Julius

(Oni)
™ and © Antony Johnston & Brett Weldele

William Shakespeare would be spinning in his grave. Placing the action in the 21st century, this one–shot attempts to retell Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar in a modern “gangsta” context.

Many people don’t realize that, with one exception, all of Shakespeare’s stories were based on previous works, tales, or poems. The plots are great, but they are not at all what have kept his name on the required reading lists of scholars for the past 400 years. It’s the writing, the characterizations, and the insights into the human condition that bring audiences back again and again, a fact that Johnston seems to have overlooked.

It’s tough to feel any emotional connection to this Julius, other than exasperation at the familiarity of his condition. If you’ve seen a B–grade gangster “epic,” you know what to expect. With little character development thrown in, this just becomes another second–rate crime comic book.

The art isn’t too bad and brings to mind Klaus Janson’s run on Punisher 15 years ago. That isn’t necessarily a good thing, but it could have been worse.

— Scott Semet

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