In this version of Classical Comic’s HENRY V, adapted by John McDonald, you’re dealing with the Original Text. By that I mean that you get the entire play, just as William Shakespeare wrote it. Classical Comics has also published two other versions: Plain Text, which takes the original script and converts it into modern English, and Quick Text, which reduces the dialogue into as few words as possible (as many graphic novels do).

Thanks to the wonderful artwork of many talented illustrators (Neill Cameron for pencils, Bambos for Inks, Jason Cardy & Kat Nicholson for Coloring, and Nigel Dobbyn for Lettering), the result is a colorful, heavy-duty, true-to-the-script version of one of Shakespeare’s most recognized plays.

This is the perfect book to introduce reluctant teen readers to Shakespeare. Whether they read it for fun or for a class, they’re getting the original play, act by act, and they get it in a convenient, reader-friendly way. In this day of graphic novels, it’s important to remember the classics, and HENRY V doesn’t disappoint.

The additional information at the end of the story, including a short biography of William Shakespeare and one of Henry V, a detailed description of the Battle of Agincourt, and even a guide to the creation of the graphic novel’s pages, only add to the value.

If you’re looking for a well-made and instructional graphic novel based on HENRY V, look no further than this edition.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka “The Genius”
Rating: 5 / 5