Story by Shaun Manning
Art by Anna Wieszczyk
For The Shooting Star Press Inc./Lucha Comics
I can’t lie. I haven’t read any Shakespeare since high school and I haven’t really been into any of the movie adaptations. Don’t get me wrong, I love classic Shakespeare and stories like Romeo and Juliet, or in this case Macbeth, are classic. Everyone is looking to write a story like Shakespeare, one that lasts through the ages, so I have a lot of respect for people that take those timeless stories and adapt them to the modern world. Manning has spent a lot of time and energy getting this story right.
From what I remember of the play the comic hits on all points but it’s very much its own entity, which to me is a sign of a good adaptation. I went in expecting a straight cross in genre and actually got something that can stand on its own. As I said, it hits all the main plot points but it doesn’t rely on the flow of the play to dictate the story. It has everything an adaptation needs; it has the familiar character base, follows the basic plot outline, but it has enough of a difference to make it fresh and fun to read. Also, just a FYI, it’s in modern speech so it’s not hard to read.
When it comes to art in a book like this I certainly feel like there are aspects that need to be right for the feel of the book to come across and Wieszczyk has made the world of Macbeth the Red King a visually stunning place to be. The character designs are all very unique, even the smallest of characters have a very distinct look. Each small detail of the book Wieszczyk takes great care with and makes sure we feel every bit of this world in the art.
As far as rewards and Kickstarter expectations there is a wide range of things and it’s all in Canadian dollars, so Americans can expect a slight discount. Head over to Kickstarter now!
It sounds pretty interesting!