Julius Caesar (Manga Shakespeare Series)

Praise for Manga Shakespeare

ALA Best Book for Young Adults

ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers

“Reluctant readers who appreciate manga and who would not think of picking up the work of Shakespeare are sure to gravitate toward these titles. Even if the text puts them off, they will be drawn to the illustrations. These adaptations would make wonderful additions to any school or public library’s manga collection.” —VOYA

“Refreshingly clear, this adaptation is recommended for all libraries serving teens.” —Kirkus Reviews

“This fresh new way of looking at a classic will draw new readers to Shakespeare, hopefully to discover that his plays are really quite entertaining.” —YAbookscentral.com

Shakespeare’s most commonly studied plays, now the latest additions to the innovative Manga Shakespeare series.

In Shakespeare’s enduring tale of ancient Rome, Julius Caesar is at the height of his powers—but there are men plotting his destruction. Is Caesar a tyrant or a dynamic leader? Are his enemies greedy or noble? The Manga Shakespeare adaptation of this important work maintains the language—and the fierce political intrigue—of the original while including a fresh perspective through the style of modern manga.

F&P level: Z

Praise for Manga Shakespeare

ALA Best Book for Young Adults

ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers

“Reluctant readers who appreciate manga and who would not think of picking up the work of Shakespeare are sure to gravitate toward these titles. Even if the text puts them off, they will be drawn to the illustrations. These adaptations would make wonderful additions to any school or public library’s manga collection.” —VOYA

“Refreshingly clear, this adaptation is recommended for all libraries serving teens.” —Kirkus Reviews

“This fresh new way of looking at a classic will draw new readers to Shakespeare, hopefully to discover that his plays are really quite entertaining.” —YAbookscentral.com

Shakespeare’s most commonly studied plays, now the latest additions to the innovative Manga Shakespeare series.

In Shakespeare’s enduring tale of ancient Rome, Julius Caesar is at the height of his powers—but there are men plotting his destruction. Is Caesar a tyrant or a dynamic leader? Are his enemies greedy or noble? The Manga Shakespeare adaptation of this important work maintains the language—and the fierce political intrigue—of the original while including a fresh perspective through the style of modern manga.

KLIATT

Manga Shakespeare: Julius Caesar tells the story of the Roman military and political leader's assassination. Brutus is Caesar's friend, but plots his death because he is afraid that he will abolish the Senate and crown himself king. The conspirators lure Caesar to the Senate and stab him 33 times on the Ides of March. Alas, Brutus's nobility is his downfall: he lets Mark Antony—a Caesar loyalist—live and even allows him to speak at the funeral. Antony enflames the crowd to riot and seizes control of Rome; Brutus and fellow conspirator Cassius flee. After a clash of armies at the plains of Philippi, Brutus is defeated and runs into his own sword. This is a fine adaptation of one of Shakespeare's best historical tragedies. The text retains the flavor of the original language with lots of great lines, including "cry havoc and let loose the dogs of war" and "beware the Ides of March." The art focuses on the characters' facial expressions and has a raw, unfinished look that is very well done; the contrast between black (images and text) and white (the blank page) is stark and unsettling. The setting is Rome, time unknown: the characters dress like they're in a futuristic science fiction movie, and there are motorcycles, helicopters and even skydiving. Manga Shakespeare: Julius Caesar contains comic book violence and is recommended for middle school and up graphic novel collections, especially those that emphasize the classics. Reviewer: George Galuschak

Mustashrik is an artist and designer who recently produced a series of original animated shorts for the band Nizlopi to promote the launch of its new album. He lives in the United Kingdom. Robert Deas won second place in the print comic category in the prestigious IMAF competition, and he has sat on various manga panels in London to promote the UK manga scene. He lives in London.