William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet Set To Feature Godzilla

Romeo and Juliet are about to meet the largest pop culture sensation of all time as Godzilla sets his sights on returning to Monsterpiece Theatre.

Per an announcement from the official Godzilla website, writer and artist Tony Scioli's hit Godzilla's Monsterpiece Theatre limited series is slated to receive its very own follow-up featuring tales from a whole host of fan-favorite creators. The new series kicks off with the release of Godzilla's Monsterpiece Theatre Presents: Romeo & Juliet and Godzilla #1 by writer Adam Tierney and artist Sean Peacock, which will feature a 5-page back-up story by Scioli, as will each subsequent issue.

Readers can check out the various covers and some internal preview pages for Godzilla's Monsterpiece Theatre Presents: Romeo & Juliet and Godzilla #1 down below, along with the retailer incentive variant cover commemorating the issue's "Robin Hood and the Monster of Nottingham" back-up story, also by Scioli.

Godzilla's Monsterpiece Theatre Presents: Romeo & Juliet and Godzilla #1

• Written by ADAM TIERNEY and TOM SCIOLI
• Art by SEAN PEACOCK and TOM SCIOLI
• Main cover art by TOM SCIOLI
• Variant covers by SEAN PEACOCK; TOM SCIOLI; and ELIZABETH BEALS

Original Godzilla's Monsterpiece Theatre creator and returning writer-artist Tom Scioli said of the concept at the heart of the series, "Godzilla has been with us for centuries, maybe millennia, hiding in the fringes of history and literature." Scioli also went on to tease what readers can expect from the series' back-up stories, which serve as self-contained chapters to his larger Gozilla Meets Robin Hood and His Merry Band of Outlaws ongoing feature. "Get ready to explore exciting new and old territory Godilla's never gone before," Scioli added.

Editor Jake Williams touched on the impact of the original Godzilla's Monsterpiece Theatre limited series, recalling, "When I first read the script, I had a smile on my face so big and dumb it almost hurt." Williams also touched on the fact that Godzilla's lighter, more comedic bent has been largely left by the wayside in modern productions, whereas Scioli's series proved that the iconic kaiju was still "a giant force for parody and laughs."

What Can Readers Expect From Godzilla's Monsterpiece Theatre Presents: Romeo & Juliet and Godzilla?

Godzilla's Monsterpiece Theatre Presents: Romeo & Juliet and Godzilla #1 writer Adam Tierney offered some major praise for Scioli's work and unique spin on the franchise, stating, "Tom Scioli has invented such a unique take on Godzilla. It's an honor 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 artist Sean Peacock, who also promised readers "some really insane stuff" to come when Godzilla's Monsterpiece Theatre Presents: Romeo & Juliet and Godzilla #1 arrives in comic book stores in April.

Scioli's original Godzilla’s Monsterpiece Theatre premiered with the release of its first issue in 2024, and ran for a total of three issues, each of which offered readers a decidedly monstrous take on a piece of classic literature. Among the works visited within Godzilla’s Monsterpiece Theatre were H. G. Wells' The Time Machine and Bram Stoker's Dracula, while characters such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes and F. Scott Fitzgerald's Jay Gatsby appeared within the tales told within at various points.

Godzilla's Monsterpiece Theatre Presents: Romeo & Juliet and Godzilla #1 from IDW Publishing goes on sale April 8.