Kill Shakespeare – Past is Prologue: Juliet #4
Conor McCreery (w) • Corin Howell (a & c)
Final chapter! Trapped by Cornwall, Juliet faces a never-ending nightmare of torture and humiliation. The young lover has a plan to win her freedom with blood, but she’s going to need fortune on her side if it is to succeed, because as the Bard himself wrote: so wise so young they say never do live long…
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Kill Shakespeare – Past is Prologue: Juliet #3 (of 4)
Conor McCreery (w) • Corin Howell (a & c)
Juliet’s quest to avenge her mother’s death continues in a classic Shakespearean cocktail of mistaken identity, swordplay and betrayal. Spirited away to the Prodigal’s hidden camp, Juliet must fight to prove her worth to the rebels, only to be blindsided by the truth behind Othello’s violent past. Now Juliet must choose between the woman who can keep her safe and the killer-for-hire who promises her vengeance.
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Kill Shakespeare – Past is Prologue: Juliet #2
Conor McCreery (w) • Corin Howell (a & c)
Juliet’s quest for vengeance leads her to the most dangerous tavern in Verona. But the cut-throats that make up the Centaur’s clientele may be the least of her worries – as her mother’s murderer is watching her every move. Can Juliet find the ally she needs to stay alive amongst a den of vipers?
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Kill Shakespeare: Juliet #1 is kind of an Elseworlds story set in a world where all of Shakespeare’s plays happened in a shared universe. (Most of them did happen in Italy so this kind of makes sense.) More specifically, it’s a world where Romeo died, and his lover Juliet lives on. There’s intrigue with King Lear and possibly Richard III too, but the intersection between Romeo and Juliet and Merchant of Venice gets the most attention from writer Conor McCreery, artist Corin Howell, and colorist Shari Chankahamma because Lady Capulet is now married to Shylock.
That relationship development and the status of the feud between the Capulets and Montague makes it seem like the previous Kill Shakespeare miniseries is required reading. (Except McCreery, Howell, and Chankahamma literally blow up the comic’s status quo towards the end with pyrotechnics that would burn the minds of Elizabethan audiences.) However, McCreery’s gift for Shakespearean language and soul searching look at how Juliet felt after losing Romeo gives the story resonance. Juliet has a death wish and wants to be reunited with Romeo leading to a haunting scene in a crypt where she talks about how she is responsible for the death of so many people, including Romeo and Juliet supporting characters Tybalt, Mercutio, and Paris.
McCreery and Howell really double down on the angst and rage in Kill Shakespeare: Juliet #1, but there is room for comedy too. Howell draws Benvolio, the heir of House Montague, like a complete and utter fool as he follows Juliet everywhere on her mother’s orders. He’s the clown character in the dark tragedy that this comic ends up becoming and lets Howell draw some hilarious facial expression to break up the pain and sadness. There is also another mysterious comedic character whose appearance is definitely the most intriguing part of Kill Shakespeare: Juliet #1. His identity seems pretty obvious, but who knows in this topsy turvy tragedy of a universe.
Without Romeo in the way, Conor McCreery is free to explore the emotions and yearnings of Juliet as her life is basically over in her eyes. He digs deep into her thoughts as she wanders Verona and wonders what to do now. Juliet’s existential crises would make Hamlet proud, and she has a similar desire for death’s sweet release like the Prince of Denmark. There is also some social satire as Lady Capulet wants to keep up appearances and her family’s high state even though she is married to someone that anti-Semitic European society would disapprove of. Her romance with Shylock, who is a strict dad, but much more sympathetic than he is portrayed in Merchant of Venice . gives her more depth. Corin Howell even relaxes his wild and bombastic facial expressions for just a moment to show him praying in Hebrew like a true man of faith. Lady Capulet’s relationship with Shylock ensures that her character isn’t just being the strict, annoying, and less than memorable mother figure.
Kill Shakespeare: Juliet #1 has verbal sparring, well-placed comedy, and musings about life and death that would make the Bard of Stratford proud. Conor McCreery’s ability to create original dialogue in the manner of Shakespeare even if some of the character relationships and worldbuilding is a bit hazy for readers who haven’t read the previous comics.
Story: Conor McCreery Art: Corin Howell Colors: Shari Chankahamma
Story: 8.0 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.8 Recommendation: Buy
IDW Publishing/Top Shelf provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Wednesdays are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in!
We’re bringing back something we haven’t done for a while, what the team thinks. Our contributors are choosing up to five books each week and why they’re choosing the books.
Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this Wednesday.
Joe
Top Pick: Superman #20 (DC Comics) – With the Superman Reborn arc finishing, I cannot wait to see where this book goes. The creative team has been amazing on this run, and it looks like we are going to get more information on Mr. Oz, and what we saw in the first Rebirth book. I love this comic!
Batman #20 (DC Comics) – Tom King has been building toward a crazy ending (hopefully), and this book has been off the wall with Bane being more crazed than ever. I trust King as a writer and expect all of this craziness and slow burn to pay off.
Extremity #2 (Image) – This is such a beautifully drawn comic, and Johnson writes the hell out of this book too. I have high hopes for this comic, and the first issue was amazing.
Paper Girls #13 (Image) – This book by Brian K. Vaughn has been so much fun, and it is an awesome 80s movie following the formula of Goonies or Stand By Me with all females. This is one of the best books out.
Black Science #29 (Image) – Remender doesn’t write too much I do not like, and this is one of his best.
Paul
Top Pick: X-Men Gold #1 (Marvel) – I am very excited for this book! Just when I thought Marvel had written off my favourite characters, we get ‘ResurrXion’ and the X-Men are coming back in force. I’m loving the line up of this book (not loving Rachel’s new ‘Prestige’ name and look) but these are some of my favourite X-Men and I know this is going to be an exciting book.
Royals #1 (Marvel) – So the Inhumans are heading to space, and I will be along for the ride. I’m curious as to how Marvel Boy plays into this, but it should be a fun romp to see the Inhumans travel space and discover unknown secrets about their race.
Uncanny Avengers #22 (Marvel) – The Red Skull has been captured and now the Avengers are going to perform brain surgery to remove Charles Xavier’s brain and telepathic abilities from the Skull. But what’s going to happen is anyone’s guess, and I’m sure this all isn’t going to go very smoothly. It’s all been leading to this and I can’t wait to see how it ends.
Alex
Top Pick: Faith #10 (Valiant) – I’m a huge fan of this series, and I make no effort to hide that.
X-Men Gold #1 (Marvel) – A new X-Men team book… I’m hoping it’ll be fun.
Nightwing #18 (DC Comics) – Hands down the best biweekly Batman family book right now, and this issue sees the former Batman and Robin reunited in the third part of the current arc. I do so enjoy the interaction between Nightwing and Damian.
All-New Wolverine #19 (Marvel) – I’ve been waiting for a new story arc to start in this series so that I can jump on board, and it looks like that point is finally here.
Shay
It’s a week of Lady Powered awesomeness at the comic book shop.
Top Pick: America #2 (Marvel) – In an issue that spawned the line ” Try me, Becky” America cranks it up to eleven and I’m all the way here for it!
Top Pick: Harley Quinn #17 (DC Comics) – Harley Quinn and Harley Sin are about to go head to head in the start of the Deadly Sin story arc. Got popcorn?
Hawkeye #5 (Marvel) – Hawkeye is opening her own PI shop and who doesn’t love some good Marvel universe mysteries?
Jessica Jones #7 (Marvel) – She’s trying to have it all and we are all rooting for her, especially with the way the writers screwed the pooch last time.
Brett
Top Pick: Motor Girl #5 (Abstract Studios) – Writer and artist Terry Moore has been crushing it on this series that is just too weird to describe. UFOs, a talking gorilla, protecting a junkyard, it’s fun sci-fi that has a kick-ass female lead and is packed with heart and humor.
Colossi #1 (Vault Comics) – With every release so far Vault comics has delivered an entertaining read. Written by Ricard Mo with art by Alberto Muriel and Amaya Diaz, Colossi is solid sci-fi with a shuttle being sucked into a wormhole and the passengers lost in a parallel universe fighting to survive.
Eleanor & The Egret #1 (Aftershock Comics) – Writer John Layman and artist Sam Kieth alone are reason enough for me to be excited for this series that revolves around a daring art thief.
Kill Shakespeare: Past is Prologue – Juliet #1 (IDW Publishing) – The Kill Shakespeare world is back!!! It’s been too long and I’m beyond excited to return to this world that’s a nice twist on the classic characters. Even someone like me who doesn’t know a lot of Shakespeare can enjoy it.
Love & Rockets Magazine #2 (Fantagraphics Books) – It’s Love & Rockets, do I need to give more of a reason than that?
Kill Shakespeare – Past is Prologue: Juliet #1
Conor McCreery (w) • Corin Howell (a) • Simon Davis (c)
Juliet Lives! The newest chapter of the award-winning Kill Shakespeare series flashes back to five months after the death of Romeo, where Juliet is mourning yet another loved one – her mother. Now Juliet must discover who the murderer is, lest she becomes the next victim. New series artist Corin Howell (Transformers, The Mighty Zodiac, X-Files: Scully) takes the reins in a tale perfect for new readers to the series.
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
