Kill Shakespeare – Past is Prologue: Juliet #1
Written by Conor McCreery
Art by Corin Howell
Colors by Shari Chankahamma
Letters by Chris Mowry
Standard Cover by Simon Davis
Subscription Cover by Adam Gorham and Shari Chankahamma
IDW Publishing
Release Date: April 5, 2017
Cover Price: $3.99

Few comics turn the literary world into their own playground like this one, folks. In Kill Shakespeare – Past is Prologue: Juliet #1 the reader gets a dose of what happens when you deify a playwright. This is not your parent’s Shakespeare; not in any way, shape, or form.

Kill Shakespeare: The Mask Of Night #3
Written by Conor McCreery and Anthony Del Col
Art by Andy Belanger
Inking assistance by Adam Gorham
Colors by Shari Chankhamma
Letters by Chris Mowry
Edits by Tom Waltz
Subscription cover by J.K. Woodward
IDW Publishing
Release Date: August 27, 2014
Cover Price: $3.99

The tension continues to build in the newest chapter of Kill Shakespeare: The Mask of Night. The famed pirate Cesario has lost control of his ship in a mutiny led by his former lover and first mate, Viola. She plans to ensure the crew’s safety by turning over Juliet and her fellow prisoners to the cannibal captain of the Lavinia, Lucius Andronicus. But it isn’t that simple. Among the prisoners is Shakespeare himself!

Kill Shakespeare: The Mask Of Night #2
Written by Conor McCreery and Anthony Del Col
Art by Andy Belanger
Inking assistance by Adam Gorham
Colors by Shari Chankhamma
Letters by Chris Mowry
Edits by Tom Waltz
Subscription cover by J.K. Woodward
IDW Publishing
Release Date: July 23, 2014
Cover Price: $3.99

Continuing from where we left off last time, the masked captain Cesario faces the oncoming threat of capture from a pursuing vessel, and betrayal at the hands of his own crew.

With the Lavinia in hot pursuit, the crew of the Boreas are trying to escape its ever-looming presence. Cesario’s desperate plans to evade the ship are met vocal distaste. The crew wants to go with a plan that has a higher chance of survival, while Cesario wants to risk everything on a plan that will end with him returning Juliet to the Prodigals. His plan to gamble with their lives creates festering thoughts of mutiny among the crew.

Kill Shakespeare: Mask of Night
Written By Conor McCreery and Anthony Del Col
Art by Andy Belanger
Ink Assists by Adam Gorham
Colors By Shari Chankhamma
Lettering by Chris Mowry
Edits by Tom Waltz
IDW Publishing
Release Date: June 18, 2014
Cover Price: $3.99

Adventure, intrigue, and swashbuckling are a few of the things that await you in the thrilling tale of Kill Shakespeare: Mask of Night.

We’re introduced to the masked pirate captain named Cesario. After a thrilling battle, we see the spoils of his latest plunder. Instead of gold or jewels aboard the ship, he finds prisoners trapped in a small room. And among them, Juliet Capulet. Shaken from their prior adventures, Juliet and her fellow prisoners are brought aboard. Wanting to seize the opportunity, Cesario decides turn them to the Prodigals in exchange for a full pardon.

But things may not go as Cesario plans, as he receive opposition from amongst his ranks.

Kill Shakespeare #5
The Tide Of Blood
Written by Conor McCreery & Anthony Del Col
Illustrated by Andy Belanger
Colored by Shari Chankhamma
Lettered by Chris Mowry
Cover by Simon Davis
IDW Publishing
Release Date: August 28, 2013
Cover Price: $3.99

Kill Shakespeare: The Tide of Blood #5 written by Conor McCreery and Anthony Del Col and illustrated by Andy Belanger is the final installment in this latest series from IDW. With the culmination of the events from the previous four issues, how does this series end? Well, I’ll give you a hint: in true Shakespearean fashion, it’s tragic.

I’m going to skip my normal synopsis of the issue, as so much happened within the 27 allotted pages that trying to mention anything at all would give too much away; and believe me, you wouldn’t want that. Instead, I’m going to move right to the part in which I offer unabashed praise for McCreery and Del Col’s story as a whole. Kill Shakespeare: The Tide of Blood has been an incredible series with a wide assortment of clever and unique twists to Shakespeare’s tragedies. They’ve added extra heart and revelations about the characters that weren’t necessarily focused on in the first series, but helped to make this addition stand on its own. While a few things are left unfinished — which is fine because, you know, sequels and what not — issue number five provides an intense conclusion to the mini-series with enough closure to leave me satisfied.