The first six issues have been packaged into a graphic novel that contains a few bonuses, much like a DVD. The “Bonus Gallery” includes "Et tu, Hecate?" which is a small comic depicting the death of Caesar at the hands of Brutus. This is followed by a couple of artist's renderings of scenes from the graphic novel and the artwork of all the original covers thus far.
The cover art is much darker-themed than the interior art. Not only is it conveyed in odd washed-out colors, but it actually clashes with what you will find inside, which feels lighter and livelier with a more traditional comic appearance once you open the pages.
The story itself is a fairly typical fantasy adventure in which you have the hero trying to fulfill his destiny by following an old prophecy. He is the chosen one and is the only one capable of stopping a greater evil, while both sides, good and evil, try to help or hinder his ultimate goal.
What distinguishes this from an ordinary tale, which has been done many times before, are the characters. They are such iconic personas ingrained in the mind of society that not only does everyone have a favorite, but the fact that they have all been released into the same world makes for unlimited possibilities. And with most of the main characters having been in the Shakespearean tragedies where they were killed, murdered, or took their own lives, seeing them break free from their traditional roles with the possibility of personal growth is infinitely intriguing. Every time you turn the page you find a new personality plucked from yet another of the famous bard’s plays.
Even if you aren’t a fan of Shakespeare, it’s easy to enjoy the story and you won’t have to read it in poetry form or in Elizabethan English. But if you are a fan, it’s even more fun because you already know the quality of the individual and will get some of the inside jokes that arise.
Article comments
1 - Jim
Shakespeare did not write in Middle English ... Are you thinking of Chaucer? Otherwise, nice review.
2 - Bill Sherman
You're right. T'was Elizabethan English - it's been corrected.
3 - Pirata Hermosa
Good catch, I don't know why that popped into my head while writing. I did take a year of both Chaucer and Shakespeare in college so I should not have made such a Faux Pax.