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Macbeth: The Red King
The name “Macbeth” has been cursed for hundreds of years, synonymous with tyranny and over-vaulting ambition. But what if the true Macbeth was something other than the villain Shakespeare portrayed?
Macbeth: the Red King tells an entirely new story of the real-life Scottish monarch, revealing a benevolent ruler who seized on his legitimate claim to the throne. Drawing from historical sources, this engaging graphic novel by Shaun Manning and Anna Wieszczyk is visually stunning companion to Shakespeare’s legendary drama. See Macbeth vanquish the incompetent Duncan, nurture a difficult relationship with his stepson Lulach, and make pilgrimage to Rome while his noble wife minds the restless kingdom — and witness his last stand against the insurgent prince Malcolm.
Macbeth: The Red King is not a re-telling of the Shakespeare classic, but rather a new history of the famous Scottish king. This book is not only for comic fans, but can be a great tool to help educators and students create a visual introduction to some of the greatest literature in our history.
Macbeth: the Red King tells an entirely new story of the real-life Scottish monarch, revealing a benevolent ruler who seized on his legitimate claim to the throne. Drawing from historical sources, this engaging graphic novel by Shaun Manning and Anna Wieszczyk is visually stunning companion to Shakespeare’s legendary drama. See Macbeth vanquish the incompetent Duncan, nurture a difficult relationship with his stepson Lulach, and make pilgrimage to Rome while his noble wife minds the restless kingdom — and witness his last stand against the insurgent prince Malcolm.
Macbeth: The Red King is not a re-telling of the Shakespeare classic, but rather a new history of the famous Scottish king. This book is not only for comic fans, but can be a great tool to help educators and students create a visual introduction to some of the greatest literature in our history.
98 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2018
19 people want to read
About the author
Shaun Manning
12 books4 followersShaun Manning is the creator and writer of Interesting Drug for BOOM! Studios’ Archaia imprint and Hell, Nebraska on Comixology. Next up is Macbeth: The Red King with Lucha Comics. His work has appeared in Dark Horse Presents, Top Shelf 2.0, Hope: New Orleans, and The Looking Glass Wars: Hatter M, as well as in several literary magazines, on stage, and on BBC Radio 4. Shaun took home first prize for a reading from his comedy novella Pizza Good Times in Edinburgh, Scotland; the trophy was a bottle of whiskey.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 30, 2018
Macbeth: The Red King really highlights a little known fact: that Macbeth, a true historical figure, is best known for a story that really is historical fiction. Shakespeare wrote about Macbeth 500 years after his death, creating characters, scenarios, and situations that better fit a play then historical records. For the first time, Shaun Manning has taken the results of his research in Scotland to create this story in an amazing graphic novel format, with the talents of Anna Wieszczyk. Finally, we can get the true story of Macbeth and see something more than a lunatic: the heroic Red King.
April 2, 2018
Studying Shakespeare in school were claws on the chalkboard for me.
Analyzing every scene and dissecting every line was enough to tune-out and give the bare minimum needed to get through the unit. Needless to say, it wasn't an engaging experience... no matter how hard my teachers tried.
Macbeth, however, held a different interest. I rather enjoyed the story outside the confines of deep analysis and could really get into each of the characters.
Reading this work took it to another level.
It's everything I wanted in those classes, but this looks at the historical Macbeth and covers his political lifespan... read as a historical adventure (as opposed to dry history textbook). Between the narrative and the artwork, it's a pleasure to get through.
Analyzing every scene and dissecting every line was enough to tune-out and give the bare minimum needed to get through the unit. Needless to say, it wasn't an engaging experience... no matter how hard my teachers tried.
Macbeth, however, held a different interest. I rather enjoyed the story outside the confines of deep analysis and could really get into each of the characters.
Reading this work took it to another level.
It's everything I wanted in those classes, but this looks at the historical Macbeth and covers his political lifespan... read as a historical adventure (as opposed to dry history textbook). Between the narrative and the artwork, it's a pleasure to get through.
March 5, 2022
3.5
A long time since I took Macbeth in High School (45 years or so), but I did enjoy it then, and this was a fine alternate telling. Loved the art :)
A long time since I took Macbeth in High School (45 years or so), but I did enjoy it then, and this was a fine alternate telling. Loved the art :)
September 14, 2022
Macbeth, the tyrant Scottish King whose very name yet wield a curse, attained his crown by bloody means and bloody fame through poets verse. But could a man so hated, scorned, secure his reign through fifteen years? Could such a rogue as this Macbeth sail forth to Holy Rome, without fear? History has known a King much like Macbeth as Avon wrote. Yet unlike Shakespeare's murderous rouge he virtuous was. Or so it goes. Witness, now, the true Macbeth or true as history now allows. A crimson fate threads through his life yet not more damn'd than Kings to follow.
I am building up quite the collection of graphic novels published by Blue Fox comics, who I can't recommend highly enough.
As the title here suggests, this is a new take on the tale of the Scottish King Macbeth. Heavily researched from the historical archives, the story feels miles apart from the Shakespearian play, which I studied at school.
This story of Macbeth, part historical-fiction, part true history, is a bloody tale of waring Scottish clans, skipped succession to the thrown, murderous plots, deals with the dreaded English, Viking raids, and revenge.
I really enjoyed this and it shed a whole new light on the history of the time. 4 stars.
I am building up quite the collection of graphic novels published by Blue Fox comics, who I can't recommend highly enough.
As the title here suggests, this is a new take on the tale of the Scottish King Macbeth. Heavily researched from the historical archives, the story feels miles apart from the Shakespearian play, which I studied at school.
This story of Macbeth, part historical-fiction, part true history, is a bloody tale of waring Scottish clans, skipped succession to the thrown, murderous plots, deals with the dreaded English, Viking raids, and revenge.
I really enjoyed this and it shed a whole new light on the history of the time. 4 stars.
April 2, 2018
In the wind-swept lands north of the Roman built Hadrian’s Wall, the tumultuous history of Scotland unfolded over the centuries. A wee five years into the last millennium, Mac Bethad mac Findlaích (1005 – 1057) was born and probably raised in the county of Moray, where the lad became Mormaer of Moray in the early 1030s. He later became King of the Scots until his death in 1057. The name Mac Bethad may sound familiar for some readers; he is after all the king who inspired William Shakespeare to pen The Tragedy of Macbeth over 500 years later. Make another quick time leap to 2018 and land at writer Shaun Manning and artist Anna Wieszczyk’s Macbeth: The Red King, a comic book due to release soon from Lucha Comics/The Shooting Star Press Inc.
In an interview between Patrick Hickey Jr. and Manning (Review Fix, dated February 15, 2018), Manning shares that his interest in this historical character came from acting in a production of Macbeth and learning that all of the characters but two – Banquo and Fleance – were real people.
Catch my full review at Fanbase Press:
http://www.fanbasepress.com/index.php...
In an interview between Patrick Hickey Jr. and Manning (Review Fix, dated February 15, 2018), Manning shares that his interest in this historical character came from acting in a production of Macbeth and learning that all of the characters but two – Banquo and Fleance – were real people.
Catch my full review at Fanbase Press:
http://www.fanbasepress.com/index.php...
December 17, 2023
When the art in this book sings, it’s probably one of the most beautiful books I’ve seen. (That cover in itself is glorious!) Unfortunately, there are many moments where the art gets really loose, cartoony, and I lost any idea of who was who.
Not being overly familiar with Macbeth — either the historical or Shakespearean figure — I found the idea of the story here to be fascinating, and at least in some way contrary to just the “myth” I understand of the character. That said, it did feel a little like we were just hitting some high points in a biography rather than really telling a story. There are definitely some good character moments, and I think it all holds together enough that I enjoyed the book, but I wish we were allowed a little more “time” with them. That’s possibly my own issue more than the creator’s, but it’s never a bad thing to leave the reader wanting more.
(I backed this book on kickstarter. I was a little surprised, and disappointed, to see the forward to this book being from 2018… I don’t recall feeling like what I backed was meant to be a follow-up printing to a previously published book. Maybe that was my error.)
Not being overly familiar with Macbeth — either the historical or Shakespearean figure — I found the idea of the story here to be fascinating, and at least in some way contrary to just the “myth” I understand of the character. That said, it did feel a little like we were just hitting some high points in a biography rather than really telling a story. There are definitely some good character moments, and I think it all holds together enough that I enjoyed the book, but I wish we were allowed a little more “time” with them. That’s possibly my own issue more than the creator’s, but it’s never a bad thing to leave the reader wanting more.
(I backed this book on kickstarter. I was a little surprised, and disappointed, to see the forward to this book being from 2018… I don’t recall feeling like what I backed was meant to be a follow-up printing to a previously published book. Maybe that was my error.)
August 18, 2019
I fall asleep while reading. But it wasn't Manning's fault: I was just way too tired.
Anyway. I've just reread Macbeth for the second time, seventeen years after I studied it for school. I quite enjoyed it back then. I love it and I wanted to understand as much as I can about the dialogue. Fortunately, our wise English teacher let us have a bilingual edition of the book and it was easy to compare the two version.
So, I reread Machbeth but I also read Manga Classics: Macbeth for the first time. And then I remember I backed this project.
It's supposed to present a different story of Macbeth, one where he is a good and loved king. Still he ends up with his by the enemy.
It's just OK for me. The art didn't impress me that much and the story was very confusing. I'm not that much into intrigues and betrayal.
Let's stick with the Manga Classics version for the time being.
Anyway. I've just reread Macbeth for the second time, seventeen years after I studied it for school. I quite enjoyed it back then. I love it and I wanted to understand as much as I can about the dialogue. Fortunately, our wise English teacher let us have a bilingual edition of the book and it was easy to compare the two version.
So, I reread Machbeth but I also read Manga Classics: Macbeth for the first time. And then I remember I backed this project.
It's supposed to present a different story of Macbeth, one where he is a good and loved king. Still he ends up with his by the enemy.
It's just OK for me. The art didn't impress me that much and the story was very confusing. I'm not that much into intrigues and betrayal.
Let's stick with the Manga Classics version for the time being.
April 1, 2018
I never actually knew Macbeth had any historical reality. This awesome book opened up a new piece of the past which I was completely unaware of. Between the amazing artwork and captivating story, this made me revisit my love for Shakespeare in a whole new way.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews