, the dagger was given by Hecate to Brutus to kill Caesar with. [20] The Dagger is first used by Lady Macbeth in the raising of a sailor. [5] Richard then gives the dagger to Hamlet. [12] Later, it turns out that the dagger can move by itself and also lets Lady Macbeth see through its reflection. [16] The Dagger then tries to kill Shakespeare while Hamlet is talking to him. [19]
# | Title | ISBN | Release date | Collected material |
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1 | Kill Shakespeare Volume 1: A Sea of Troubles | ISBN 1-6001-0781-8 | November 9, 2010 | Kill Shakespeare #1–6 |
2 | Kill Shakespeare Volume 2: The Blast of War | ISBN 1-6137-7025-1 | November 22, 2011 | Kill Shakespeare #6–12 |
3 | Kill Shakespeare Volume 3: The Tide of Blood | ISBN 1-6137-7732-9 | October 1, 2013 | Kill Shakespeare: The Tide of Blood #1–5 |
4 | Kill Shakespeare Volume 4: The Mask of Night | ISBN 1-6314-0058-4 | December 25, 2014 | Kill Shakespeare: The Mask of Night #1–4 |
Kill Shakespeare: The Complete Edition | ISBN 1-6137-7130-4 | January 7, 2014 | Kill Shakespeare #1–12 | |
Kill Shakespeare: Backstage Edition | ISBN 1-6137-7851-1 | June 4, 2015 | Kill Shakespeare #1–12 with a leather hard cover, annotations by some of the top Shakespeare scholars in North America, an original Kill Shakespeare story, and original artwork designed by Andy Belanger. |
Shakespearean actor and writer of Shakespeare on Toast Ben Crystal opined that the comic was "beautifully drawn", elaborating that it "reminds me of Hellboy, particularly the ghosts and witches. It looks great, has a good pace, and is exciting to read." Crystal offers room for improvement, "The language is a bit of a tricky one. For the most part, it works well. There’s an error here and there... but those aside, I think it falters when the writer tries to attempt a mock-Shakespearean style." [21] George Gene Gustine of The New York Times called the series "gripping, violent and dark fun, even if you’re not fully versed in Shakespearean lore", [22] while Fangoria called it "a highly enjoyable adventure," saying that "McCreery and Del Col skillfully juggle a Who’s Who assortment of characters, and Belanger places them in stylishly imagined backdrops on every page". [23]
Shakespearean scholar Kimberly Cox, partner of well-known comic creator Frank Miller, criticized the book, primarily taking issue with its non-adherence to Shakespeare's well-known iambic pentameter style, stating, "Under duress and under a deadline, I can write exactly in the same meter and syntax as the Bard. It’s not so difficult once you study enough of the text". Cox also noted that the comic is "so poorly done, so flawed on even the most elementary levels of story-telling". [21]
The first twelve issues of Kill Shakespeare were adapted into a live staged reading format in 2011 by Del Col, McCreery, and dramaturg Toby Malone at Soulpepper Theatre Company in Toronto. The first full-length showing was part of 'The Word Festival,' which in 2011 focused on the works of Shakespeare. The success of this production led to further development and showings at comic-book conventions in Montreal, [26] New York, [27] and Halifax; [28] as well, general-audience performances have been produced in Halifax [29] and Tucson. [30] A new production of the show was staged in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse for Shakespeare's Globe on 27 July 2018, directed by James Wallace and James Askill. [31]
In October 2013, Kill Shakespeare announced that a board game adaptation of the first series, would be released in 2014. [32] The game was designed and produced in collaboration with IDW Games and Pandasaurus Games. [33] The game features artwork from Glenn Fabry and J. K. Woodward. [34] The project was successfully crowdfunded on Kickstarter, and achieved its first stretch goal which resulted in a map-upgrade. [35] On December 10, 2014, the game was officially launched at Snakes & Lattes in Toronto. [36]
IDW Games defines the gameplay as "semi-cooperative" which differs from traditional cooperative board-game, in that, though players work together to win the game, they are also competing against one another to gain the most points by the end of the game: [37]
Nate Murray, of IDW Games, expands on the mechanics of the game:
According to IGN, Kill Shakespeare: The Board Game is further notable as it is the first time a comic book publisher produced a board game through crowdfunding. [39]
Othello is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, around 1603. The story revolves around two characters, Othello and Iago.
William Shakespeare was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon". His extant works, including collaborations, consist of some 39 plays, 154 sonnets, three long narrative poems, and a few other verses, some of uncertain authorship. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright. Shakespeare remains arguably the most influential writer in the English language, and his works continue to be studied and reinterpreted.
Hamlet, also known as Hamlet 2000, is a 2000 American drama film written and directed by Michael Almereyda, set in contemporary New York City, and based on the Shakespeare play of the same name. Ethan Hawke plays Hamlet as a film student, Kyle MacLachlan co-stars as Uncle Claudius, with Diane Venora as Gertrude, Liev Schreiber as Laertes, Julia Stiles as Ophelia, Steve Zahn as Rosencrantz, Bill Murray as Polonius, and Sam Shepard as Hamlet's father.
Iago is a fictional character in Shakespeare's Othello. Iago is the play's main antagonist, and Othello's standard-bearer. He is the husband of Emilia, who is in turn the attendant of Othello's wife Desdemona. Iago hates Othello and devises a plan to destroy him by making him believe that Desdemona is having an affair with his lieutenant, Michael Cassio.
Maurice Herbert Evans was an English actor, noted for his interpretations of Shakespearean characters. His best-known screen roles include Dr. Zaius in the 1968 film Planet of the Apes and Samantha Stephens's father, Maurice, on Bewitched.
Raymond Fearon is an English actor. He played garage mechanic Nathan Harding on ITV's long-running soap opera Coronation Street and voiced the centaur Firenze in the Wizarding World film series Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts.
Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet) is a 1988 comedic play by Ann-Marie MacDonald in which Constance Ledbelly, a young English literature professor from Queen's University, goes on a subconscious journey of self-discovery.
The Shakespeare Theatre Company is a regional theatre company located in Washington, D.C. The theatre company focuses primarily on plays from the Shakespeare canon, but its seasons include works by other classic playwrights such as Euripides, Ibsen, Wilde, Shaw, Schiller, Coward and Tennessee Williams. The company manages and performs in two spaces: The Michael R. Klein Theatre and Sidney Harman Hall. In cooperation with George Washington University, they run the STC Academy.
Prince Hamlet is the title character and protagonist of William Shakespeare's tragedy Hamlet (1599–1601). He is the Prince of Denmark, nephew to the usurping Claudius, and son of King Hamlet, the previous King of Denmark. At the beginning of the play, he is conflicted whether, and how, to avenge the murder of his father, and struggles with his own sanity along the way. By the end of the tragedy, Hamlet has caused the deaths of Polonius, Laertes, Claudius, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two acquaintances of his from childhood. He is also indirectly involved in the deaths of his love Ophelia (drowning) and of his mother Gertrude.
Michael Cassio, or simply Cassio, is a fictional character in William Shakespeare's Othello. The source of the character is the 1565 tale "Un Capitano Moro" by Cinthio; Cassio is unnamed in Cinthio but referred to as "the squadron leader". In the play, Cassio is a young and handsome lieutenant under Othello's command who becomes one of Iago's several victims in a plot to ruin Othello.
William Shakespeare's style of writing was borrowed from the conventions of the day and adapted to his needs.
Women in Shakespeare is a topic within the especially general discussion of Shakespeare's dramatic and poetic works. Main characters such as Dark Lady of the sonnets have elicited a substantial amount of criticism, which received added impetus during the second-wave feminism of the 1960s. A considerable number of book-length studies and academic articles investigate the topic, and several moons of Uranus are named after women in Shakespeare.
The Complete Arkangel Shakespeare is a notable series of audio-drama presentations of 38 of William Shakespeare's 39 plays.
Characters of Shakespear's Plays is an 1817 book of criticism of Shakespeare's plays, written by early nineteenth century English essayist and literary critic William Hazlitt. Composed in reaction to the neoclassical approach to Shakespeare's plays typified by Samuel Johnson, it was among the first English-language studies of Shakespeare's plays to follow the manner of German critic August Wilhelm Schlegel, and, with the work of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, paved the way for the increased appreciation of Shakespeare's genius that was characteristic of later nineteenth-century criticism. It was also the first book to cover all of Shakespeare's plays, intended as a guide for the general reader.
Robert Bruce Mantell was a noted Shakespearean stage actor who made several silent films. His mother was Elizabeth Bruce Mantell who objected to her son becoming an actor so he used the name Robert Hudson early in his career.
John Henderson (1747–1785) was an English actor who played many Shakespearean and other roles. He first acted in Bath, where he was known as "The Bath Roscius", and then in London. Had he not died young he would have been remembered as a worthy successor to David Garrick.
Othello is Liz White's 1980 dramatic adaptation of William Shakespeare's Othello. An all black cast and crew, including actor Yaphet Kotto, created the film.
The Star Trek franchise, begun in 1966, has frequently included stories inspired by and alluding to the works of William Shakespeare. The science fiction franchise includes television series, films, comic books, novels and games, and has material both Star Trek canon and non-canon. Many of the actors involved have been part of Shakespearean productions, including Patrick Stewart and Christopher Plummer.