The tragic love story of Romeo and Juliet has spawned countless retellings, adaptations, and reinterpretations over the decades, but a crossover with the King of Monsters is probably the furthest from what one would expect. In an intriguing collision of classic literature and modern pop culture, IDW Publishing has announced the Romeo & Juliet and Godzilla series, the first in its four-issue lineup of one-shot comics that puts the iconic kaiju into famous literary works.
Branded under the Godzilla’s Monsterpiece Theatre Presents banner, which serves as a spin-off from Tom Scioli‘s Godzilla’s Monsterpiece Theatre limited series, the project is written by Adam Tierney — and in William Shakespeare’s signature iambic pentametre, no less — with art by Sean Peacock.
“Can two star-cross’d lovers avoid getting smashed by a giant monster?” reads the tagline on the cover of the debut issue (clarification needed for ‘getting smashed’, please?), featuring a narrative blend of “feuding families, budding romance, and large-scale destruction in Verona”. Each one-shot also includes a five-page backup story by Scioli, starting with Robin Hood and the Monster of Nottingham.
Said Tierney, “Tom Scioli has invented such a unique take on Godzilla. It’s an honour to play in that sandbox and also reimagine one of Shakespeare’s greatest plays. I can’t wait for everyone to see all the craziness we’ve come up with.”
“It’s such a treat to put my own spin on the King of the Monsters as well as one of The Bard’s most famous plays,” added Peacock, who teased “some really insane stuff in this book.”
Four cover variants are available for Romeo & Juliet and Godzilla, spanning a total of 52 pages. Pre-orders are due by 2 March, before the comic goes on sale on 8 April for US$7.99 each. For those interested in checking out five preview pages from the issue, the official Godzilla website has got you covered.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
