Reception Shakespearean actor and writer of Shakespeare on Toast Ben Crystal opined that the comic was "beautifully drawn", elaborating that it "reminds me of Hellboy, particularly the ghosts and witches. It looks great, has a good pace, and is exciting to read." Crystal offers room for improvement, "The language is a bit of a tricky one. For the most part, it works well. There’s an error here and there... but those aside, I think it falters when the writer tries to attempt a mock-Shakespearean style." George Gene Gustine of The New York Times called the series "gripping, violent and dark fun, even if you’re not fully versed in Shakespearean lore", while Fangoria called it "a highly enjoyable adventure," saying that "McCreery and Del Col skillfully juggle a Who’s Who assortment of characters, and Belanger places them in stylishly imagined backdrops on every page". Shakespearean scholar Kimberly Cox, partner of well-known comic creator Frank Miller, criticized the book, primarily taking issue with its non-adherence to Shakespeare's well-known iambic pentameter style, stating, "Under duress and under a deadline, I can write exactly in the same meter and syntax as the Bard. It’s not so difficult once you study enough of the text". Cox also noted that the comic is "so poorly done, so flawed on even the most elementary levels of story-telling". Awards In 2011, Del Col and McCreery were nominated for a Joe Shuster Award in the category of Outstanding Comic Book Writer(s), and a Harvey Award for Best New Series, both for their work on Kill Shakespeare. Adaptation The first twelve issues of Kill Shakespeare were adapted into a live staged reading format in 2011 by Del Col, McCreery, and dramaturg Toby Malone at Soulpepper Theatre Company in Toronto. The first full-length showing was part of 'The Word Festival,' which in 2011 focused on the works of Shakespeare. The success of this production led to further development and showings at comic-book conventions in Montreal, New York, and Halifax; as well, general-audience performances have been produced in Halifax and Tucson. A new production of the show was staged in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse for Shakespeare's Globe on 27 July 2018, directed by James Wallace and James Askill. Board game In October 2013, Kill Shakespeare announced that a board game adaptation of the first series, would be released in 2014. The game was designed and produced in collaboration with IDW Games and