Ms. Marvel #6 – Review

By: G. Willow Wilson (writer), Jacob Wyatt (art), Ian Herring (color art)

The Story: She’s the best at what she does and what she does is squee.

The Review: Our little Ms. Marvel’s growing up so fast. It seems like just last month she was still in origins stories and all of a sudden she’s already having her first superhero team up!

With the Inventor still looking for her, Kamala is slowly coming into her own as a hero. It seems like our bird/brain villain’s shadow is everywhere in Jersey City and it immediately sets up a tense and interesting status quo for the series.

This issue confirms the identity of the Inventor hinted at last month and establishes him as a perfect foil to Kamala. One part Kingpin, one part Ultra-Humanite, the Inventor walks the same line between the comical and the competent as Kamala, though he leans towards the later. If this were any other comic, his appearance could easily have been a scene-stealer, but this is Ms. Marvel.

G. Willow Wilson continues to build upon the groundwork she’s laid with Kamala’s character. She’s much more confident as a hero and has more opportunities to demonstrate her intelligence and bravery. I particularly love one moment when Kamala shows off her knowledge of physics as she tries to figure out how best to use her powers and it’s all the better for the frantic, dorky way she implements the idea. Indeed, despite a significant upswing in her competence, Ms. Marvel is still the lovable, everyman character we met half a year ago and Wilson knows how to draw the humor from that as well as how to endear the character to her audience.

There’s a rule of writing that says that, if possible, you should put your character in the most extreme situations possible, the ones that most stridently reveal their character. For a fangirl like Kamala, pairing her with Wolverine is just such a situation. The very sight of him reduces comics’ most beloved new heroine to doge speak!

Ms. Marvel #5 – Review

By: G. Willow Wilson (writer), Adrian Alphona (art), Ian Herring (color art)

The Story: Who knew that Marvel’s Jersey City was such a happenin’ place!?

The Review: As the opening arc winds down, Kamala Khan begins to stabilize her myth, literally and metaphorically, and takes her first steps into a larger world. And it really is Kamala you’re here for. While this issue gives us our first real taste of superhero action, it’s the human aspect that sets it apart. In fact, the action actually leaves something to be desired.

As an antagonist, Doyle is nothing all that special. He’s a simplistic threat, more of an obstacle, for Kamala. Appropriately, Kamala’s failures and eventual success are not exactly moments of brilliance for the genre. While these scenes are lacking in complexity, G. Willow Wilson continues to highlight Kamala’s powers in relevant and interesting ways. There’s something nostalgic about the attention Wilson pays Kamala’s gifts and the way that a single power is used in numerous ways, rather than the other way around. Kamala’s healing, in particular, seems to be a strong consideration for Wilson. Its presence not only helps clarify how Kamala will deal with the physical demands of superheroing but also gives the title a dose of reality, as many superheroes would simply display unusually rapid healing as part of the plot’s demands. It’s especially interesting because the rules Wilson establishes actually place some useful limits on the story. By showing us the hardships of Ms. Marvel’s powers Wilson dramatically increases our ability to connect with Kamala and encourages readers to consider consequences, an overlooked area of superheroics.

Wilson also brings back the supporting cast with a vengeance. Particularly as Batman proves that superheroes can get by purely on the strength of their hero and villains, the modern superhero comic places less and less emphasis on the secret identity and accompanying trials. Nonetheless, this is where Ms. Marvel really knocks it out of the park.

While it’s a shame that Nakia is absent this go around, Bruno’s mix of support and skepticism is calibrated just right to appeal to reality without grating. There’s still clear romantic tension between Bruno and Kamala, something that could be adorable or disappointing depending on how Wilson handles it, it’s nice to finally see Kamala opening her world up to a friend, listening as well as venting.

Amazing Spider-Man #1.1 – Review

By: Dan Slott (Writer), Ramón Pérez (Artist), Ian Herring (Color Artist), Chris Eliopoulos with Joe Caramagna (Letterer)

The Story:
Spider-Man tries to make ends meet, while the Clash (not the band) meets his beginning.

The Review:
So, really, this comic should have been titled/numbered Amazing Fantasy #15.1, since it takes place right after Peter Parker/Spider-Man’s origin story. Spider-Man still has a talent agent and is working various gigs; Peter still has problems at school and with a social life.

What’s often interesting about the Peter/Spidey dynamic is that Peter usually shows only one side of himself in either identity. We’ve come to expect the more reserved Peter versus the “friendly neighborhood” jokester in a mask, but here it’s a reserved Peter and a bitter, more self-absorbed Spider-Man. Why, it’s as if he’s still learning his whole power/responsibility thing, while also still forming his “self.” This makes for an interesting story and a decidedly moody tone, but at the same time it basically just means that, for “now,” Spider-Man is kind of a jerk.

His supporting cast have also been reduced to their basic types. His manager is a archetypical sleezy get-whatever-you-can agent, Flash is a bully, and Aunt May is often sad but matronly dispenses wisdom without even knowing it. Quentin Beck (later, Mysterio) is set up here, too, as a disgruntled special effects artist. Kind of obvious, isn’t it? Especially if we anticipate him becoming one of Spidey’s first foes in this comic. (Although, if that doesn’t happen and he’s just a cameo, that would be awesome as it plays off our expectation.)

In fact, J. Jonah Jameson emerges as the one supporting cast member that really shines. His moment is only for a couple of pages, as we see him begin his anti-Spider-Man crusade, but here Jameson is presented as a genuinely concerned conservative-minded advocate. Yes, he’s still producing inflammatory tirades but it’s almost logical and not exactly unfair at this point.

Ms. Marvel #3 – Review

By: G. Willow Wilson (writer), Adrian Alphona (art), Ian Herring (color art)

The Story: “Strange things are afoot at the Circle Q.”

The Review: If there was any doubt that Ms. Marvel would feature a decompressed origin arc, in the vein of the original Ultimate Spider-Man, consider it put to rest. Three issues in it is abundantly clear that G. Willow Wilson is using each issue to build the complete Ms. Marvel, the complete Kamala Khan. The first issue dealt with Kamala’s normal, the second with her powers, and this month we get to learn about how Kamala, as distinct from Ms. Marvel, deals with hardship and uncertainty.

The puberty metaphors are out in force as Kamala tries to make sense of what’s happening to her. It’s hardly original – as a wise man once said, “Spider-Man is just the story of some kid who wakes up one morning with hair in new places and starts shooting white stick goo all over the city” – but, as ever, the series is defined by the sheer honesty it brings to the table. Scenes like her desperately combing the internet hit home for those of us who know, or even know someone who knows, the sensation of feeling isolated or unable to talk to friends and family.

Likewise, while his role has been somewhat ambiguous so far, one of the strongest moments for me comes near the end, when Kamala realizes that Bruno is the one person she has who could be there for her in such bizarre circumstances, if only they were on speaking terms. Indeed, Bruno is really one of the stars of this issue. While it could be a feint, Wilson is hinting strongly that Bruno will be part of Kamala’s support team, bringing a scientific knowledge and confidence to a heroine who specializes in power and knowing right from wrong. Even more so, the introduction of his highly dubious brother, Vick, provides a great deal of momentum for the story and only increases Bruno’s personal stake in things. I sincerely hope that Wilson will resist the urge to pair Kamala and Bruno up, because their friendship, with all its weird ups and downs, has a real and tactile power to it that’s very different from anything else on the stands right now.

Ms. Marvel #2 – Review

By:  G. Willow Wilson (writer), Adrian Alphona (art), Ian Herring (color art)

The Story: With great power come awful wedgies…

The Review: Kamala Khan burst into the Marvel Universe in a big way last month, but it’s hard to deny that her debut issue didn’t function as a complete origin story. At the end of issue two it’s not certain that we’re there, but if not we’re getting closer.

Just as last issue gave us a shockingly complete look at Kamala’s ‘normal’, this one is focused on our young hero’s reaction the dose of abnormality that’s just been administered to her life. G. Willow Wilson spends a lot of time dealing with Kamala’s new powers, how they operate and what Kamala knows about them. It’s not gonna scratch the same itch that Avengers did, but it’s remarkably fun learning the ins and outs of being an Inhuman with her.

Kamala is very much in the Peter Parker tradition and this issue features her very own “Go, web!” moment. As silly as it sounds to say about a story that features a teenage girl shapeshifting into a buxom superheroine, Ms. Marvel #2 takes a decidedly realistic view of superpowers. Alongside the standard joy of having power, Kamala experiences the frustration of not knowing how to use it and the terror of not understanding it.

Though the script touches on it, Adrian Alphona brings a sense of the real horror that suddenly gaining shapeshifting abilities would entail. It’s not overt, more there for those willing to see it, but, at least for me, it’s impossible not to consider the disturbing parallels of someone waking up in a city after the detonation of a “bomb” nauseous, disoriented, and with their arm in a position it shouldn’t be in. I’m not pretending that this is a dark book, it’s the farthest thing from it, but Wilson and Alphona are clearly willing to draw upon the power of such cultural fears.

Ms. Marvel #1 – Review

By: G. Willow Wilson (writer), Adrian Alphona (artist), Ian Herring (color artist)

The Story: Comic fans have known all manner of evil over the years, but this week we’re introduced to perhaps the most vile form of villainy: concerned entitled high-schoolers.

The Review: In 1963 Stan Lee introduced another revolution into comic books: Spider-Man, the first true teenaged superhero. Before Spider-Man superheroes were square-jawed, spit curled supermen, but dorky Peter Parker changed comics forever. Robin was the first time that young readers could see themselves as a hero, but Peter showed them that they could be the hero.

Fifty years later the world we live in has changed a lot. The people who don’t see themselves in comics are different and the way we write comics is different. For all its abundant charms, Amazing Fantasy #15 wouldn’t sell today. Simple characterization, excessive and omniscient narration, and plentiful melodrama were the words of the day and they did a lot to keep the story as short as it was. Indeed, when Brian Michael Bendis reinvented Spider-Man it took three issues to get him into the red and blue and five before he learned his lesson about power and responsibility.

Such matters were in the forefront of my mind as I read Ms. Marvel #1. Indeed, this issue is clearly labeled part 1 of 5 and reads like it too. There’s no climactic battle scene for those looking for high-flying super action, but what the issue lacks in explosions it makes up in heart and character development. You’ll get to know the new Ms. Marvel, her friends, her family, and her frenemies before this book is over. It’s actually a remarkable complete introduction to the character.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #28 – Review

By: Kevin Eastman, Bobby Curnow, Tom Waltz (story), Mateus Santolouco (art), Ronda Pattison & Ian Herring (colors)

The Story: Just because they’re all a bunch of reptiles doesn’t mean they can’t be family!

The Review: City Fall has been by far the most ambitious storyline on this series yet, not only for its scope—the sheer number of characters involved is nothing short of impressive—but also for the layers in its plot.  On one level, the arc is about a city under threat from a massive reorganization in its society from an invading force.  Yet beneath all that, this arc is about family, and the loyalty one does or doesn’t owe as a result of that bond.

So even though City Fall ends with Shredder’s ultimate and near-absolute triumph, having taken effective control of the city’s underworld, the issue spends hardly any time relishing in the event.  Instead, we see the members of Shredder and Splinter’s respective camps grappling with the consequences the battle they just survived, all forced to reevaluate their definition of family in light of this most recent trial.

The Flash #11 – Review

By: Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato (story), Marcus To (pencils), Ray McCarthy (inks), Ian Herring (colors)

The Story: Barry’s leaving behind the girl he loves and making a new life—country song, if I ever heard one.

The Review: I find it pretty amazing how much stuff can happen and how little actually changes.  I mean this in any given context, but most especially with fiction.  Probably the clearest mark of a weak story is one where all sorts of events and twists take place, and yet the character has barely moved one step forward from where he started.  Quite frankly, that is the situation where the Flash finds himself now.

For all of Barry’s time-traveling escapades, run-ins with emboldened rogues, and city crises, he doesn’t seem all that affected, either within or without.  Think about it.  Has he really shifted in any of his values?  Has he become any more or less confident?  Is he any closer to a true relationship with either Patty or Iris?  Has he developed any personal relationship with any other character?  Have either of the Gem Cities changed permanently from the unfortunate blackout?

The Flash #10 – Review

By: Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato (story), Marcus To (pencils), Ray McCarthy (inks), Ian Herring (colors)

The Story: In which Weather Wizard pulls out a wand and does his best Harry Potter impression.

The Review: It took me a long time to learn this lesson myself, but excess may be the one of the least productive tactics you can take for any kind of writing.  When I used to grade my students’ papers, I sometimes got the impression they believed they’d be graded by length or weight, which misses the point entirely.  Writing too much does nothing for your work except obscure your ideas and make it harder for people to read.

It’s especially surprising to find Manapul-Buccellato guilty of this same crime.  You’d think with such talent for artistic storytelling, they’d know better, to show the story rather than tell it.  Yet from the opening pages of this issue, straight through to Barry’s monologue at the end, that’s exactly what Mananpul-Buccellato do.  They leave almost nothing to the imagination; everything gets explained to us through some awkward chunk of expository dialogue or other.

The Flash #8 – Review

By: Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato (story and art), Ian Herring (colors)

The Story: Having to look at a stranger’s life for untold years would drive anyone crazy.

The Review: I often talk about “lack of direction” on this site, and that’s a stuffy, English-major type word that deserves explanation.  If you’re going to invest your time and interest into a long-form piece of fiction, you need more out of it than simply a series of entertaining tales; you need to see a clear progression in either the characters’ development or an overarching plot/theme.  If you hit issue eight and neither has changed much from the first, the title clearly lacks direction.

Now, obviously there have been a few changes to the status quo from #1: the Flash discovering the Speed Force’s effects on time and space, a couple villain clashes, a new girlfriend.  But if you take a step back and examine the book as a whole, these alterations are largely superficial.  They’ve done nothing to make our hero a different person than when he started, nor have they established a clear path or tone for what this series wants to be.

Kill Shakespeare #12 – Review

By Conor McCreery and Anthony Del Col (writers), Andy Belanger (art), Ian Herring (colors), Chris Mowry (letters)

The Story: The (other) epic saga of Hamlet, Richard III, Lady The Scottish Play, Othello, Juliet, Iago and Shakespeare comes to a conclusion in an epic, no-holds-barred battle to determine the fate of their world.

What’s Good and SPOILER WARNING: What an amazing journey it’s been to follow Hamlet from where he fell out of his ship–and out of his own story–to this final battle and conclusion. He’s changed and grown so much over the last year that it makes me wonder what Shakespeare’s Hamlet (for this Hamlet now bears little resemblance to the fearful and indecisive prince of the play) would have done, if forced to grow up and take responsibility in this fashion. The answer to that will never be known of course, but I will quite happily accept McCreery and Del Col’s take on the question as a very worthy substitute. Watching these characters–so familiar to me and yet so different from the ones I know–come into their own over the course of this story has been an absolute joy, and the conclusion that our fair authors bring them too is fitting, satisfying, and contains just enough surprises to keep things fresh and interesting.

Kill Shakespeare #10 – Review

By Conor McCreery and Anthony Del Col (writers), Andy Belanger (art), Ian Herring (colors), Chris Mowry (letters)

The Story: Juliet and Othello lead their ragtag band of Prodigals against Richard’s army, with predictably dire results. Things explode, people die, and Lady Macbeth uses her dark magic to ensure that the Prodigals remain on the defensive. Meanwhile, Hamlet must figure out how to deal with the oddly listless Shakespeare, who refuses to surrender or make use of his quill.

What’s Good: This is the closest that Kill Shakespeare has come to an all-out action issue, and boy do they make up for lost time! The battle scenes strike an excellent balance between the epic, Helm’s Deep style clash, and the more intimate (at times downright claustrophobic) nature of the forest setting. It also serves to put our heroes in the middle of the biggest and most immediacy crisis they’ve yet faced–victory, it seems, is nearly unattainable for them without some sort of divine intervention. (Which I assume–or at least, hope–will come next issue, in the form of Shakespeare joining the battle and riding to the rescue in a Crowning Moment of Awesome.)

Andy Belanger unleashed on these scene of chaos, war and evil magic is a sight to behold. I’ve been critical of specific elements of his work in this past, but this is clearly the sort of material he was born to bring to life. The battle scenes are equal parts beautifully fantastical, and all too tragically realistic. Belanger has always seemed at his best when given a lot of room to stretch his pencils, and he gets plenty of it here–double splash pages, unique horizontal panel layouts, half-page panels, all used to excellent effect. Ian Herring deserves a great deal of credit as well, for helping bring the pencils to life with his vibrant, and occasionally downright violent, coloring.

Kill Shakespeare #9 – Review

By Conor McCreery and Anthony Del Col (writers), Andy Belanger (art), Ian Herring (colors), Shawn Lee (letters)

The Story: This is the issue that all dedicated Kill Shakespeare readers have been waiting for since the very beginning…Hamlet finally comes face to face with the wizard Shakespeare. Will they fight? Ally? Betray each other? Not say anything at all? We’ll see. (Also: IAGO! *insert fangirl grin.*)

What’s Good: Kill Shakespeare has been a good, smart comic since issue one. The writing has been solid, the Shakespeare-geek in-jokes appropriate and not overwhelming, the art has been very nice (if not always entirely consistent), and the story has been intriguing and very well paced. (Information is dolled out maddeningly slowly from a pure “what’s gonna happen next month dammit!” point of view, but from an overall storytelling perspective, especially once all the issues are collected, I think it’s brilliantly done.)

I told you all that to tell you this: THIS is the issue of Kill Shakespeare I have been waiting to read. Not just because we’re at the point in the story I have most anticipated–we are–but because here, in this issue, I think this book has finally started reaching its true potential and is starting to soar. McCreery and Del Col’s writing continues to be extremely strong (no shock there), but the fine line they walk when writing Shakespeare (the comic character’s) voice deserves special praise: he’s threatening, crazy, mystical and scary as hell–sometimes all at once. That’s no small feat to pull off effectively (and it works particularly well when contrasted with Hamlet’s much more stoic character.) The intercutting between Hamlet’s conversation/confrontation with Shakespeare, and the rest of the Prodigals desperately trying to beat what they need to know out of Iago, is another similarly fantastic contrast and foreshadows the bloodshed and violence–on a much larger scale–that is inevitable to come.

Now: the art. I’ve been hot and cold on Andy Belanger’s work on this series, and pretty harshly critical of a few issues. While I stand by those critiques, this issue acts as an absolute showcase for what he (and colorist Ian Herring) can do, and the results are absolutely beautiful. My absolute favorite moment has to be the two double page-spreads (with panel inserts) in the Globe Woods. More like that, please! Lots and lots more! Herring also gets a specific tip of my hat for the lovely coloring, not only in the Globe Woods scene, but in the interior of Shakespeare’s shack. It straddles a very fine line between warm and inviting, and sickly pale. It’s a deeply unsettling combination, and perfectly hits the nail on the head for the mood of the scene. Well done!

Skullkickers #6 – Review

“The Blood Curse of the Amazombies” by Chris Sims (story), Joe Vriens (art), Marshall Dillon (letters); “The Sklaag” by Brian Clevinger (story), Jim Zub (art), Marshall Dillion (letters); “The Temple of Blrch” by Ray Fawkes (story), Scott Hepburn (art), Ian Herring (colors), Marshall Dillon (letters); “The Cleavin’ Part” by Adam Warren (story), Jeff Cruz (art), Marshall Dillon (letters)

The Story: Rather than one individual story, this issue is made up of four short ones. “The Blood Curse of the Amazombies” deals with a man under attack by the titular creatures (and our heroes’ efforts to rid him of the curse), “The Sklaag” is a classic ‘fish story’ (of a sort), “The Temple of Blech” is a nasty little piece of work about our heroes’ attempt to destroy a zombie cult (although it’s nasty for none of the reasons you’d expect), and “The Cleavin’ Part” is an oddly cartoony and beautifully drawn confrontation with a handful of soldiers.

What’s Good: First and foremost, congratulations to Skullkickers for six on-schedule issues! Although I really don’t feel that the little disclaimer inside the front cover was necessary, it IS a refreshing bit of honesty. Besides, the issue itself is excellent, and its placement between two story lines means there’s no real interruption in plot or storytelling. The amount of talent put together between these two covers is impressive indeed, and reading each creative team’s take on our two nameless heroes is an absolute blast.

the four stories presented here don’t play off each other or floe particularly well, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing–it turns the issue into a kind of grab bag, hopping from one story and creative team to the next, with the nameless heroes acting as the only common thread. Looking at the pages of wildly different but uniformly excellent artwork is a real treat. The whole feeling of the issue is one of a mini-annual, which is a fantastic vibe to get, and makes me hope that other series’ may follow this example and try something similar.

Kill Shakespeare #7 – Review

By Conor McCreery and Anthony Del Col (writers), Andy Belanger (art), Ian Herring (colors), Chris Mowry (letters)

The Story: Lady Macbeth and Iago discuss their (still tenuous) alliance, while Hamlet and Juliet continue to grow closer together. Feste, an oddly self-aware Fool, shows up for the big Twelfth Night celebration, and puts on a show eerily reminiscent of Hamlet’s past.

What’s Good: So I’ve complained about the inconsistency of Andy Belanger’s artwork more than once over the course of reviewing this series, so I feel obligated to start this review off with a huge kudos to him for this issue. While I’m still not wild about the way some of the facial features on the characters’ close ups look, the look and especially the design of this book as a whole is absolutely gorgeous. The panels within panels—many of them beautifully outlined by theatre curtains or ornate picture frames—are great fun not just to read, but to sit back and take in as a whole. They serve not only as possible commentary on the potential reality (or fiction) of a scene, but also to unite a page of disparate panels into a single cohesive piece of artwork. This is not the first time this sort of design strategy has been implemented of course, but it does work particularly well here, and drives home the refractive “fiction within a fiction” quality that the Kill Shakespeare universe has.

McCreery and Del Col’s writing is fortunately up to the challenge of dealing with the increasingly large cast of characters. The focus is well balanced between the heroes, the antagonists, and the more peripheral characters who seem to be biding their time. I also like the fact that Juliet is finally able to address her past and, although I still have a hard time buying her as the best choice for a rebel leader, it does go a long way towards explaining her motivation for taking up the fight against Richard.

Kill Shakespeare #6 – Review

By Conor McCreery and Anthony Del Col (writers), Andy Belanger (art), Ian Herring (colors) and Chris Mowry (letters)

The Story: Juliet continues to rally the troops for the rebellion, while Lady Macbeth works her dark magic on Richard’s (and her own) behalf. Hamlet must choose his destiny once again, and Othello contends with Iago’s—changed?—nature.

What’s Good: This issue marks the halfway point of the Kill Shakespeare storyline, and it also marks a significant shift in focus. Although Hamlet is still the undeniable star of the story, the focus is less on him and his personal quest and decisions, and more on the meta-conflict brewing between the Prodigals’ rebellion and Richard’s army. This is actually a good thing, and mitigates the problem of having a protagonist who (to this point) has refused to commit to either side of the conflict that surrounds him.

The idea of Juliet as a military leader is still odd, but I do think it’s starting to grow on me. I still think that, say, Henry V would have been a better choice—especially given the cover of this issue, which I assume is a reference to one of his most famous speeches—or perhaps Viola or Portia if they wanted to keep the rebel leader female. Still, although it seems strange that Juliet is the only one acting wholly unlike her theatrical counterpart, I do like this Juliet as a character in her own right.

Kill Shakespeare #5 – Review

By Connor McCreery and Anthony Del Col (writers), Andy Belanger (art), Ian Herring (colors) and Chris Mowry (letters)

The Story: After some soul searching (and some prompting from his bestest buddy evar, Iago), Hamlet decides to leave the Prodigals and set off on his own. Naturally this doesn’t end well as he immediately falls victim to a series of terrifying visions, and is nearly run down by Richard’s henchmen. Hamlet does manage to escape however, and throws his lot in with a small band of (semi) neutral travelers—including two gentlemen named Lysander and Demetrius.

What’s Good: After a small hiccup last issue, things seem to be firing on all cylinders once again. I’m glad to see Hamlet taking matters into his own hands and separating himself from both factions—that seems like a very natural reaction given all he’s been through, and further cements him as an independently minded man who does not belong to this world he has been magically thrust into. The fact that he doesn’t want to be involved with either side lends him a lot of credibility, both as a character and as the “everyman” guide who acts as the reader’s eyes and ears in this strange new place.

I’m also happy to say that the artwork in this issue is much better than it was in the last. There’s still an awkward facial expression or two, but it feels much improved, and for that I’m very grateful. When Belanger is on his game, his work is fantastic. His depiction of Hamlet’s nightmare is vivid and not soon forgettable.

I’m on the fence about Iago. He’s easily my favorite character in the book, but I have yet to figure out exactly what his motivations are and just how much he’s playing everyone for a fool. He’s supposed to be working for Richard, of course, but he’s also acting—genuinely, it seems—like a real friend to Hamlet. Now, I know my Othello, so I know there is an approximately 0% chance that Iago is being sincere…and yet I find myself wondering as I read if maybe…just maybe…this Iago is different. Maybe he really is Hamlet’s friend, and maybe he is genuinely sorry for the evil things he’s done to Othello. That’s absurd of course, but it’s also fantastic writing. It is one thing, after all, for a character to fool another character with false sincerity; it’s another thing entirely to suck a reader (especially one who should know better) into the same ruse. Well played, Messrs. McCreery and Del Col. Well played.

Kill Shakespeare #4 – Review

By Conor McCreery and Anthony Del Col (writers), Andy Belanger (art), Ian Herring (colors) and Chris Mowry (letters)

The Story: Hamlet and Falstaff complete their escape, and arrive at The Bottom’s Up, a tavern in which Juliet Capulet and Othello are busy recruiting fighters for the resistance against Richard and Macbeth. Of course, Richard’s men—led by Don John, one of his trusted lieutenants—are close on their heels. Much cursing and fighting ensues, and Hamlet is very nearly killed in the pandemonium and confusion. Luckily for the would-be Shadow King, his good and oh so honest friend Iago appears just in time to save his life. This ends up sending the Prince from the frying pan and into the fire, though, when Othello catches sight of his old nemesis.

What’s Good: The storytelling in this book has been at a solid ten on the story amplification scale since #2. This issue successfully pulls a Spinal Tap and cranks that up to 11. The pieces are in place, the setup and exposition is over and done with and—with the exception of some nice character introductions—this issue is pure, 100% story through and through. On a purely visceral level, it’s a very exciting set of events to watch unfold. (Full disclosure: the fact that my #1 anticipated event for this series—the meeting between Iago and Othello—happened here helped up the dramatic tension at the end a great deal, too.)

The introduction of Othello and Juliet is very well handled. As the apparent brawn and brains (respectively) of the resistance movement, they complement each other very well. I especially enjoy the way the writers capture Othello’s high speech, and contrast it with the animalistic ferocity he displays in battle. That’s an element of the character that even professional theatre companies don’t always successfully convey.

Kill Shakespeare #3 – Advance Review

By Conor McCreery and Anthony Del Col (writers), Andy Belanger (art), Ian Herring (colors), Chris Mowry (letters)

The Story: Hamlet meets a new friend in a gentleman named Fallstaff—and also gains a bit of purpose and guidance from a “Prodigal” forest spirit called Robin Goodfellow. Elsewhere, Richard III and Macbeth negotiate between themselves and jockey for superiority. They are not alone, though, as Macbeth’s famous wife may prove to be a powerful ally.

What’s Good: The jump in quality between the first issue and the second issue of this series was quite large, and I’m thrilled to report that this trend continues into issue three. The first thing you’ll notice about the book when you leaf through it is that the entire thing is drop-dead gorgeous from the title page to the back cover. The improvement (not in the overall art style of course, which has remained nicely consistent, but in the detailing) is quite incredible, and a joy to watch develop. The expression “feast for the eyes” is rather cliché, but there are very, very few pages in this book that don’t fit that description. Maybe the new settings have allowed Belanger and Herring room to blossom or maybe they’ve both decided to kick it up a notch, but either way the result is one of the most striking books I’ve looked at in a long, long time. The large panels with smaller panels inset reminds me quite a bit of J.H. Williams III—and if you know my feelings about him (and specifically his work on Detective Comics) you’ll know that that’s just about the highest compliment I could give. The rich colors back up the pencils perfectly, and the result is just beautiful.

Thankfully, the lovely visuals are enhanced by an excellent script by McCreery and Del Col. The cast is spectacular (no shock given their origin of course), and each is written in a way that lets their best—and often most fun—characteristics shine through. Fallstaff especially lends himself to humorous lines and antics, and this serves to lighten the tone of this issue considerably. This indicates not only that the authors have a good sense of pacing within each issue, but that they have solid control of the story’s pacing as a whole; the first two issues were so heavy and dark that the story was becoming bogged down under its own weight. In this issue we feel the weight lift a bit, without losing any of the momentum or impetus that has already been established. Well done, sirs, and extra points for the rhyming poetry of Puck’s dialog as well. (Catalectic trochaic tetrameter ftw!) Once again: just beautiful.

Kill Shakespeare #2 – Review

By Conor McCreery and Anthony Del Col (writers), Andy Belanger (art), Ian Herring (colors) and Neil Uyetake (letters)

The Story: Richard fights to keep control of Macbeth’s forces while Hamlet uses his newfound powers as the Shadow King of prophesy to lead Richard’s army closer to Shakespeare. Although they encounter some unexpected opposition, Hamlet manages to escape and continue his mission led by his new confidante and best friend: the honest, honest Iago.

What’s Good: I’m going to let you in on a little secret. You know how comic book geeks (myself naturally included) can talk for hours about “who would win in a fight?” Well, Shakespeare geeks (myself included again) do much the same thing; I remember one particular instance in which an upper division literature class I was a part of nearly came to blows over the issue of whether Richard III or Iago from Othello was the greatest villain/manipulator. (Iago is the correct answer, for those keeping score at home.) I say this so you understand that I’m in a doubly unique position to love and appreciate this book: both as a comic book fan who loves a great story, and as a Shakespeare fan for whom this concept is the literary equivalent of watching the Avengers come together for the first time. In other words, this book was almost literally made for me.

You’ll recall that I gave issue #1 a less than glowing review, and expressed some reservations about the quality of the writing. Thankfully, nearly all of the problems that seemed to be present in the first issue are absent from this one; the characters and their motivations are much more clear, the plot is more focused, and the action (and blood) has much more narrative weight. Also, in addition to simply being better characterized as a whole, these characters feel much more like the ones Shakespeare wrote than they did in the first issue. This is very gratifying to see, and makes the whole book much more enjoyable. After all, what good is it to tell a story about Shakespeare’s characters run amok if they don’t act at least a little bit like the characters they’re supposed to be?

Kill Shakespeare #1 – Review

By Connor McCreery and Anthony Del Col (writers), Andy Belanger (art), Ian Herring (colors) and Robbie Robbins (letters)

The Story: Prince Hamlet of Denmark finds himself pulled off a ship and into a magical portal (created by Macbeth’s witches) that transports him into another realm. After nearly drowning at sea, he is found and rescued by a lord who introduces himself as Richard the Third. Although he seems reasonable enough to begin with, we soon learn that Richard has brought Hamlet into his world for a specific purpose: recruiting the young prince to steal the quill—and power source—of a great “wizard” named William Shakespeare.

The Good: Watching a writer pull classic characters like Hamlet and Richard III off the shelf to play with is like watching someone trying to juggle fine china: it’s exciting when it works, but even the slightest mistake can cause one hell of a mess. Stray too far from the classic, revered source material and the writer loses all connection to it. Stick too close, and they become a mere parrot of greatness. So as much as I adore the concept of this book (and believe me, as an English-majoring literature nerd it makes me very happy indeed) I would not want to be the one tasked to write it.

Fortunately, McCreery and Del Col handle themselves quite well in this first issue, and give the series a solid place to progress from. Both major characters introduced here are fairly recognizable, and nothing about them seems terribly out of place—Hamlet is as gloomy and father-obsessed as ever, and Richard is still two-faced and conniving. (I love the fact that it is Richard engineering this whole ‘killing Shakespeare’ plot; after the Weird sisters showed up I was convinced we’d be meeting Macbeth, but no, it turns out they’re working with Richard instead. Perfect.) There are a few details that seem off—Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern being true and loyal friends, for example—but they make me more curious than upset. The authors don’t seem sloppy or unaware of the source material, so I can only conjecture that changing a small (but significant) detail like that will have relevance in the future.