If I was asked what graphic novel I thought was most comparable to Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, but set in the early 2000s, I might say The Players, The Fool and a Few Fish, this self-published debut graphic novel by Mads Dalby (AKA Madzillus). Sure, it doesn’t involve the military, having a wedding and isn’t exclusively heterosexual, but it’s bursting with blossoming love, heartbreak and immature communication. This book can be a tad predictable with tropes like enemies to lovers and unrequited crushes. But, it knows exactly what it is and doesn’t shy away from big emotions or showing new adults fumbling their way through conversations.
Immediately upon seeing the cover image, the thin flimsy castle wall imagery is reminiscent of set design in a theatre or play. This is appropriate foreshadowing for the romantic Shakespearean melodrama about to unfold within these crisply printed pages. The ensemble of first year university students poke their faces out of the castle windows, taking glimpses or glares at each other, emphasizing the relationships about to unfurl and develop. Our narrator sits outside a window eyeing the reader with a knowing look.
The opening page greets the reader with a character in the friend group speaking directly to the fourth wall dressed as a jester with a lute while laying the stage for us to meet our characters. He isn’t confined to panels, giving him a visual authority over the page while he monologues vaguely about his flatmates.
Shakespearian adaptations on stage often play with era and location. For a long time, there have been creative muscles to be flexed, stretching and iterating on old stories. This cast is plainly LGBTQIA+ and accepted by friends throughout. While I think having difficult queer experiences in comics is very necessary, it’s also refreshing to see gay and trans people happily going through universal conflict.
During the whole book, pages are flooded with warm pinky oranges, yellows and blues, rapidly swapping between pages. Our cohort is rendered with floaty disconnected lines. The result is a cartoony, reactive look that can sometimes be a little tricky to follow but feels far more appropriate to the messy, flowing lives of these characters than intricately realistic drawings ever could be. Screen tones bring a nice variation to the depth on each page.
Overall, I think this is a great starting point for Madzillus. I will look forward to seeing them again at this year’s Thought Bubble convention where they are already registered to be an exhibitor. Perhaps they will have more work to sell! Until then, you can find them on their website.
Madzillus (W/A) • Self-published, £11.00
Review by Ray McGrother
Thought Bubble 2025 runs from November 10th-16th with the convention weekend taking place on the 15th-16th. More details on the Thought Bubble site here.
