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Review: ‘Kill Shakespeare: The Tide of Blood’ #3

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As each installment gets better and better, Kill Shakespeare: The Tide of Blood #3 delivers an incredibly spell-binding adventure. The best part, you don’t have to be fully versed in Shakespeare to understand what’s going on. As each page is wonderfully realized in words and art, this is the perfect opportunity to pick up the “Kill Shakespeare” series.

WRITTEN BY: Conor McCreery and Anthony Del Col
ART BY: Andy Belanger
PUBLISHER: IDW Publishing
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: April 24, 2013

As Titus is gathering an army, Juliet is called upon to raise her sword once more for battle. Though Juliet cannot trust her ex-lover, Romeo, she needs his help as they travel far to the mysterious Prospero’s Island. Deep in the island’s caves, something evil lurks in the shadows. The island is alive and wants torture the visitors until they bleed. Hamlet and Othello find themselves trapped inside a torture chamber, while Juliet is nowhere to be seen. Will the god-like wizard Shakespeare risk getting involved and save them?

Writers Conor McCreery and Anthony Del Col have done something different and fresh to the relationship between Romeo and Juliet. In this interpretation, Romeo wants a second chance to get back together with Juliet. Because of Romeo’s heavy drinking and previous one-night stands, Juliet knows they are not destined to be together. Romeo is struggling with sobriety and he is trying to replace his alcoholism with unrequited love. This isn’t about these two characters getting back together; it’s about a break-up. Pay close attention to Romeo’s facial expressions as his jealously towards Hamlet heightens as Juliet breaks his heart.

I like the direction that McCreery and Del Col are taking the series, especially with the return of Shakespeare. In “Volume 2: The Blast Of War,” Shakespeare served as a metaphor for God. What would you say if you met God? After everything God has done to you, would you thank him or curse him out? Representing human nature, Hamlet lets it all out during his first confrontation with Shakespeare. So what will Shakespeare do now that he knows his children are in trouble?

Artist Andy Belanger captures the violent and dark nature of Prospero’s Island. In the opening pages, Hamlet is being tortured as his head is dunked many times into a bucket. When Hamlet gasps for air, he is surrounded by bloodthirsty werewolves. In the woods, the trees have screaming faces on them. In a small but important detail, the mountain range is also in the shape of a skull.

One of Belanger’s most impressive illustration yet is when Miranda walks down a staircase made of books. In a splash page, Belanger captures a surreal and child-like dream where the walls, stairs, and background are made of giant books. The reader’s eyes will follow Miranda as she walks from top to bottom in one shot. At first, Miranda is drawn in a wide shot and in the end, she is illustrated in a close-up.

“Kill Shakespeare: Tide of Blood” #3 is a clever and fresh take on Shakespeare’s mythology. I’m so glad I don’t need Spark Notes to understand what these character are talking about.

4.5/5 Skulls

Reviewed by – Jorge Solis

Comics

‘The Wicked Trinity’ – Preview New Archie Comics One-Shot Inspired by ‘The Craft’ [Exclusive]

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From Sabrina’s Magical World, Bloody Disgusting has learned this afternoon that Archie Comics will be releasing brand new one-shot comic The Wicked Trinity this coming June.

You’ll be able to meet The Wicked Trinity in the 32-page comic on June 12, 2024.

In The Wicked Trinity, “Sabrina’s magical nemesis Amber Nightstone and her sidekicks, Jade Kazane and Sapphire Gill, are intent on becoming the most powerful witches in the world. Isolated from so many around them, the three have formed a coven based on their individual needs for vengeance and true freedom.

“But when there is some dissent among the ranks, their small coven is threatened to be obliterated from within.”

The Wicked Trinity features a script by Sam Maggs, art by Lisa Sterle, colors by Ellie Wright, letters by Jack Morelli, main cover by Lisa Sterle, and variant cover by Soo Lee.

Archie Comics Senior Director of Editorial Jamie L. Rotante tells Bloody Disgusting, “When Editor-In-Chief Mike Pellerito came up with the idea of the Wicked Trinity—Amber Nightstone, Jade Kazane, and Sapphire Gill—I was immediately intrigued. I even had the good fortune to work on the script for Jade and Sapphire’s first appearance in last year’s SABRINA ANNUAL SPECTACULAR comic for younger readers. What I especially loved about these magical teens is that they could seamlessly transcend from classic-Archie stories into more mature, even horror stories. I was eager to start developing their world with a modern sensibility, taking cues from the great work of Kelly Thompson and Veronica Fish on our SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH series, and Sarah Kuhn and Carola Borelli on our recent DARKLING one-shot. Inspired by series like Charmed and films like The Craft, I knew there was so much potential to build up this coven in a story that beautifully blends magical fantasy with horror.”

Writer Sam Maggs previews, “Real witches writing real witches—that’s how we do things over at Archie Comics! I was named after a famous witch—Samantha from Bewitched—and so I grew up absolutely obsessed with everything witchcraft, devouring every book series I could about teen witches. That makes WICKED TRINITY a dream project for me. The power and energy of teen girls is absolutely unmatched (just look at the engine behind fandom culture) and being able to harness that metaphorically for a story like this is such a delight. Everything I write focuses on the power of female friendship, and this story is no exception. And what’s better than a morally grey female character? I struggle to think of anything. Cat familiars, maybe? Also, I’m totally a practicing witch now. So maybe if you read this, you’ll find yourself imbued with magical powers, too.*

Artist Lisa Sterle adds, “I can’t wait for people to be re-introduced to The Wicked Trinity! Witches, fashion, and Archie Comics; this is truly a magical trifecta and I’m so happy to have the opportunity to put my own personal stamp on this. I love to create stories in which girls find their own power, both from within themselves and through their friendships and coven. If you’re a fan of my Modern Witch tarot, you’ll find this comic just as magical.”

Exclusively check out the two covers for The Wicked Trinity one-shot comic below!

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