Kill Shakespeare

• Del Col
• Belanger
• KILL
• SHAKESPEARET.
• IDW
• ISSUE 1

CVR A $3.99

"All the world's a stage... and classic villains from across the Globe's join forces to literally rewrite their fate. Brilliant in concept. Worthy in execution. Anxiously do I await the unfolding of this most curious drama!"

-Bryan J.L. Glass

Harvey Award winning co-creator of The Mice Templar

"Easily one of the more exciting new projects... Fresh and conceptually inventive."

-Calvin Reid Publisher's Weekly

"What's not to love?" -Jeffrey Renaud ComicBookResources.com

"Stories within stories about stories... it's easy to get that recipe wrong, but McCreery and Del Col get it gloriously right. And it was about time someone went after Bill.""

-Mike Carey

Lucifer, The Unwritten, X-Men

• Del Col
• Belanger
• ILL
• SHAKESPEARE

IDW ISSUE 1 CVR B $3.99

"All the world's a stage... and classic villains from across the Globe's join forces to literally rewrite their fate. Brilliant in concept. Worthy in execution. Anxiously do I await the unfolding of this most curious drama!"

-Bryan J.L. Glass E Harvey Award winning co-creator of The Mice Templar C

"Easily one of the more exciting new projects... Fresh and conceptually inventive."

• -Calvin Reid Publisher's Weekly
• "What's not to love?"
• -Jeffrey Renaud ComicBookResources.com

• Del Col
• Belanger
• ILL
• SHAKESPEARE
• IDW ISSUE 1
• CVR RI

• LETTERING BY Robbie Robbins
• EDITS BY Tom Waltz
• KIL
• SHAKESPEARE
• SHAKESPEARE
• Cover Checklist:
• Cover B Andy Belanger

Cover A Kagan McLeod

Special Thanks to Tom Waltz, Chris Ryall and everyone at IDW, Ramon Perez, Scott Hepburn, Kent Allen and Martha Cornog. www.IDWPUBLISHING.com

KILL SHAKESPEARE #1. APRIL 2010. FIRST PRINTING. Kill Shakespeare ©2010 Kill Shakespeare Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. ©2010 Idea and Design Works, LLC. IDW Publishing, a division of Idea and Design Works, LLC. Editorial offices: 5080 Santa Fe Street, San Diego, CA 92109. The IDW logo is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Any similarities to persons living or dead are purely coincidental. With the exception of artwork used for review purposes, none of the contents of this publication may be reprinted without the permission of Idea and Design Works, LLC. Printed in Korea. IDW Publishing does not read or accept unsolicited submissions of ideas, stories, or artwork.

• IDW
• KILL SHAKESPEARE #1:
• A Sea of Troubles

WRITTEN BY Conor McCreery and Anthony Del Col

• ART BY Andy Belanger
• KILL
• SHAKESPEARE
• SHAKESPEARE
• RI Sketch Cover Kagan McLeod
• Convention Edition Cover Kagan McLeod www.KILLSHAKESPEARE.com

Kuo-Yu Liang and everyone at Diamond, Ty Templeton, Dave Elliott, IDW Publishing is: Operations: Ted Adams, Chief Executive Officer Greg Goldstein, Chief Operating Officer •Matthew Ruzicka, CPA, Chief Financial Officer Alan Payne, VP of Sales ⚫ Lorelei Bunjes, Dir. of Digital Services AnnaMaria White, Marketing & PR Manager Marci Hubbard, Executive Assistant • Alonzo Simon, Shipping Manager Angela Loggins, Staff Accountant Editorial: Chris Ryall, Publisher/Editor-in- Chief Scott Dunbier, Editor, Special Projects Andy Schmidt, Senior Editor Bob Schreck, Senior Editor • Justin Eisinger, Editor Kris Oprisko, Editor/Foreign Lic. Denton J. Tipton, Editor Tom Waltz, Editor ⚫Mariah Huehner, Associate Editor Carlos Guzman, Editorial Assistant Design: Robbie Robbins, EVP/Sr. Graphic Artist Neil Uyetake, Art Director Chris Mowry, Graphic Artist Amauri Osorio, Graphic Artist⚫ Gilberto Lazcano, Production Assistant Shawn Lee, Production Assistant

• THE FUTURE.
• "ARISE, SHADOW KING..."
• ...YOU BELONG TO ME NOW.

NOW.

TRAPE

HELSINGØR. IT IS ONE MONTH AFTER THE DEATH OF THE KING OF DENMARK.

THE DEAD KING'S BROTHER, CLAUDIUS, NOW POSSESSES THE THRONE.

FOR HIS DEAD BROTHER'S WIDOW, GERTRUDE, RULES AT HIS SIDE.

POLONIUS...

YOU WRETCHED FOOL... I THOUGHT YOU WERE YOUR BETTER. THE KING... MY UNCLE... I THOUGHT...

HOW NOW?

A RAT? DEAD, FOR A DUCAT, DEAD!

URGK!

I AM SLAIN!

IT IS ONE WEEK SINCE THE KING'S SON, HAMLET, KILLED THE NOBLEMAN POLONIUS IN A MISTAKEN ATTEMPT TO SEEK REVENGE AGAINST CLAUDIUS, HIS FATHER'S MURDERER.

O, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?

OH, WHAT A RASH AND BLOODY DEED! MURDERER! MURDERER!

IT IS ONE WEEK SINCE HAMLET'S MOTHER GERTRUDE FORSOOK HER SON.

CLAUDIUS HAS DECREED THAT NONE SHALL HARM HAMLET. BUT THE NEW KING HAS BANISHED HIS NEPHEW FROM DENMARK; HAMLET IS NEVER TO RETURN ON PAIN OF DEATH.

IT IS THREE DAYS SINCE THE PRINCE ADMITTED TO HIS CRIME AND RETURNED THE BODY TO POLONIUS'S FAMILY.

HAMLET'S SHIP, THE ANTONIO, WAITS

TO TAKE THE PRINCE TO ENGLAND.

• GOODBYE, FATHER.
• NAY, ROSENCRANTZ. GUILDENSTERN
• IS RIGHT...

LORD HAMLET, WE MUST GO. SOON IT WILL BE TOO DARK FOR THE ANTONIO TO CAST HER LINES.

SHUSH. LET THE PRINCE MAKE HIS FINAL

• PEACE.
• ...AND I AM AS SHOCKED
• AS YOU.

WE SHOULD BE READY TO LEAVE WITHIN THE HOUR, LORD HAMLET.

THEN PERHAPS

I SHALL SAY MY FAREWELLS TO THE CITY.

NAY, GUILDENSTERN.

I THINK I SHALL ENJOY THE COUNCIL OF MY NEW FRIEND.

• I SHALL ACCOMPANY YOU.
• MMNN MMNN
• WHAT TROUBLES YOU, GIRL?
• FWEET
• WILL YOU JOIN ME THEN, MADAM?
• RRRR GRRRR

• HAMLET.
• COME TO ME.
• FATHER?

FATHER? IS THAT YOU? DO YOU AGAIN APPEAR BEFORE ME, NOT AS FLESH BUT AS SPIRIT?

HAMLET... SON OF HAMLET...

BLOOD OF ROYAL BLOOD. NOBLE BLOOD WHO SPILLS NOBLE

BLOOD.

YOU WERE NOT THERE, FATHER. YOU DO NOT KNOW...

INDEED I DO, HAMLET, SON OF HAMLET. AND I KNOW THOU CANST BE A KING IF THOU ARE WILLING. SIMPLY SLIP THE BLADE BETWIXT CLAUDIUS'S

• SHOULDERS...
• WHO
• ARE YOU?

HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO ME OF MURDER? I AM

• NO KILLER.
• I AM NO KILLER!
• ARE YOU NOT?
• ARE YOU
• SO SURE OF THAT?
• HEHAHAH HEHAH!
• I AM NO KILLER!
• M'LORD. KEEP YOUR PEACE, I BEG
• OF YOU.
• WHO DO YOU SHOUT AT, HAMLET?
• I DO NOT
• KNOW...
• ...I DO NOT KNOW.
• Bama

I AM SORRY YOU DID NOT GET TO SAY FAREWELL TO YOUR CITY.

SHE IS NOT MINE ANYMORE. SHE DIED WHEN MY FATHER DID.

LORD HAMLET, IF YOU WERE TO RAISE AN ARMY IN ENGLAND...

...IF YOU CHOSE TO SAIL BACK WITH SWORD NOW AND CAST DOWN YOUR UNCLE...

...YOU

UNDERSTAND THAT GUILDENSTERN AND I WOULD STAND BESIDE YOU?

I KNOW, ROSENCRANTZ. I COUNT YOU BOTH AS DEAR FRIENDS, READY TO SUPPORT ME IN ANY FOLLY I MAY SUGGEST. I KNOW YOU WILL NEVER FORSAKE ME-NOT FOR GOLD NOR PROMISES OF POWER.

• BUT THERE
• IS ENOUGH
• BLOOD ON MY
• HANDS.

YOU CAN STILL TAKE BACK HELSINGØR, LORD. THE PEOPLE WOULD FORGIVE YOU. YOU ARE THE RIGHTFUL HEIR.

RETURN WITH ARMS AND PAINT MY BLOODY HANDS

REDDER...

...OR MUCH OFFEND MY FATHER AND FORGET HIS

MURDER?

IT WAS BUT AN ACCIDENT. A CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY.

PERHAPS, BUT POLONIUS IS JUST AS DEAD BECAUSE OF IT.

HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW WHICH CHOICE IS RIGHT?

HAMLET, I MUST CONFESS SOMETHING TO YOU. THERE ARE MANY WHO WISH NEVER TO SEE YOUR RETURN FROM ENGLAND. THEY FEAR

YOU SHALL INDEED RAISE AN ARMY.

THIS LETTER WAS TO BE YOUR DOOM. IT GIVES INSTRUCTION TO THE KING OF ENGLAND TO KILL THEE WITHOUT HASTE OR DELIBERATION.

AYE. CLAUDIUS BADE GUILDENSTERN AND I TO GIVE THIS TO HIS MAJESTY PON OUR ARRIVAL.

I SEE. A KING'S RANSOM FOR THE DEATH OF A KING'S SON.

AND SHALL YOU?

NO. YOU ARE OUR FRIEND, HAMLET, NOW AND FOREVER-

MORE-

wwww

"-AND THAT IS HOW ONE MAKES A DIFFICULT CHOICE, HAMLET...

"...ONE LETS GO."

• HAVE MERCY UPON YOUR
• SON.
• "...FORGIVE ME."
• ...FATHER.
• "FATHER...

THY PEACE. SILENCE THE HAMMERING OF THY MIND... BUT NOT THROUGH YOUR DEATH. NOT YET...

.. SHADOW

KING.

I GO, AND IT IS DONE. THE SEA INVITES ME.

WHAT MANNER OF DEVIL HAUNTS ME?

FOLLOW ME. FOLLOW ME TO THY DESTINY, SHADOW KING.

THOU ART THE ONE WHO SHALL PASS INTO THE FORBIDDEN PLACE. THOU ART THE ONE WHO SHALL TREAD UPON THE GLOBE'S FLOOR.

YE SHALL KNOW THAT SOON ENOUGH.

SOON ENOUGH!

• TO ARMS!
• HAHAHA HAHAHA!
• TO ARMS! TO ARMS! PIRATES!

• CLANG
• CLANG
• CLANG
• GLGK!
• UGH!
• GLGK!
• CLANG
• ROSENCRANTZ!
• OOF!

• XXX
• BOOM
• XXIX
• RAAAHH!
• UFF!
• CLANG
• RAAAHH!
• NAY, ROSENCRANTZ.
• IF WE PERISH, WE PERISH TOGETHER.

MY LORD, I BEG YOU, THINK OF YOUR SAFETY.

• DIE WHELP!
• CHOK
• RANG
• FWOMP
• GRAA!
• NO TASTE FOR BLOOD, EH, BOY?

• HNGG
• AAAAH!
• MVM
• SCIANG
• RAAAGH!
• CHING
• CLANG
• UNGH!

• ROSENCRANTZ! GUILDENSTERN!
• RRGK!
• NOOOOO!
• GAH!
• WHOP
• BASTAR-
• WHOULP!

• HUFF HUFF
• HUFF
• BOOM

• WHA...?
• GNNH...
• THOU BELONGST TO US NOW, PRINCE.
• ...HE BELONGS TO ME.

WHERE

-UNH.

YES, HAMLET, I KNOW WHO THOU ART.

THEN YOU HAVE ME AT A DISADVANTAGE, SIR.

ACCOMPANY

ME AND I SHALL PUT US ON LEVEL

• FOOTING.
• I AM LOST.
• NO, HAMLET. THOU HAST
• BEEN FOUND.

SIR, ARE YOU THE PIRATE CHIEFTAIN? AM I THEN YOUR CAPTIVE?

I AM RICHARD THE THIRD, LORD OF THIS LAND AND CERTAINLY NO PIRATE. THOU ART MY MOST HONOURED

• GUEST.
• COME.
• I APOLOGIZE, I FORGET YOUR SITUATION.

I PROMISE I SHALL NOT FEED YOU TO THE SHARKS UNTIL AFTER WE

SUP TONIGHT.

A LIBRARY.

HMMMP

"THE EYES OF HEAVEN SHINE

THROUGH THE NIGHT. HIS FURY A TEMPEST RAGING; CARRYING THE SHADOW KING FROM A LAND BEYOND."

THOSE ARE THE WORDS OF THE PROPHESY THAT FORETOLD YOUR COMING, HAMLET. THE NIGHT BEFORE YOU ARRIVED HERE, THE STARS-HEAVEN'S EYES-SHONE WITH STRANGE COLOURS. A GREAT TEMPEST THE LIKES OF WHICH HAVE NEVER BEEN SEEN BATTERED THIS LAND.

WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU, HAMLET. YOU ARE THE ONE FATED TO CHANGE

THE LIVES OF MY PEOPLE. YOU ARE MEANT TO DO A GREAT GOOD, PRINCE.

I WISH ONLY TO HELP THIS GREEN LAND BECOME GOLD.

BUT THESE ARE TURBULENT TIMES AND I HAVE ENEMIES BEYOND MY BORDERS. BUT WORSE...

I AM NOT

UNLIKE YOUR FATHER, HAMLET. I BELIEVE THE WAY TO MAKE MY PEOPLE STRONG IS BY UPLIFTING THEM. FIRST A LIBRARY, THEN A COURT HOUSE, THEN SCHOOLS. I WILL BUILD MY PEOPLE.

... WORSE ARE THOSE WITHIN. THEY SOW SEEDS OF DISCORD IN ORDER TO REAP REBELLION. WARMONGERS MORE INTERESTED IN SEIZING POWER THAN MANAGING

• IT JUSTLY.
• SIR, HOW DO YOU KNOW ME?
• YOUR DELIVERANCE
• TO ME WAS NO ACCIDENT.

THESE... ZEALOTS

RALLY AROUND THE BANNER OF A MAN. SOME SAY HE IS A GOD, OTHERS SAY HE IS MERELY A WIZARD. YOU ARE MEANT TO STOP HIM, HAMLET. YOU ARE MEANT TO SAVE US.

WILL YOU FREE US FROM THE TYRANNY OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE?

THOU ART MORE THAN THOU REALIZES.

I WOULD SAY MY

FATHER IS DEAD AND THE WORMS OF DENMARK

FEAST UPON HIS BONES.

I CAN OFFER YOU A GREATER PRIZE, HAMLET. WHAT WOULDST THOU SAY IF I TOLD THEE I COULD RETURN YOUR FATHER FROM THE GRAVE?

THIS IS MADNESS. I AM NO TOOL OF THE FATES... NO MESSENGER SENT FROM ONE GOD TO FACE ANOTHER.

STORIES ABOUT YOUR ARRIVAL HAVE BEEN TOLD FOR DECADES IN THIS LAND. MY WISE WOMEN HAVE SEEN YOU, THERE IS NO MISTAKE. YOU ARE THE EMBODIMENT OF PROPHESY, HAMLET.

NO. NO, I AM NOT.

LORD RICHARD, I THANK YOU FOR YOUR KINDNESS BUT I BEG OF YOU TO RETURN ME TO MY HOME.

COME.

I'LL HAVE NO MORE OF THIS MADNESS.

HAMLET, DO NOT

DAMN MY PEOPLE TO THE TERROR OF SHAKESPEARE. I BEG OF THEE. I KNOW YOU DO NOT YET BELIEVE IT

BUT YOU SHALL SAVE THEM.

YOU SHALL, HAMLET. THE PEOPLE SHALL SING YOUR PRAISES. YOU WILL BE A SAVIOUR TO THEM. YOU WILL RULE BESIDE ME, WISELY PROTECTING ALL.

HAMLET, SON OF HAMLET, BLOOD OF ROYAL BLOOD. THOU ART NOT LIKE OTHER

MEN.

HAMLET, SON OF HAMLET... FOLLOW US TO THY DESTINY, SHADOW

• KING.
• YOU! FOUL CREATURES!
• THESE

FIENDS HAUNT MY DREAMS. ARE THEY YOUR SERVANTS, RICHARD?

THEY ARE.

PLEASE. LET ME PASS.

I AM SO TIRED. I ONLY WISH TO SLEEP AND WAKE FROM THIS CRUEL DREAM.

AND WHAT OF THY FATHER, SHADOW KING? WILL YOU IGNORE A CHANCE, NO MATTER HOW SLIGHT, THAT HE CAN BE SAVED?

• AND THIS FATHER?
• THIS IS THE WIZARD-GOD
• SHAKESPEARE?
• IT IS.

AND YOU WISH ME TO SPILL HIS BLOOD? TO MURDER A MAN I HAVE NEVER MET?

WHY DO YOU PROMISE ME WHAT CANNOT BE DONE? WHY DO YOU NAME ME THUS?

IS THE THRONE OF DENMARK NOT RIGHTLY YOURS? AND YET THOU ART LESS THAN A TRUE KING.

"THE FATHER'S GATES SHALL OPEN SWING, A WELCOME TO THE SHADOW KING. THE TWO SHALL CLASH AND BLOOD WILL POUR, AND THINGS THAT WERE SHALL BE NO MORE."

NO, HAMLET. THE SOURCE OF HIS POWER RESTS IN ONE OBJECT IN HIS POSSESSION. ALL YOU NEED DO 15 BRING ME HIS QUILL.

THEN WHY NOT DO 50 YOURSELF?

DOST THOU NOT LISTEN, SHADOW KING?

CANST THOU NOT HEAR?

ONLY THOU CAN FIND WHERE SHAKESPEARE DWELLS.

HAMLET, NONE CAN FIND SHAKESPEARE. I

HAVE LOST SCORES OF MY OWN MEN TRYING TO FIND

THE COWARD TO DRIVE

HIM TO THE LIGHT.

IF YOU ARE TRULY WHO I BELIEVE, THEN ONLY YOU CAN FIND HIS ACCURSED HOME.

AND WHO SHALL BRING MY FATHER BACK FROM HADES? IS THAT TOO A POWER THAT I POSSESS?

"THE FATHER'S DWELLING'S CUNNING COWL'D. ONLY THOU MIGHTST BE ALLOWED, TO CROSS THE THRESHOLD OF HIS LAIR WHERE FAIR IS FOUL AND FOUL IS FAIR."

NO, THAT POWER IS MY

OWN.

• WATCH.
• UGGH..
• LORD HAMLET?... AM I SAVED?

WHAT CRUELTY IS THIS? TO DISTURB THIS CORPSE? LET

ME GO!

SEE THIS POWER? AS HE IS RENEWED, SO TOO SHALL YOUR OWN FATHER BE.

TRUST ME. SAVE MY PEOPLE. QUILL FOR FATHER? IS THE PRIZE NOT WORTH THE PRICE?

• FATHER.
• FATHER!
• FATHER.
• IT IS DONE...

• ...SHAKESPEARE SHALL DIE AT HAMLET'S HANDS.
• AND ALL THIS LAND SHALL
• BE OURS.
• TO BE CONTINUED

e eyes of the Father shine in the night.

The His fury, a tempest, raging in the bloody light, carrying a Shadowed King from beyond the seas.

What he seeks he shall not seize gates shall open swing, The Father's a welcome only, to this Shadowed King.

The two shall clash and blood will pour, and things that were shall be no more.

The Wizard shall return to all;

The unjust Lord will flee and fall;

Humbled will the Lady be;

And a man once bound will be set free.

King and Father shall meet their ends, to make way for the true King's rise where Shadow did bend.

KILL

SHAKESPEARE