I am going into all of these manga adaptations with this one particular question in mind: is it going to get someone who would never read the source material, to engage with the source material in a meaningful or substantial way?

Yes. Teen readers will engage with this novel in a substantial way. Probably more so than the actual book of the play. However, I do usually recommend reluctant readers to also give the movie adaptations as try since these works are meant to be SEEN acted rather than read. But this adaptation does a good job of making the difficult word choices more clear in their contextual meaning. It also does a good job of differentiating all the similar male characters.

I can freely admit-- Macbeth is one of my least favourite Shakespeare plays, but this definitely a good adaptation for young teen or reluctant readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was a great rendition of a Shakespearean classic. As someone who's never read Macbeth, this was the perfect format for me to maximize my understanding. As far as I could tell, the text in the manga was true to the original piece of work, aside from scene descriptions, which were part of the artwork. Although this can't replace the original work. this is an amazing supplementary resource with great artwork to better understand the story.

Macbeth is one of my favorite pieces from Shakespeare. When I found that someone created a manga version, I was all over that. When I read it, I wished I was back in high school for a spit second. When we were reading the play and watching the theatrical remakes of Macbeth, this would have been another great option to help teach the material. This Manga classic combines both the Shakespeare’s written words with literature styles many tween, teens, and emerging adults are used to. The language becomes easier to process because we can recognize the facial expressions, reactions, and actions used in each panel. Just reading the words or watching recordings alone can be hard because the words don’t make sense or the movie is going to fast – sometimes you have to go over pages many times. In this manga classic, Macbeth seems to flow easier.
There are only two downsides from what I can see. One is that the book itself is thick, which may be daunting for some students. This means, though, the artists took their time and paced the action for readers. The second downside I noticed was the numbering. Normally in plays you see line numbering or indicators, which is what teachers use to mark or teach the material. However, the only markings they included in this book are the scene switches. I understand it would have been difficult to number the lines in a manga, but that is something to consider if you plan to use this book traditionally. Be aware, though, that the publisher gives readers a lesson plan and teaching guide, so this may be a non-issue.
Overall, I would recommend this book and the rest of the series.

Truly amazing artistry was put into this book and in trance with a beautiful story that did not sway away from originality, this book is real good.

I love all this Manga Classics editions and this one wasn't any different. Just like other Shakespeare Manga Adaptations, I think the way the manga shows the imagery and the messages Shakespeare wrote in such a way that makes the story more accessible for a wider audience. I enjoyed Macbeth slightly less than other of the manga adaptations of the series, but it's still a solid version of the story. Since the artists change for each adaptation, the tone and style change as well and in this case I didn't enjoy the changes as much. However, I might be biased, since Macbeth is one of my least favorite Shakespeare plays.
This is still enjoyable and a great read.

I really do enjoy this manga adaptations of classics. This one is another enjoyable and well done adaptation. I found myself liking it a bit more than I expected given that I don't generally care for Macbeth.

I enjoyed this manga version of the classic story. It was a fun way for a new generation to learn about the classics.

Boy, what a trip! This classic story of revenge and lust for power really came to life with all of the excellent artwork. Macbeth, the ambitious thane of Cawdor, starts out loyal to his king, Duncan of Scotland. But when three witches show up and tell him that he will amount to greatness, even become king, Macbeth seizes the chance to get a hold on power.
While Macbeth is successful, his reign comes at a very heavy price. One that both he and his wife must pay throughout the story.
Manga Classics keeps all of the original, excellent prose the characters speak throughout the play, preserving Shakespeare’s lyrical, almost ballad-like way of writing. This epic tragedy had me invested from the moment the witches appeared to plan their wicked plots, all the way to the end when the rightful king takes the throne.
I would recommend this book for all lovers of Shakespeare and classic literature, as well as manga comics and stories with tragic heroes.

Long story short? It was better that I could ever imagine! A classic through the perspective of a japanese cartoon a.k.a a manga edition. Pretty short and schematic, but still worth it!

This book contains the full text of Shakespeare's Macbeth alongside manga artwork.

I found it very difficult to follow the plot of this story as the characters felt as though they were drawn very similarly (I don't know if the final version is full colour and it was easier to tell the difference) so I could not tell Duncan from Banquo from Fleance from MacDuff.

The artwork is stunning if a little on the nose in places so it is enjoyable even if you can't really follow the story! To be honest, most people are familiar with Macbeth so this book simply provides a novel way to enjoy a story you already know.

Manga Classics: Macbeth is a lovely adaption of the Shakespeare classic that translates the work well into a more modern take.

I think the best way to use this book is as a supplement for mandatory school readings or for introductions into Shakespeare. Nothing can quite replicate the original (or a live take on the play), but this sure makes the story easier to follow. If this would have been used as a supplement in my Grade 11 class, I think we would have found learning way more enjoyable.

The manga was a lovely addition to this story, and is probably the biggest takeaway for me. If you haven't seen the play, you can't always imagine what's going on in the story. Seeing it in picture form was a great way to show the story. Major points for that. I didn't like that some of the metaphors were illustrated exactly as they are written, but that's me as a Shakespeare lover. I understood the metaphor, I didn't need to see it to.

Beautiful..

I love the manga classics series and this was a great one.

Can't wait to read more.

Manga Classics does a great job of matching the tone of each piece with the art style. Macbeth is dark, dramatic, brooding, and that practically oozes from the pages. As always, dialogue is taken directly from the play. I wonder which is better for studying, this or Cliff notes?

Macbeth (Manga Classics) art by Julien Choy, 329 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL
Udon Entertainment, 2018. $26.
Language: PG (3 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
On their way back from battle, the victorious Macbeth and Banquo run into three witches prophesying of greatness in their futures. The two heroes laugh off the impossible predictions until the first shocking fortune proves true. Is everything the witches said true? Macbeth takes matters into his own hands to ensure it is so.
Choy’s illustrations are impressive as they echo Macbeth’s gradual transformation through the story. While these visuals certainly assisted reading comprehension, I don’t think this adaptation is as effective as other Manga Classics in helping readers understand the old English used by Shakespeare. The mature content is for partial nudity and innuendo; the violence rating is for gore and murder.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

I didn't enjoy this at all. I was really hoping I would be able to enjoy William Shakespeare in this version but I still hated the story.

As always, beautiful artwork but I just can't finish the story.

A good visual of the play if just the written is confusing or can't go see it live. Visual introduction to the characters at the start. Get to see how the lines would be delivered. Good for those who like manga.

My Rating : 4🌟

Manga style graphic novels has recently really captured my interest and I was really excited to find the classic in this version! I absolutely love the artwork and especially the style of reading. It might be slightly confusing if it's your first time reading a manga, but it's absolutely amazing. I definitely recommend reading this classic in this style and I definitely enjoyed this a lot !!

Overall:
4 out of 5, would recommend for manga fans or students who find reading older works tedious.

Writing/Adaptation:
Pretty darn faithful. I was pleasantly surprised that they kept the original language. I went into this assuming that they would adapt the story but ditch the thee's and thou's, I was wrong! It's good to wrong sometimes.

Keeping the book broken up into acts and scenes helps with the pacing which, when paired with the art, emphasizes parts of the story that may have been overlooked otherwise. For example, Act 1, Scene 2 is basically a couple of dudes on stage talking about how awesome in battle an unseen comrade is. With the manga illustrating Macbeth's feats in battle, the audience is given a greater understanding of why he is well liked in the beginning.

Art:
This is part of what sells this book. When adapting a well known property, you have to have something that sets you a part. Making a comic is a good concept but one that could go very wrong if the art is bad or does not mesh well with the dialogue. The art in this enhances the story, taking old time metaphors and making them understandable by visualizing them.

If this is what the rest of these books are like, then I have nothing but high hopes for the Manga Classics series

I read Macbeth in high school many years ago. I don’t remember all the details of it, so I wanted to read this Manga Classic graphic novel as a refresher. It was a great adaptation.

Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s madness was illustrated very well in this graphic novel. Macbeth start out as a fairly good, ambitious character. As he grows in status and kills people, he developed shadows on his face and aged a lot. I liked the way his madness changed his appearance.

I also liked the way the metaphors were illustrated in the pictures. There were many animal metaphors, including snakes and bears. When they were mentioned in dialogue, they were accompanied by an image of the animal. This reinforced the written text.

I love these Manga Classics! They are great adaptations of classic plays and novels!

Thank you Udon Entertainment for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Manga Classics: Macbeth by Crystal S. Chan – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Let me put it this way: I got a free digital copy for review, and it was so good that before I’d even finished it I had bought the print version to finish it on. 😍😍😍 Just brought so much depth to the story, even I caught some new details! Absolutely loved this adaptation!

Recommended: Yes!!
For teachers looking for ways to make Macbeth clearer for students while still using the original language, for those who love a badass graphic novel, for an interesting and faithful illustrated interpretation of Macbeth.

Thoughts:
As an avid reader and someone who majored in English and English Education in college, I’ve read Macbeth a good number of times. I even did a thesis on it and created a website around it at one point! I have some pretty solid theories around the 3rd murderer and Hecate’s role in everything. And yet, despite my familiarity, there were still details I had never fully understood before that the manga version of Macbeth revealed to me.

One that sticks in my head is when Duncan’s crew comments on how the air is nice where they are, then spot a a certain kind of bird and say it makes sense to see one since will only live where the air is really nice. I still have no idea what “nice air” is all about, but the at least now I know what they were saying!

Point being, this was an amazing blend of modernity, through the manga illustrations, with the classic language of Shakespeare. What a powerful combo! I loved the way foreground through background was leveraged for metaphorical imagery. That’s one aspect that I think is particularly well done and powerful in conveying meaning in some of the lesser-known phrases they use. Would be SUPER helpful for students to see! It doesn’t have the explanation of words in text (ie. ‘cuckold: a man who’s been cheated on’) but it does the same through images, making it a lot more natural and still allowing readers to remain immersed and use those context clues to find meaning. Facial expressions on the characters are great at conveying the emotion and tone that can be hard to find in the text alone, as well.

The art! It’s SO GOOD! The way they slowly change Macbeth’s appearance through the story is so cleverly done and a beautiful mirror to his growth. Also, Hecate is just a straight up badass. I adore her, so seeing her look so awesome was awesome. It’s truly gorgeous, and this has immediately become a yearly re-read for me, if not more often! Macbeth is a dark and gripping story, and the manga version makes it more accessible while keeping the cleverness of the original language.

Thanks to NetGalley and Udon Entertainment for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.