The versions of the classic manga have become my favorites, in my case I have not read the work of Macbeth, with this manga I have entered the story and the complement of the illustrations has helped me understand the work, it is a Brilliant edition of a classic, which undoubtedly addresses raw human emotions including ambition, greed, repentance and loyalty.
One of the classics that is a little difficult to understand but with this manga you will certainly understand it, and the appreciation of the strokes and the text takes you into its history.

If it weren't for the imagery, I would have no idea what was going on in this book.

This book really is a classic adaptation to read in a class room setting, where you can dissect each and every line so you understand the story better. I wouldn't read this as a casual classic read as the Old English is intense. The grammar is completely different and I mostly understood what was happening on the pages through the imagery. So kudos to the artwork, great stuff, but the original material is where I'm just left with a meh feeling. If I had read this as a classroom assignment to really analyze I probably would have loved it but I didn't.

I thought this was an interesting take on the classic Shakespearian story. The artwork was cool and the story was well packaged! I thought it was a nice take on the classic.

As a fan of Macbeth, I found this adaptation into Manga to be spot on and thorough. It kept my attention whilst reading, but a lot of the metaphors that are present in the original story just did not translate in this adaptation. I think the translation of Elizabeth English to more contemporary phrases and moments has its appeal, and I understand why that choice was made.

The author of this adaptation brilliantly merged Shakespear's classic prose with the stunning visual art to tell this tale of magic, murder, madness, and betrayal faithfully in a medium more friendly to the casual (or younger) reader. Most dialog comes directly from the original play, and the few changes blend seamlessly into the whole.

I love this entire line of Classic Manga adaptations by Udon Comics. As a teen librarian with a soft spot for literary classics, this series has been gloriously successful in introducing a new generation of readers to books that have stood the test of time.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me an eARC in return for my honest review*

Overall, I really enjoyed this. Adding visuals to Shakespeare is something that really works once you get in a stride. Macbeth can be a challenging play to visualize, so I appreciate this edition of Manga Classics. I do think that the language is hard to match with the visuals because manga has a modern vibe and Shakespeare is definitely not modern. Though I do wish this existed when I was in high school. It would have made eleventh grade English so much easier!

This was a great manga. I recently read the original play, and so I was super excited to get my hands on this manga version of it. I would highly recommend this to fans of Shakespeare as well as people who want to get into Shakespeare.

I actually tried to pick up the original play by William Shakespeare when I was a little younger and struggled with it. However, I cam across this Manga Classic and knew I had to read it and boy did it help. The art is well done and the story seems well transposed for the most part (I'll have to read the actual play to give better critique). Still, I really enjoyed this!

I thank NetGalley for providing me a digital copy of this manga

Another nice manga from this series that so far hasn't disappointed me. The art style was okay, but I don't think that some of the characters' design suited the tones of the story, but it really helped me figuiìring out some scenes I didn't really understand reading the play.
I don't have anything else to say other than I hope I'll have the chance to read other manga from this collection.

I have always loved the tale of Shakespeare's Macbeth but seeing it in a comic form had me a little skeptical. However, this was pulled off beautifully. It was super easy to read and comprehend. The art was beautiful and honestly added another layer to the storytelling, one that is not so achievable by TV or theater. There is an undeniable beauty in the emotions that are conveyed through animations/art, this was like a beautifully done animation of the dark tale but in paper form. I had so much fun reading this and can't wait to get my hand on more Manga Classics.

-- 5 stars --

The manga classics continue to be something I really enjoy. This one lived up to that. The illustrations were beautiful, and the story was easy to follow along and stayed true to the original source.

Fresh take on an old classic. Guaranteed to engage students and help them find an interest in Shakespeare!

This book wasn’t for me. For some reason I thought the language wouldn’t be in old English and it would be a more modern retelling so because of that, it didn’t really captivate me.

It’s very accurate to the original play and the art is absolutely beautiful. The writing is also accurate and representative to the original, which is a bit of a downer because I couldn’t understand the flowery language in the play and I can’t understand it now, though I do respect the dedication to staying true to the original work.

Macbeth
William Shakespeare
Manga Classics
YA

In a time long ago when Scotland was still ruled by a king there was a man named Macbeth. Macbeth was told by three witches that he would one day be king and so at the urgings of his wife, Macbeth took matters into his own hands. Unfortunately things don’t always work out the way one hopes.
Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s greatest works and it shows in this manga adaptation. Shakespeare has a way of writing that leaves you feeling invested in the story. You start cheering for the good guys to stomp the villains into the ground and I love how even in this adaptation you get that sense. I think it’s wonderful that they used the language of the original instead of changing it to a more modern dialect. I also love the artwork and how it makes me understand exactly what is going on in the story even when the writing is sometimes hard to understand.
I recommend this to older teens who are more likely to understand the dialect, as it is not like anything we are used to today. I also recommend it to an older audience because of it’s graphic nature and images. Also if you are just a fan of Shakespeare this might be a fun version to check out.

I received a free ecopy of this story from Netgalley for my honest opinion.

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.

I LOVE graphic adaptations of classic and traditional stories, and Manga Classics are consistently my favorites. The adaptation team does an amazing job bringing the stories to life while maintaining the integrity and feel of the original story. When I suggest or use a Manga Classics book in my classroom, I do not feel like I am watering down the curriculum for my students. This adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth is no exception. From the opening scene and it’s creepy witches, and throughout the battles, deceit, and drama, the adaptation supports students understanding as well as building engagement. While I don’t currently teach Macbeth, I can see multiple ways to utilize this adaptation in the classroom if I did. Students could read the adapted scene vs. the traditional text and analyze why the adapters chose certain lines and not others. They could use it as inspiration to adapt a scene themselves. They could discuss how the images help enhance the tone and mood of the text. There are many ways a teacher could use this adaptation in an English Language Arts classroom. It is also an amazing way to build students understanding of classic stories, as manga is very popular in my classroom and many others, and students can access it independently without the intimidation of a more traditional Shakespearean text.

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.