For this special review of Kill Shakespeare: The Tide of Blood #1, we’ve got dueling reviews, including our resident “Shakespeare expert” Kalyn.

First up Kalyn’s review

The latest installment of Kill Shakespeare picks up with the intrepid team shortly after Shakespeare has gone off wandering.  Now that King Richard III is gone, Titus (presumably Titus Andronicus) is the encroaching enemy – which does not bode well for our band of warriors and makes the presence (and disappearance) of Tamora in the previous volumes even more interesting.  Titus is renowned for his violent nature so the newly-formed army may be in deep trouble.  He and Tamora share a revenge-filled story so her existence in the realm is sure to cause some problems for many people later in the story.

Juliet has clearly embraced her new role as general and new love, Hamlet, and seems quite happy with the life she has created.  She continues to grow in a leadership role and as a person.  While she does seem blind at times to what others are feeling and thinking, she does appear to be a leader the people trust – especially since The Shadow King is her biggest fan.  Romeo, on the other hand, is not doing well with the discovery that his great love is still alive and with the presence of Hamlet in her new life.  He continues to retain his good qualities of loyalty and courage, but struggles with how to deal with the new roles they all face.  He seems to be content with taking some extreme risks in order to prove his place in the new order.

The story really picks up when Miranda, daughter of Prospero, shows up.  With one of the great magician’s books, she convinces the team to travel to Prospero’s island to free him.  After a rough time at sea, they arrive at the island.  This is where this volume ends, setting up so many questions for future installments.  I’m wondering if there will be a romantic conflict between Romeo and Ferdinand for Miranda; where Caliban is going to show up and how much turmoil he’s going to cause; if Prospero is the good guy he has been made out to be or if he has manipulated Miranda into dragging the team to his island for a more evil plan; and what is going to happen back in the realm with Titus running loose and no leader to stop him.

Again, the Kill Shakespeare team does a wonderful job of using the characters we know from the original plays in a new story without losing their essential nature.  I love the small bits thrown out to Shakespeare fans (“suffer his slings and arrows”, “loyal” Lysander showing up as a minor character) and the way they incorporate these into this new tale.  The growth of familiar characters beyond the original plays happens in a way that feels organic to each of them – not an easy task – and the adventures are exciting and keep me coming back over and over again.  This is a series that has something for a lot of different types of readers and one I would recommend for almost anyone.

Story: 8.5 Art: 7.5 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Read

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And Brett’s review

I’m not the biggest fan of Shakespeare. I’ve mentioned that in every previous review I’ve done of the Kill Shakespeare series. The first volume of the series was excellent in that you could enjoy it without knowing a lot about Shakespeare’s creations. Knowing added to the story, but wasn’t vital. Still, at times I felt my lack of knowledge hurt a bit and forced me to consult the Google to see what I was missing. Very enjoyable, but I felt left out of the fun at times.

This second volume picks up a bit after the first volume. The victorious rebels are now forced to create a new government, while their “god” has gone awol. A threat looms at their fledgling nation’s border in Titus.

Much of the first issue focuses on Romeo. He’s a warrior whose former love is with another and whose war has for the most part come to an end. So, he does what you’d expect, drink. However, a direction comes in the form of a mysterious woman who seeks his help and sets him on an adventure. Romeo wasn’t a major character in the first volume, but he’s front and center here.

What I found interesting is that I didn’t quite feel like I was missing out on the Shakespeare references with this first issue. I’m sure there’s tons I’ve missed, and I hope one day to get a director’s commentary with lots of notes and tidbits on all those things I’ve missed. But, the first issue works as a straightforward story. It’s very enjoyable that way without the winks and Shakespeare references.

The first issue sets up a mystery and an adventure and much like the first it’s a lot of fun.

Story: Conor McCreery and Anthony Del Col Art: Andy Belanger

Story: 8 Art: 7.75 Overall: 8 Recommendation: Buy

IDW Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review