Manga Classics: Macbeth – Modern English Edition

by Crystal S. Chan (Adapter), William Shakespeare, Michael Barltrop

Macbeth, the Thane of Cawdor, is a loyal subject of Duncan, the King of Scotland. At least, he used to be. With tempting words and treacherous images, three witches and his own wife inspire Macbeth to a terrible act of treason and murder. As one murder follows another, Macbeth begins to lose his grip upon both his sanity and his hard-won kingdom - but what could possibly unseat him from his bloody throne? Manga Classics presents a NEW EDITION of Shakespeare's brutal Scottish tragedy, featuring lush visuals and the FULL, ADAPTED MODERN ENGLISH text of the classic play!

Genres: Manga, Graphic Novels, Classics

328 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 19, 2022

About the author

Adaptation of classic novels into manga editions with Stacy King.

See also: Crystal King

Reviews

[Tawfek · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bleed, Bleed, Poor Country.

A tale as old as time, yet it's as modern as a newborn child.
The Lust for Power, and what lengths men would take to achieve it.
Did Shakespeare know he is a genius when he was alive? Did people realize it?
Was his Greatness trampled by the limitations of their time, and young men playing female characters on stage?
What happened there in real life? Was his acting band so good, that people loved them so much, and ended up printing his plays after his death? Because this was not printed in his life, this was printed seven years after his death, in a collection of his entire works, that wasn't even taken from his own version of the plays but from versions that were handed to his actors.

I received this copy in exchange for an honest review, Thanks to the writer and penciler, and thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity.
Reading This in English was so tough for me, Shakespeare has a way with words, he changes them, two words that would mean something, put together they mean something else entirely, and it's combinations you have not seen anywhere else before, i read many many pages, and many many poetry from The Arabian Nights in Archaic English, and it was way more easy to understand than this, That's why i decided what if i read it at the same time with the Arabic translation, and voila, Instead of going back and reading the play, I double knockout them from the list!

Here lay Duncan, his silver skin laced with his golden blood and his gashed stabs, looked like a breach in nature for ruin's wasteful entrance.

Truth be told though, i am not doing anymore Manga Classics from NetGalley, we are forced to read it on an archaic program like adobe digital edition, that doesn't even have a new app for phones, where i find it way more comfortable to read my manga, everything was just so bright on my eyes, it hurt bad, specially before i got my new glasses.

The art was good, but not manga good, not major manga productions good, i think they could have used a ghost penciler who did backgrounds or something, just to make the panels a little busier, most of the time, they weren't, unless there was a metaphor that the writer, tried to convey in the background, which was actually one of the good things about reading this manga, also seeing the characters development and reactions was great, but specially our villain and protagonist Macbeth.


I loved how the penciler, started out making Macbeth look noble and kind and gentle, and after the murder he made him look harsh, with stern face, and stern look in his eyes, verging on the deranged at many points in the play, Even Lady Macbeth it's true she comes out a villainess immediately, which i felt unrealistic as i said in my status updates, she then descended to despair and looked deranged and hollow near the end as well.

Real Macbeth stayed ruling for 17 years till his death, i dug around but really didn't read much about him, i feel this was a lost opportunity of the writer, to make the characters advance in age, because no one really advanced in age here, Macbeth merely was weighed by his ill doings that changed how he looked, Malcom didn't age a day, no one advanced their age at all, it's like the golden age of comics all over again.

Another thing, Take the unrealistic parts out of the play, The Witches, The Witches pretty much are giving Macbeth an excuse to be evil here, he is just following his fate, right? right? But no, Witches are not real, even if i have a witch friend! Macbeth Committed treason, because Macbeth wanted to rule, Not because his wife man shamed him for not grasping his fate, not because Witches told him he will be king, Because he was lusting for power, and he was going to do anything to get it.

Which brings us to another thought, Why? Was England's army busy all that time? and they could only spare 10 thousand men 17 years later? Also what happens to Malcom? we know the heirs of Banquo ended up ruling Scotland and England, how did this come to be?
I have a huge ass book of two parts, about the British empire that i intend to read one day, but i don't think it will go back that far in the country's history.

The sleeping and the dead are but pictures.

Speaking Of Banquo that scene was just epic, Not his death scene, that looked good too, the panel of him kneeling on the ground, but what i loved so much was his ghost scene!


Even Though Macbeth is one of the shortest tragedies of Shakespeare, it was still pretty awesome, every monologue was just so mind tingling good! even the guard of the gate had a great dialogue, It's every actors dream, imagine to appear in a single scene, as a gate guard, in a play written and directed by Shakespeare, to do a great monologue like that!

Give Sorrow words, the grief that does not speak whispers the over-fraught heart, and bids it break..

Mcduff receiving the news of his wife's death and all his offspring was really strong too, Overall this really had strong moments all over, i loved the intense ones the most, and the great monologues by Shakespeare, The play deserves five stars, and that's the rating i ll give it in the Arabic translation i read, but this manga deserves three, More work in the art is needed for me, this just felt hollow for me most of the pages.

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite its popularity, MacBeth has never been one of my favorite Shakespearean plays. Too bloody and gory and gloomy for my taste. But if you like a dismal adventure with plenty of violence and mayhem, MacBeth has plenty of that! And this manga adaptation rings true with the moods and poetry of the original play. I like that the words of Shakespeare are modernized in a thoughtful way, and the artwork beautifully illustrates all the action and drama.

Each character has a memorable and striking appearance, and I found it especially interesting to see how MacBeth's demeanor changed after he commits murder. His posture and facial expressions are different, and shadows gather around him in the darker shadows of the artwork. It's a subtle but effective way of showing the development of his character, slowing falling into madness and despair.

The witches were especially frightening and creepy with all their dark arts and ugly meddling. Their faces were hairy and eerie, and it weirded me out! All of the paranormal scenes were chilling, and that is just how powerful the illustrations are.

I love the heroic characters, with their square jaws and clear eyes. Just from seeing their facial expressions, I could really imagine their dialogue being spoken in distinct voices.

I am so impressed with the way the text was modernized, and with the integrity and thoughtfulness that went into editing it. It really does feel like something that Shakespeare would have written if he had been alive today. There is no jarring modern slang to ruin the beauty of the lines. It feels like someone just translated the words from another language, and made it easy to understand for modern readers, but without losing any of the flavor and emotion of the original text.

I'm so in love with all the Manga Classics series, and this one is excellently done!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most of you will probably be familiar with the plot line and don’t need summary, but if you do, read on.

Macbeth is a decorated war hero, fighting in wars for the king of Scotland, Duncan. After one such battle, three witches appear to Macbeth and his friend Banquo, promising titles and even the crown in Macbeth’s future. Lady Macbeth doesn’t want to leave things up to chance, so she convinces Macbeth to murder Duncan in his sleep as he stays the night in their castle. The king’s sons flee, afraid for their own safety, and Macbeth is made king. He is driven mad by keeping his crown and destroying anyone who could take it away from him, plunging the kingdom into terror. A force led by Macduff, another noblemen, gather strength from other nobles and even the King of England in the hopes of unseating Macbeth.

If you're looking for a very faithful adaptation of the play, this is it. The acts and scenes are included, so it's easy to see where everything lines up with the original play. The Modern English is a fine way for students to get into the story who may be struggling with the Shakespearean text. However, there are a few times when the adaptation text is a little clunky. Michael Barltrop, the modern English adaptor, says in the End Notes that he was trying to keep the colorful language of Shakespeare, but there are some times when the figurative language doesn't sound natural in its translated form, or being true to the original language results in strange sentences.

Other than some of these moments, this volume is a great way for students to experience the play in a different medium. The beautiful illustrations make this reading closer to seeing the play performed, which is really how Shakespeare is intended to be consumed. Reading a static play and with very few stage directions is often very difficult for students, and teachers expend a lot of energy explaining, reenacting, and "translating" for students so they can enjoy the play. It's not impossible, but it definitely is a difficult task, and reading it with these visuals would definitely help.

Sara's Rating: 8/10
Suitability Level: Grades 9-12

This review was made possible with a digital reader copy from the publisher. This graphic novel will be on sale August 10, 2021.

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Macbeth is a war hero who is dedicated to his king. But when three witches appear before him, they explain how Macbeth will one day become king. He knows there's only one way that can happen and it's through the death of the king. Not knowing if he has it in him to kill the man he's loyal to, Macbeth turns to his wife for advice. She decides to help with this task no matter what it costs them so Macbeth can be king. But neither anticipate the madness that will follow.

Both the adapter and the illustrator bring a gorgeous edition of Macbeth that's easier to understand than the heavy Shakespearean text. Like any anime fan, the manga style illustrations instantly caught my eye. Like the tall forms and angular faces. Each character has their own look so you can always tell them apart. I love this line of classics and after reading Macbeth, I want every Manga Classic offered.

The text is easy to read, even when it's stiff due to the translations. The adapter tries to stay as close to the original story as possible and that's the only reason it doesn't always flow. But it isn't often enough to knock off a star. I've always loved Shakespeare, but this manga version makes it so much more interesting and engaging with the illustrations.


Final Verdict: I would recommend this series to both Shakespeare and manga fans. Even if you only like one and not the other, this brings a fresh approach to the classic story of Macbeth that'll captivate the reader's interest with the stunning pictures and modern words.

[Khari · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, that was disappointing.

I raved and raved about the manga version of Hamlet, it was awesome.

This? This was boring. Not only was it boring, it didn’t make sense. Not only did it not make sense, it didn’t end! All of the loose ends weren’t tied up. How does Banquo’s son end up being king? Why does Banquo ride off in the middle of the night just to ride back to attend a banquet? I have questions, many questions.

It was modernized, and I think it lost all of its genius in the process. I don’t understand how the same author could produce something as amazing as hamlet and then something like this. Was Macbeth just a worse play? Or is it that without the genius of Shakespeare’s language it’s just not as enjoyable?

Regardless, it didn’t rock my world, and I found it disappointing. Maybe I’ll try the other version by a different author and see if it’s better.

[Singer_of_Stories · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shakespeare and manga are not genres that I thought would mix well. This effectively proved me wrong. I got this book from the library because I was curious about it, and, as a former theater kid, I have a hard time resisting Shakespeare. I was totally blown away. The illustrations brought the story to life in a way that a script just can't, and I was impressed with the ways the artist used visual imagery to highlight the themes and character development throughout the story. I'll definitely be looking for more Shakespeare manga to read in the future!

[R · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great adaptation of a classic tale! I wasn't sure if I would like the Modern English Edition, but I feel it stays true to what Shakespeare was trying to convey. Definitely not a story for children, older teens would be a more appropriate audience. I love the commentary at the end as well. It brings out even more understanding of the technique behind the art and adaptation!

[Baylee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a Very Very cool adaptation of one of (in my opinion) the greatest Shakespeare plays of all time. The illustrations in this manga addition made me love it even more. Personally, I find Lady Macbeth to be the most interesting character, and her portrayal in this version only reinforced that for me. That, as well as Macbeth’s decent into madness, was expertly portrayed.

[Zahirah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is quite good. It's a conplete adaptation. No PG rating here. I like that they maintain Shakespeare's poetry. But it may be a bit challenging for someone not familiar at all with the original text.

[wynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

shakespeare canonically invalidating c sections as 'real births' will never not be funny to me

[Miriam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the art and the story!!! There're both so dramatic! This is my favorite book in the Manga Classics series. Highly recommended to everyone looking for a suspenseful graphic novel with crazy good art.