Shakespeare's Hamlet: The Manga Edition
William Shakespeare, Adam Sexton, Tintin Pantoja
I'm a graduate student in a Shakespeare class, writing a conference paper on this adaptation of Hamlet. It's safe (at the moment) to say that I've spent more hours studying this book than anyone outside of its creators.
There are ways in which this is not manga, of course. And there are ways in which it is not Hamlet. But it is a heavily manga-influenced adaptation of Hamlet, and if you engage it on its own terms, it is simply brilliant.
Sexton's adaptation trims a LOT of Shakespeare's language: some minor characters, and even whole scenes are gone. This is simply inevitable, and likely to anger Shakespeare purists.
But critically, there is no language in the book that is NOT Shakespeare's, and the major characters, themes, major plot points and speeches are preserved. Neither are the characters reduced to cartoon versions of themselves: thanks in no small part to Tintin Pantoja's excellent artistry in rendering them, the characters retain much of the depth Shakespeare gave them.
Meanwhile, the visual art is brilliant. Pantoja's work is first rate, and her choices reflect a strong connection to the play and a unique artistic sensibility that is worthy of praise. It helps readers who might be intimidated by the river of antique language that is Shakespeare's text to engage and interpret the material vividly and at their own pace. With raw text, interpretation can be difficult. Watching a performance or film version, it's easy to get lost. Here, the words and the pictures wait for the reader.
I recommend this adaptation to teachers, students, and lovers of Shakespeare of all ages.
