The book was published in 2007. On the first page, the scene is set for this particular telling of Hamlet, ten years in the future. The correctness of the prediction is rather unsettling.
The year is 2017. Global climate change has devastated the Earth. This is now a cyberworld in constant dread of war. Prince Hamlet of Denmark has come home to face an uncertain future...A graphic novel presentation of Hamlet has the benefit of being able to present action more visually than simply reading a play. (See 1/17/16 post for another graphic novel treatment.) It allows the play to come to life on the printed page. The artwork here largely is in black and white except for several color pages to introduce the cast. At times it was difficult to interpret the fine points of the drawings, especially as they related to the play's futuristic context. Most of the art is easy to understand, though, and it should not present issues to a reader coming to Hamlet for the first time.
In order to have a work of reasonable length (approximately 195 pages here), significant editing had to take place. As a result, much of Shakespeare's language is lost. Soliloquies are presented in reduced form or in the case of "How all occasions..." omitted entirely. The book does a good job of keeping the bulk of the action of the play. There also is a plot summary at the end of the book for readers who need an additional bit of comprehension help.
As with the other graphic novel treatment of Hamlet reviewed previously, this one does well with bringing the story to an audience that may be unfamiliar with the play. Hopefully the brief telling would lead the novice reader to view a live version of the play. For the more dedicated fan, the work still has merit. It is a fun read! Manga Shakespeare presents yet one more interesting version of Hamlet, again demonstrating the adaptability of the play.
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