Graphic Novel Friday Kill Shakespeare Conor McCreery/ Anthony Del Col

[Giovanni Gelati]

I am going to lead off with this today for a few reasons. Prepare yourself because I am going to be hitting you with a bunch of information on this bad boy. Monday I am also going to lead off with this dynamic duo, Conor McCreery & Anthony Del Col, in a Q&A I was lucky enough to get. The graphic novel is original, fresh, irreverent, and just about all the things I love in a graphic novel. Here is the official press release:

“Canadians Successful in quest to Kill Shakespeare with Release of Graphic Novel Adventure

Toronto, Canada: After a very successful initial run in comics, the creators of the Kill Shakespeare series are happy to announce the release of the first graphic novel, Kill Shakespeare Vol. 1: A Sea of Troubles. Conceived and written by Canadian-based creators Conor McCreery and Anthony Del Col, illustrated by Andy Belanger, and published by IDW Publishing (30 Days of Night, Transformers, True Blood), the graphic novel collects the first six issues of the sold-out twelve-issue series, offering a dark take on Shakespeare and his work, while pitting his greatest heroes against his most menacing villains.

The graphic novel was recently selected by the New York Times for their Holiday Gift Guide, declaring it, “gripping, violent and dark fun”, and nominated for the 2011 YALSA Good Graphic Novels for Teens list. It has received profiles on NPR, CBC Radio 3, Wired.com, The Globe and Mail and Publisher’s Weekly. The series was the subject of some controversy in April when Shakespearean scholar (and girlfriend of Frank Miller) Kimberly Cox posted a long rant against the series, but artists such as John Layman (Chew), Michael Hirst (The Tudors) and Des McAnuff (The Stratford Shakespeare Festival, Jersey Boys) have praised the series.

The Kill Shakespeare graphic novel, which offers an edgy interpretation of Shakespeare’s most famous characters, brings Hamlet, Juliet, Othello, Richard III, Lady Macbeth, Puck and others together for an epic adventure. In the book, readers encounter a banished Hamlet, who embarks on a quest to resurrect his dead father. But to do so, he must kill a reclusive wizard named… William Shakespeare! The graphic novel features a foreword by award-winning cartoonist Darwyn Cooke (New Frontiers, The Hunter, The Outfit), as well as a brand new five-page story that further explores the mythology of the Kill Shakespeare world.

IDW Publishing is also releasing today (November 30th) the first two issues of the series – which were sold out throughout North America and Europe - digitally through iTunes, to allow readers to sample the series before purchasing the book. “

I think I got the particulars out of the way. Oops, forgot the link: www.killshakespeare.com

Alright, let’s get to the graphic novel shall we. The originality of the plotline and the execution is what hit me like an anvil. I just really enjoyed reading this and had a fun time going along for the ride. The dialogue is witty; it is cutting and altogether a rip. Artwork, well I am going to say it fits like a glove and just makes the graphic novel that much better. I have had the opportunity to read many a graphic novel this year and I am going to just say that this was one of the top reads for me this year. I am going to post my best of list next week, and you will definitely see this one in there, no doubt. I see no downside in picking up this graphic novel. I wish I had a shot at this first instead of some of the Shakespeare I had read in High School, it would have made it go down a bit easier.

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