15 years ago, writers Anthony Del Col and Conor McCreery co-created the comic book universe of Kill Shakespeare, setting all of the famous playwright’s characters in a single world that is filled with romance, action, intrigue, death, and double-crossing. The world that Del Col and McCreery have built has allowed readers see iterations of characters who they thought they knew have new motivations, new personality facets, and new foibles unlike any they had experienced before.
And just in time for World Shakespeare Day on the Bard’s birthday on April 23, Gemstone Publishing is releasing a new chapter in the Kill Shakespeare sage with Romeo vs. Juliet: A Kill Shakespeare Adventure from the creative minds of Del Col and artist Stefan Tosheff, with letters by Becca Carey. In Romeo vs. Juliet, the famous star-crossed lovers are at odds, finding themselves on opposite ends of a battle that pull in everyone from Othello to Puck and to Juliet’s former love, Hamlet. Can Juliet, now a warrior-for-hire, stave off Romeo’s forces, protect a nunnery, AND deal with her pregnancy? Del Col and the whole creative team have set up what’s sure to be a wild ride unlike any seen in fair Verona.
I spoke with Anthony Del Col recently about the genesis of the Kill Shakespeare world and Romeo vs. Juliet in particular, the origins of his love for the Bard, exploring new motivations for characters we think we know inside and out, and how the Romeo vs. Juliet is his “Magnificent Shakespeare Seven.”
This graphic novel is just a delight and is clearly a labor of love from people who have a deep understanding of and point of view on Shakespeare’s menagerie of characters. Romeo vs. Juliet both honors Shakespeare’s writing while adding dynamic elements that will keep readers guessing until the very end.
Romeo vs. Juliet: A Kill Shakespeare Adventure cover
FreakSugar: Before we get into for Romeo vs. Juliet: A Kill Shakespeare Adventure and the original Kill Shakespeare, what is your history with Shakespeare? Were you always a fan of the Bard?
Anthony Del Col: I’ve been a fan of Shakespeare since high school. In Grade 9 we read The Merchant of Venice and my teacher wasn’t, well, very good at her craft (sorry, Miss White!). So I started to do a lot of reading about the play myself and it opened my eyes to the brilliance of the Bard and how complex his characters and worlds are. This was piggybacked with a trip to see some shows at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Canada, which further got me excited about Shakespeare.
FS: For folks unfamiliar with your original graphic novel, what can you tell us about Kill Shakespeare?
ADC: Kill Shakespeare is an action-adventure that pits all of the Bard’s greatest heroes and villains together into the same world on a quest to track down and kill – or save! – a mysterious figure called William Shakespeare. My easiest pitch is: It’s Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones with Hamlet, Juliet, Othello, Richard III, Puck, Falstaff, Lady Macbeth and more.
FS: Throwing all of Shakespeare’s characters in one shared world is such a fun, novel idea. What was the genesis of the concept?
ADC: My Kill Shakespeare co-creator Conor McCreery and I were kicking around ideas for video games many years ago. The Tarantino film Kill Bill came up in conversation, and we thought it would make a great game – but probably had already been done. So, we then started joking about what other Bills people would want to kill, and within a few seconds we blurted out “Bill Shakespeare!”
I think every creator has a handful of moments in their creators where an idea comes to them that gets them so excited, they jump out of their chair and immediately start to visualize what the possible new world would look like. That was one of those moments for me.
FS: What can you tell us about Romeo vs. Juliet: A Kill Shakespeare Adventure? Where do we find the famous titular characters?
ADC: Romeo vs. Juliet is a “Shakespearean Western” that finds Juliet Capulet now a lone warrior on the run. She’s convinced to aid a border town nunnery from invading forces and is forced to reconnect with her former allies (namely Hamlet, Othello, Puck and others). When I talk to people about it I call it the “Magnificent Shakespeare Seven”.
FS: Romeo vs. Juliet: A Kill Shakespeare Adventure features characters like the former lovers, as well as Othello, Puck, and Hamlet. What was the process of deciding who should interact with whom and how they interplay off one another?
ADC: Well, with that title it was obvious to bring Juliet and Romeo into the story (and Hamlet, to make it a proper love triangle). Othello is one of my favorite characters – both in the play as well as the Kill Shakespeare Universe – so it was natural to bring him back. And then the fun part was deciding on the others. I was especially excited to bring Hermia from A Midsummer Night’s Dream into this story; I’ve been waiting for a while to incorporate her into a tale.
FS: When I told my fiancée about the conceit of the Kill Shakespeare world, her immediate reaction was, “It’s like a comic crossover, but for English lit fans.” I love that description so much. (Not a question; just wanted to let you know she said that.)
ADC: I think your fiancée is amazing. You’re very, very lucky.
FS: Juliet is a warrior-for-hire in this western in this new story. How did you land on what directions all of these characters take in the Kill Shakespeare world?
ADC: I refer to Romeo vs. Juliet as a “remix” of both Kill Shakespeare as well as the original plays. It was designed to be accessible for everyone – even those that haven’t read any Shakespeare plays or even the earlier Kill Shakespeare stories.
I liked the idea of Juliet becoming a lone wolf – someone who has pushed away her friends and loved ones. She’s had a star-crossed past and doesn’t want to hurt anyone else along the way. But when she sees the noble cause of the nunnery and the women who are making medicine to aid the surrounding communities, she decides it’s time to get back into the fight.
As for Romeo, he’s gone the opposite approach. His passion to atone for his past has turned him into a killer. He’s out to stop evil – but considers the medicine the women are creating to be evil-incarnate. So, he will inevitably face off against his ex, Juliet.
FS: What has been your favorite part of playing in the Kill Shakespeare world?
ADC: I’d say two things. The first is writing dialogue and creating conflict for characters like Juliet, Hamlet, Othello and more. These are the greatest characters ever created, and any creator will tell you that half the battle (if not more!) is creating deep characters. With Romeo vs. Juliet I get to play with the best.
The second part is geeking out about Shakespeare with other fans. Everyone is taught the Bard in class and, though many people don’t enjoy it, a surprising amount find the stories and characters fascinating (but sometimes don’t like to admit it). So it’s great to talk about favorite plays and characters with people from around the world.
FS: Stefan Tosheff’s art is at once gritty and elegant. What is the collaboration process been like with Stefan?
ADC: I’ll start off with an anecdote: Though Stefan and I have been collaborating on Romeo vs. Juliet for a year, we didn’t meet up until New York Comic-Con 2024! It was fantastic to hang out with him in person and talk about the book, life, our Canadian upbringings, etc.
In terms of our work together, I like your observation that his work is, “at once gritty and elegant”. I knew from his work that he’d bring the grittiness, but what’s really impressed me in this book is the elegance he’s brought to certain moments, especially key emotional ones. There are some fantastic scenes in which he perfectly captures feelings of romance, of fear and of regret. It’s not easy to do in comics but it’s something Stefan is fantastic with.
FS: What are you reading right now?
ADC: I have a copy of Ed Brubaker and Marcos Martin’s Friday: Part II on my desk right now. Brubaker is my favorite comics writer today and I love that he’s telling a story of youth and unrequited love in this tale.
FS: Do you have any other projects coming down the pike you’d like to discuss?
ADC: I was in London, where I was involved in production on an audio drama with BBC—Don’t Listen To This is a thriller set in the world of esports and the episodes are available to listen to now. It’s got a great cast and production was intense and inspiring.
FS: If you had a final pitch for Romeo vs. Juliet: A Kill Shakespeare Adventure, what would it be?
ADC: Romeo vs. Juliet builds up the greatest High Noon-style showdown between former lovers in the history of literature… And only one of them will survive. Who wouldn’t want to read and find out???
The Romeo vs. Juliet: A Kill Shakespeare Adventure trade paperback is on sale this Tuesday, April 22, 2025, from Gemstone Publishing.
From the official trade paperback description:
In this Shakespearean Western, warrior-for-hire (and pregnant) Juliet Capulet is hired to protect a border town nunnery from the evil forces led by her ex Romeo. As they prepare, she reluctantly reunites with her old allies, including Hamlet, Othello, Puck (a “Magnificent Shakespeare Seven”) but they soon discover something rotten in the state of the nunnery and a magical force that dreams are made on… all while Juliet must determine if the father of her child is Hamlet… or the man she must kill, Romeo.
Pulitzer Prize-winner writer Anthony Del Col (Luke Cage: Everyman, I Escaped a Chinese Internment Camp) and artist Stefan Tosheff bring reboot Kill Shakespeare with this fantasy Western that’s tailor-made for fans of Neil Gaiman, Fables and Lore Olympus.