By Connor McCreery and Anthony Del Col (writers), Andy Belanger (art), Ian Herring (colors) and Chris Mowry (letters)
The Story: After some soul searching (and some prompting from his bestest buddy evar, Iago), Hamlet decides to leave the Prodigals and set off on his own. Naturally this doesn’t end well as he immediately falls victim to a series of terrifying visions, and is nearly run down by Richard’s henchmen. Hamlet does manage to escape however, and throws his lot in with a small band of (semi) neutral travelers—including two gentlemen named Lysander and Demetrius.
What’s Good: After a small hiccup last issue, things seem to be firing on all cylinders once again. I’m glad to see Hamlet taking matters into his own hands and separating himself from both factions—that seems like a very natural reaction given all he’s been through, and further cements him as an independently minded man who does not belong to this world he has been magically thrust into. The fact that he doesn’t want to be involved with either side lends him a lot of credibility, both as a character and as the “everyman” guide who acts as the reader’s eyes and ears in this strange new place.
I’m also happy to say that the artwork in this issue is much better than it was in the last. There’s still an awkward facial expression or two, but it feels much improved, and for that I’m very grateful. When Belanger is on his game, his work is fantastic. His depiction of Hamlet’s nightmare is vivid and not soon forgettable.
I’m on the fence about Iago. He’s easily my favorite character in the book, but I have yet to figure out exactly what his motivations are and just how much he’s playing everyone for a fool. He’s supposed to be working for Richard, of course, but he’s also acting—genuinely, it seems—like a real friend to Hamlet. Now, I know my Othello, so I know there is an approximately 0% chance that Iago is being sincere…and yet I find myself wondering as I read if maybe…just maybe…this Iago is different. Maybe he really is Hamlet’s friend, and maybe he is genuinely sorry for the evil things he’s done to Othello. That’s absurd of course, but it’s also fantastic writing. It is one thing, after all, for a character to fool another character with false sincerity; it’s another thing entirely to suck a reader (especially one who should know better) into the same ruse. Well played, Messrs. McCreery and Del Col. Well played.
What’s Not So Good: Honestly, no real complaints. I would like a little bit more information on where exactly in the continuity of Shakespeare’s plays all the characters are. We’ve had some clues—we obviously know exactly where Hamlet was when he entered the story, and Othello obviously is aware of Iago’s treacherous nature. Both Iago and Othello are alive, though, which means the ending of the play must have changed somehow. And then there’s Juliet…who went from a lovestuck prepubescent girl to a strong and confident warrior and rebel leader. I have a feeling a lot of this will be resolved when they finally meet Shakespeare himself (a character I’d also like to have more clues about, since the story is almost half over!) but dropping another hint or two about exactly what’s taking place here, and how it ties into the plays, would be appreciated.
Conclusion: This one still hasn’t taken my title of personal favorite away from issue #3, but it’s still a strong issue and a great lead-in to the halfway mark of the story.
Grade: B+
-SoldierHawk
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