In the great Alan Moore's book "V For Vendetta," V is an intriguing anti-hero, strangely clad in a black robe and a Guy Fawkes mask, rebelling against the fascism of post-nuclear war England. The mood is Blade Runner meets Orwell's 1984. "V" is typical Alan Moore brilliance: deep characterization, dialogue that draws upon classic literature, and political/philosophical blood coursing through its veins. The interplay between V and his female "protégé" Evey is particularly satisfying; it both moves the story along and adds definition to the characters.
If you are like me and slept through most of the forgettable movie, go out and read this book! "V for Vendetta" shows clearly Moore's maturation as a writer, as he went on to masterpieces like Watchmen and Swamp Thing.
The artwork in this volume is not captivating and at times is hard to follow. Alan Moore credits the artist David Lloyd with being a co-creator of the storyline. I'm spoiled by the level of artistry in graphic novels today. The inking and colors in "V" are primitive in quality compared to today's stratospheric standards. Perhaps some of the sparse panels were done for artistic effect - so I could be misinterpreting what the artist was trying to accomplish.
This novel rises to the level of quality fiction such as 1984 or Animal Farm, dispensing with the tired superhero genre. On a broader level, this book made me contemplate why and how superheroes had hijacked the graphic medium in the United States for so long. Only recently are we getting top-quality "comic books" that don't deal with superheroes - such as "Fables" "Last Man" and "Ex Machina." "V for Vendetta" blazed a trail for those modern masterpieces, even though it took decades for them to follow.Get more detail about V for Vendetta.
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