Othello
by Stacy King (Goodreads Author) (Adaptor), Crystal S. Chan (Contributor), Julien Choy (Illustrator), William Shakespeare (Original Author)
5 out of 5 stars

General Othello is newly married to the beautiful Desdemona. Iago is jealous of Othello’s high position in the military, and pretends to be Othello’s friend, but swears to get his revenge by making Othello miserable any way he can. Iago spreads lies that Desdemona has been unfaithful to her new husband, and plants a seed of suspicion in Othello’s mind. Once Othello’s heart is poisoned by Iago’s lies, it means tragedy for everyone involved.

I am so impressed with this graphic novel! The artwork is beautiful and each panel shows a clear story. The classic story of Othello retains all its integrity, and the characters are powerfully depicted. This edition uses the original words of Shakespeare, and I enjoyed revisiting this beautiful play in a new format.

I love the beautiful artwork! I was glad to see that each character has such a unique style that makes them, their clothing, their hair, and face really memorable. There is also a family tree/character relationship chart at the beginning of the book to help you keep track of all the characters. I just love how the designs reflect the personality of each character, so that you immediately know whether they are trustworthy or not.

The tension and emotion of the story really comes through in the art. Even small changes in the coloring or lighting show a change in mood or scene, and as the characters develop and change through the story, the setting slightly changes to reflect that as well. As Othello begins to suspect his wife, his character is drawn more and more in shadow. And as Iago gains the upper hand, he is shown standing above the other characters.

I was especially impressed with the portrayal of the villain, Iago. He is such a complex character, and it was amazing to see how quickly his facial expressions could change from friendly and honest to sneaky and evil. His personality was blazoned on the pages!

Reading this manga was like having a movie playing in my head; it all feels so real and vivid as you are reading it!

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.