Everyone retells the Bard. But rising British manga star Leong delivers her adaptation with panache, creating an all-ages text likely to usher in new readers. Traditional manga styling—large eyes, incredibly graceful figures, expressive backdrops, and Chibi (small and cute) panels to express highly emotional moments—combine seamlessly with Western elements—left to right pagination and straightforward panel layout. Set in modern Tokyo, with the Capulets and Montagues recast as organized-crime rivals, and abridged enough to move quickly without sacrificing content or meaning, this racy retelling gets to the heart of the love story and the foolish rivalry that dooms it. The opening color pages with the cast of characters drawn large will help readers follow the story, as will the plot summary at the end. Indeed, graphic format may be the closest text can come to simulating the stage, and the art makes it relevant for a new generation—including an image of a cell phone with “No Signal” to explain why Romeo doesn’t know Juliet is really alive. Gorgeous, readable, original—a winner. (plot synopsis, Shakespeare biography) (Graphic novel. YA)
