Broken Frontier

Writers Conor McCreery and Anthony Del Col continue this crazy tale, reimagining and re-constructing the various stories of William Shakespeare into a recognizable hero’s journey. In this new take, Hamlet is set on a quest by Richard III to find and kill a wizard by the name of William Shakespeare, whose pen apparently has the ability to create and destroy life. With the reward of his father back from the dead, Hamlet embarks on this quest.

Along his divergent path, he meets many allies and enemies,  and has been in a scuffle or two, prophesized about, and hunted. There may or may not have been situations that required our hero to conceal his identity with drag, to varying degrees of success. It’s been a fun romp with just enough familiarity sprinkled throughout. The essence of this book can be favorably compared to chocolate and peanut butter. Two great tastes, taste great together. Shakespeare’s massive library of characters juxtaposed with the more modern hero structure (Joseph Campbell, anyone?). That an idea that seems gimmicky works this well and has this much vitality is a credit to the creators. Together, McCreery and Del Col have plotted out an epic journey that redefines but still respects the Bard’s original creations.

In this issue, Falstaff takes the dress wearing Hamlet to Juliet and her bodyguard/loyal companion, Othello. They are the voice of a rebellion, trying to instill hope and elicit outrage from townspeople in regard to the King’s horrific rule. Some are inspired by her words while others quickly would betray her to earn the King’s favor. Hamlet’s path converges with her and Othello’s, for their goals are both directly related to the fate of Richard, now aligned with Lady Macbeth. Throw in the treacherous Iago and his assassins, hunting Hamlet, and you get a complex narrative reminiscent of Shakespeare’s more screwball adventures.

Andy Berlanger’s art continues to display the action solidly. He uses very little flash with his layouts, letting the pencils speak for themselves. It’s a wise choice that keeps a story that could easily become confusing more grounded and readable. If he was experimenting with the form too much then the end result might not be as enjoyable. All the members of this creative team are leading with their best foot forward, which is the story. This is a concept that could escape less capable hands, falling under the pressure of the inspired by originals. Thankfully, that doesn’t happen here.

Four issues in and Kill Shakespeare continues to tickle all the right spots. It’s clever, but not overly. It’s respectful, but not religiously. It’s playful, but not hokey. This book strikes the correct balance when dealing with pre-established properties or reimagining characters.

McCreery and Del Col have put together a very imaginative and creative piece of fiction that will undoubtedly have a shelf life for years to come. For those of you missing it in issues, this will be a great collected edition in the coming months. It could be the comic you read more openly in public. Because, let’s face it. It’s Shakespeare!

P.S. Othello is a bad ass. True story.