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From School Library Journal

March 1, 2019

Gr 9 Up-Udon takes a stab at a Shakespeare staple with this latest addition to the series, a staple of the English curriculum. After a hard-fought battle, Macbeth is greeted by three witches, who herald him as "king hereafter." Though Macbeth had been loyal King Duncan, the proclamation sets his imagination afire, and he and his wife decide to assassinate Duncan, paving the way for Macbeth's rise to the throne. Macbeth's lust for absolute power corrupts absolutely in this timeless work that is oft copied but rarely equaled. As with previous "Manga Classics" adaptations, the graphic format works well with the Bard's nuanced language. The original text is rife with metaphors, symbolism, and wording that lacks any semblance of modern flow. With the help of Choy's lush, shadowy illustrations, those Shakespearean turns of phrase are a bit easier to parse. Students who haven't seen a theatrical version of the play will greatly appreciate this adaptation, though some may still want or need a companion study guide to get the most out of the rich, tragic story. VERDICT With excellent endnotes, this is a worthy addition to libraries that serve high schoolers, undergrads, and new adults.-Abby Bussen, Muskego Public Library, WI

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

From Publisher's Weekly

January 29, 2018
In this ambitious entry in the Hogarth Shakespeare series, bestseller Nesbø (The Thirst and 10 other Harry Hole novels) transmutes Macbeth into a crime novel set in 1970s Scotland. Macbeth heads the SWAT team in a dreary city called Capitol, determined to take down criminal gangs and to clean up the corrupt local government, a goal shared by Duncan, Capitol's upstanding police chief. But local drug kingpin Hecate wants to be rid of Duncan and schemes to put Macbeth, something of an outsider and an addict to a drug called "brew," in charge. Hecate sends Macbeth three sisters (the witches in Shakespeare's original), who foretell his future: that he will be head of the Organised Crime Unit and then chief commissioner. Macbeth is promoted to the first post by Duncan, and "Lady," Macbeth's consort and a local casino magnate, has the manipulative wiles to ensure Macbeth does whatever it takes to eliminate Duncan and rule the city. The themes will resonate well with contemporary readers, but, at nearly 500 pages, the story feels bloated. It's a clever reengineering of one of Shakespeare's great tragedies, but may disappoint Nesbø's fan base.

From Publisher's Weekly

January 12, 2015
Following his adaptations of Romeo and Juliet, The Merchant of Venice, and King Lear, Hinds turns to the story of the Scottish king who is ruined by his ambition. The play's supernatural elements give Hinds the chance to bring some of Shakespeare's eeriest imaginings to life. He paints the three weird sisters-a crone, a pagan goddess, and an African witch-perched on tree branches like crows. The ghost of Banquo sits down for dinner bathed in cool blue light that reddens as blood courses down his skin. Judicious abridging and even rewording make the text more accessible, yet Shakespeare's language is preserved throughout. "What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our power to account?" Lady Macbeth cries as she tries frantically to clean her hands of blood, a moment whose intensity Hinds drives home with close-ups of dozens of hands rubbing each other, over and over. Such visceral, violent imagery is common-Hinds understands, as Shakespeare did, that sorcery and gore are powerful draws. Detailed endnotes provide "making-of" style details. Ages 12—up.

From Horn Book

July 1, 2012
Shakespeare is valued for his language, but so little of it remains in this skeletal outline of [cf2]Macbeth[cf1] that it is difficult to understand what purpose this graphic novel serves, especially when Powell's abridgment introduces errors. Daniel's art captures the grim aura of the tale, but the choice to set much of the play in a swamp rather than on a heath makes little sense.

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

From School Library Journal

April 1, 2012

Gr 10 Up-Shakespeare's tragedy is brought to life in this studio-recorded full-cast performance starring James Marsters and Joanne Whalley. Marsters's Macbeth is solid, and Whalley turns in a remarkable performance of Lady Macbeth's calculated strength and eventual unraveling. The pacing and delivery of Shakespeare's lines are effective and accurate, and the use of sound to depict setting and action provide the essential cues listeners need. The sound effects and the theatrics of the Weird Sisters are wonderful. Listeners should be familiar with the story prior to listening due to the large number of characters and the lack of stage direction in audio format. A good choice to offer students as a reading companion.-Rebecca Flannery, Lyman Memorial High School, Lebanon, CT

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

From Publisher's Weekly

Starred review from January 30, 2012
Audio productions of Shakespeare's work can be a challenge to execute, but L.A. Theatre Works delivers a gripping full-cast dramatization that keeps listeners engaged from start to finish. When Macbeth is told he will one day become king of Scotland, Lady Macbeth hatches an evil plot that ends in bloody regicide and tragedy. James Marsters delivers an admirable performance as Macbeth, conveying the character's conflicting emotions and subsequent arrogance. Equally skilled is Joanne Whalley, whose Lady Macbeth transforms from a determined and opportunistic woman in the beginning of the play to a depressed and despairing one in the final act. Recorded in front of a live audience, this well-produced audio also features music and sound effects-all of which make for an absolutely entertaining listening experience.

From School Library Journal

November 1, 2010

Gr 8 Up-Abiding by the premise that the text is supreme, Newlin's cuttings reveal the stories through the use of original dialogue and short connecting narratives to compensate for missing scenes. Each adaptation is accompanied by simple stage directions and a prop list. A sample program indicates possible double-casting of roles, and Newlin's personal notes on the pros and cons of his own high school production will embolden neophyte directors. A preface explains the origins of Newlin's adaptations, and an essay on "Performing Shakespeare," which follows the text, includes rehearsal suggestions and a discussion of the application of Aristotle's six elements of drama. A good bibliography of print and online resources completes the work. Newlin's prose is clear and explanatory, stressing the importance of understanding Shakespeare's words and of granting license to the young actors' own ideas. Problems do occur, however, with the adaptations themselves because large sections of the plays have been omitted to accommodate the time frame, and the scenes do not always follow their original order. For example, in Midsummer, readers learn that Puck has engineered Titania's falling in love with an "ass," but Oberon's reasons for wanting to humiliate her are never divulged. Geared to an older audience than Carole Cox's Shakespeare's Kids (Libraries Unlimited, 2009), Newlin's titles maintain Cox's philosophy of empowering young actors with Shakespeare's own words and could serve well as introductory texts for simple productions if additional narratives are supplied.-Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, The Naples Players, FL

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

From School Library Journal

July 1, 2008
Gr 7 Up-These plays are well organized with clearly identified acts and well-defined visual scenes. While Shakespeares original language remains intact, much of the dialogue has been left on the cutting room floor. This editing causes some confusion in identifying individuals and following plotlines. Its unfortunate that theres no list of the characters and their relationships for novice Shakespeare readers. Tragic drama is immediately apparent in Macbeth, which has a distinctive dark feel, accentuated by bold lines with strong black-and-white contrast and terse text. Images such as the bloody bodies and Macbeths hallucinations grip readers. The plotting Lady Macbeth is downright frightening, and readers looking for high drama will find it here. Quotes at the beginning of each act in "Romeo and Juliet" nicely set the stage for the ensuing drama. For example, the title page for Act I shows Romeo saying Is she]a Capulet? O dear account! My life is my foes debt. In contrast to "Macbeth", images appear pale and often with little animation. Many of the secondary characters lack personality and are sometimes drawn without faces. Friar Lawrence wears a similar expression when both picking herbs in Act II and approaching the crypt in Act V. Adaptations by Philip Page and Marilyn Pettit (Barrons) or Lisa Appignanesi (Abrams) have more compelling artwork."Barbara M. Moon, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY"

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

From Library Journal

April 1, 2005
The Yale annotated editions of these dramatic polar opposites include loads of textual notes and scholarly introductions, plus essays by Harold Bloom, all for the price of lunch at Mickey Ds. Supersized Shakespeare on the cheap.

Copyright 2005 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

From Publisher's Weekly

March 1, 1993
Based on an HBO animated series, these condensations emphasize the dramatic content of some of Shakespeare's best known works. As abridged by Garfield in consultation with a panel of scholars, the books on the whole retain the magic of Shakespeare's vision and remain true to his poetics. Linguistic fluidity is perforce sacrificed (omitted lines are presented as italicized summaries interspersed throughout the dialogue), but these versions should still fire children's imaginations. Though the artwork varies in quality, the Eastern European illustrators generally capture the underlying theatrics. Palettes are subdued for the dramas, and appropriately brighter for the comedies (though the tone reproductions frequently seem off). Several plays' illustrations have a cartoony appearance; a few exhibit the stilted look of old Classics Comics. While the plays forgo their complexities--many subplots are omitted--as they become more linear in their themes (Macbeth loses much of his humanity, Romeo and Juliet is pared of its politics), their nobility shines through in these visualized introductions. One hopes that readers will be encouraged to move on to the originals. Ages 10-up.

From AudioFile Magazine

In one of Shakespeare's shortest plays, a Scots noble, inspired by witches, murders to become king and then loses himself in brutality. James Marsters and Joanne Whalley, as Macbeth and his Lady, are both quite good, if rarely exciting or remarkable. Whalley hits that mark more often. There are, by turns, some flatness and overacting in the lesser roles. There's too much forced laughter among the supernumeraries and too much grunting during fights we cannot see. Still, the overall production is effective. Without standout performances, the play takes the lead. The music and sound effects, though occasionally overdone, help build a sense of dread and things gone very wrong. Text, performances, and sound combine to deliver an affecting tale of tragic horror. W.M. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine

From Kirkus

This graphic-novel take on the Bard's Macbeth retains all of the original wording. Chan's (Romeo and Juliet, 2018, etc.) choice to use Shakespeare's unabridged text makes the presence of the imagery all the more important. Illustrator Choy (Romeo and Juliet, 2018, etc.) stays true to traditional manga style, portraying the white European characters with large eyes and delicate facial features. The art allows for visual clarification, offering clues to help readers who might struggle without it: Scenes such as the floating dagger or the ghost of Banquo sitting in Macbeth's chair at the banquet are rendered more accessible through the illustrations. Close-up views of facial expressions give clues to the characters' feelings, qualities, and even their sanity. The black-and-white shaded art conveys changes in Macbeth's personality throughout the story (softer and kinder at the beginning; more cunning and shadowed near the end), making the darker turns the story takes visible in a concrete way. While Shakespeare and manga may not seem like an obvious pairing, the illustrations here provide the visual entertainment and clarification that are integral aspects of enjoying a play. Readers of the classics may become manga fans, and manga fans may find the world of classic literature opening up to them thanks to this creative adaptation. (cast, creators' notes) (Graphic fiction. 12-18)

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