A hip-hop retelling of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet that focuses on Tybalt (derisively referred to as "the Prince of Cats") and his Capulet crew as they do battle nightly with the hated Montagues. Set in a Blade Runner-esque version of Brooklyn, PRINCE OF CATS is a mix of urban melodrama, samurai action and classic Shakespearean theater...all written in Iambic Pentameter!
Prince of Cats
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle. Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||
Browse our Bookshelf Favorites store for big savings on popular fiction, nonfiction, children's books, and more. |
Book Description
Frequently Bought Together
Editorial Reviews
Review
Praise for Ron Wimberly's SENTENCES:
"Transports hip-hop's braggadocio energy and irresistible rhythms onto the page. GRADE: A-"—WASHINGTON POST
"Transports hip-hop's braggadocio energy and irresistible rhythms onto the page. GRADE: A-"—WASHINGTON POST
About the Author
Ronald Wimberly was the artist on Percy Carey's acclaimed memoir, SENTENCES, published in 2007 by Vertigo. As a young African American artist living in Brooklyn, he brings an authenticity to this project like no one else could. He's done extensive design and commercial work and has worked with Spike Lee on some of his film projects, most notably Miracle at St. Anna.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images? |
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Ree
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Wimberly has handled an old subject with an amazingly, refreshing new twist that is sure to entertain the reader. His art work is outstanding, he's a master of the technique. Just what is needed to keep old form of the art and literature alive and active. The reader will be left wanting to see more of his work.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By C. Lawrence
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
It was great! I've been a fan of Wimberly's work for a little while now following his tumblr and whatnot so it was nice to finally have some of his work in printed form. And I have to say, it is gorgeous! I'd buy this book for the artwork alone. But as we all know comics is all about the fusion of words and pictures and I believe it holds up in the writing department as well. It's an adaptation of Tybalt's point of view from Romeo and Juliet set in New York where it seems everyone keeps katana with them most of the time (which is awesome!) And it reads like a Shakespearean play, which is a nice touch as well. Check it out! I really enjoyed it, read the whole thing in one sitting, and definitely plan to go through it again sometime!
4.0 out of 5 stars
A too-short yet vivacious reimagining of Shakespeare in the era of Pokemon and Jay-Z
April 30, 2013
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Imagine if Shakespeare was born in the 90s, played Pokemon, watched badass anime and Afro Samurai, loved hip hop and was black, and you'd get Ron Wimberly's Prince of Cats. A retelling of Romeo & Juliet focusing largely on the perspective of the Capulets, particularly Tybalt, the eponymous Prince of Cats. In this alternate world, the fair citizens of this nit-grit punk-ass neon-tagged Verona play out the role of New York in the 80s, with a bloody Pokemon-like twist: the youths of the city are engaged in gang warfare that is determined by their clan loyalty (Capulet and Montague, primarily) and their position on the Duel-List, a seemingly daily street mag that tracks the bloody street warfare. Early in the story, we learn that Romeo has taken the top position after murdering Petruchio, a Capulet and the hero Tybalt's friend and mentor. Which is where the drama in this particular story begins.
The writing style is unique: imagine Shakespeare with a little jive. To be honest, Wimberly is at his best when leaning more on the Bard's words and style - the few times modern slang get thrown in it feels awfully contrived. That said, there's a sequence where Juliet and her girls describe fellatio in ways that would make the Bard applaud.
Wimberly has a unique style, and his designs and colors fairly pop off the page. For the most part, letterer Jared Fletcher does a passable job. However, there's clearly places for both to grow. Wimberly's action sequences get more confusing the longer they run, and are rarely as fluid and dynamic as they should be. He can draw the s*** out of a pre- and post- action scene pose, but the nitty gritty of a fight escapes him. For comparison, observe what Frank Quitely can do with a single widescreen panel. Or, for a more direct comparison, basically any good action manga (Beserk, Battle Angel Alita, Akira). Part of this is down to page count of the book...but that's something I'll address later. As for Fletcher, his VFX lettering is scratchy and unimpressive when paired with the subject matter. Especially when graffiti plays such a big role in the world.
The biggest problem with this book is that it's just too short. The plot feels like it could unfold to incorporate another book or three. Yes, we know how it'll end, but who cares? We want to see more of this world, see how these characters unfold under Wimberly's pen. A more expanded series would probably also give Wimberly the page count he needs to really make his fight scenes come to life.
I hold back the fifth star because I want more. Four stars.
The writing style is unique: imagine Shakespeare with a little jive. To be honest, Wimberly is at his best when leaning more on the Bard's words and style - the few times modern slang get thrown in it feels awfully contrived. That said, there's a sequence where Juliet and her girls describe fellatio in ways that would make the Bard applaud.
Wimberly has a unique style, and his designs and colors fairly pop off the page. For the most part, letterer Jared Fletcher does a passable job. However, there's clearly places for both to grow. Wimberly's action sequences get more confusing the longer they run, and are rarely as fluid and dynamic as they should be. He can draw the s*** out of a pre- and post- action scene pose, but the nitty gritty of a fight escapes him. For comparison, observe what Frank Quitely can do with a single widescreen panel. Or, for a more direct comparison, basically any good action manga (Beserk, Battle Angel Alita, Akira). Part of this is down to page count of the book...but that's something I'll address later. As for Fletcher, his VFX lettering is scratchy and unimpressive when paired with the subject matter. Especially when graffiti plays such a big role in the world.
The biggest problem with this book is that it's just too short. The plot feels like it could unfold to incorporate another book or three. Yes, we know how it'll end, but who cares? We want to see more of this world, see how these characters unfold under Wimberly's pen. A more expanded series would probably also give Wimberly the page count he needs to really make his fight scenes come to life.
I hold back the fifth star because I want more. Four stars.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
MASTERFUL!!!!!!!!
This is the 1st graphic novel I've ever read. It begins before r and j and gives the story of Tybalt as the tragic hero. It's awesome. Just read it.
Published 2 months ago by ALau
5.0 out of 5 stars
Astounding work of Art and Writing
The Prince of Cats is such an astonishing graphic novel, that I kept thinking about it for at least a week after I finished reading it. Read more
Published 2 months ago by kmediani
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Graphic Novel
Amazing adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, Amazing art as well. I'm really glad I bought it and have already recomended it to friends
Published 3 months ago by Lawrence McWilliams
5.0 out of 5 stars
The very butcher of a silk button
Ronald's mix of old victoria and new school hip hop is unparalleled! As Luhrman successfully proved with Romeo and Juliet for film, Shakespeare can always find an audience if done... Read more
Published 3 months ago by RodBuddah
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing writing and beautiful style
I was keeping an eye on Prince of Cats since I saw it as an upcoming Vertigo release, mostly because I'm a fan of Ronald Wimberly's work, but had never read any of his printed... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Luis Landero
5.0 out of 5 stars
Doesn't disappoint.
This book. Wow. The prose, the plotting, the perspective, the color, the lines--all of them are pitch perfect. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Rachel Nabors
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant
Prince of Cats isn't exactly breaking new ground with the modern retelling of Shakespearean classics, but like Kurosawa, Wimberly succeeds at making it his own. Read more
Published 6 months ago by XYZboy
