‘The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide’ Publishers To Release ‘Kill Shakespeare’
by Olly MacNamee
Here in the UK, not only is it Saint George’s Day, but it’s also Shakespeare’s birthday. Oh, and the supposed date of his death too. The latter little fact fits more so in with the announcement that Gemstone Publishing will be publishing its very first graphic novel, writer/creator Anthony Del Col‘s series Kill Shakespeare.
To hit the floor running, look out for the release of the first act of Romeo Vs. Juliet: A Kill Shakespeare Adventure on Free Comic Book Day, May 4th, 2024.
That will be followed up by Kill Shakespeare 1st Folio, a new compendium edition of the Kill Shakespeare series, collecting Volumes 1 and 2 by co-writers Del Col and Conor McCreery, artist Andy Belanger and colourist Ian Herring with Kill Shakespeare 2nd Folio to follow next spring.
Speaking about this new announcement, Anthony Del Col said:
“Hamlet. Juliet. Othello. Lady Macbeth. These are some of the greatest characters ever created. I’m so excited to be back in the world of Kill Shakespeare where they—and many others—all co-exist (and sometimes battle, naturally) and to be working with Gemstone on this.” Del Col continued, “Our new story Romeo Vs. Juliet is a great entry point for everyone—a Shakespearean western in which Juliet Capulet has survived her ordeal with Romeo and has reinvented herself as an independent warrior-for-hire. In order to help protect a small nunnery and border town from her ex-lover, Juliet must reunite with old allies, including Hamlet, Othello, and Puck. And did I mention Juliet’s pregnant? And the father could be either Hamlet… or Romeo? What could be more Shakespearean than that?”
J.C. Vaughn, President of Gemstone Publishing added:
“As we enter into Gemstone’s 30th anniversary year, I’m grateful—and still a bit shocked—that we can launch our new publishing initiative with Kill Shakespeare. This is an amazing series, one worthy of a wide audience.”
If you haven’t heard of this cult series, here’s a quick rundown:
“Kill Shakespeare originally launched as a series of award-winning comic books and has expanded to board games, an audio drama, and a live stage show. Launched by IDW Publishing in 2010, the comics were an immediate success, with the first issue receiving acclaim from NPR, The New York Times and CBC. Combining amazing action sequences with a sprawling, emotional, adventure, Kill Shakespeare was nominated for a Harvey Award for Best New Comic Series and Joe Shuster Award for Best Comic Writing.”
Got it? Good. I can get back to celebrating the day in proper British tradition with a nice cup of tea, a bag of fish and chips and the rain. At least it’s not a tempest!
