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V for Vendetta

(V for Vendetta #1-10)

Alan Moore (Goodreads Author) (Writer),

David Lloyd (Illustrator)

4.25 · Rating details · 258,445 ratings · 5,380 reviews

A new trade paperback edition of the graphic novel that inspired the hit movie!

A powerful story about loss of freedom and individuality, V FOR VENDETTA takes place in a totalitarian England following a devastating war that changed the face of the planet.

In a world without political freedom, personal freedom and precious little faith in anything comes a mysterious man in a ...more

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Paperback, 296 pages

Published January 2005 by Vertigo (first published 1990)

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Start your review of V for Vendetta (V for Vendetta, #1-10)

Aug 01, 2013 Jayson rated it really liked it

Shelves: 200-299-pp, format-comic-book, genre-dystopian, era-cold-war, comic-book-limited-series, comics-dc-vertigo, author-british, genre-science-fiction, read-in-2011, genre-antihero

(A-) 83% | Very Good
Notes: A Miltonian antihero in an Orwellian world, the hero's a kind of philosopher Batman, but for anarchy instead of law.

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Dec 16, 2007 Alejandro rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: comic-book, favorites, politics, dystopia, alternate-reality

Remember, remember the fifth of November...

This TPB edition collects the original 10 comic book issues, then divided in the graphic novel in three chapters.

Creative Team:

Writer: Alan Moore

Illustrator: David Lloyd

VALIANT VERICITY

Remember, remember! The fifth of November, the gunpowder treason and plot; I know of no reason why the gunpowder treason should ever be forgot!

It's one of the first sentences that came to mind when you think about the masterpiece by Alan Moore & David Lloyd. A ...more

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Apr 23, 2010 Stephen rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 1980-1989, comics-graphic-novels, science-fiction, alternative-history, political-fiction, world-in-the-shitter

For all of the criticism heaped on movie versions of novels and other literary works (well deserved in many cases), there are times when the filmmakers get it very right (e.g., Lord of the Rings, the Princess Bride, Schindler’s List). The Graphic Novel, in particular, is a format that lends itself well to adaptation and, in the right hands, can often IMPROVE on the source material. Examples of this, IMHO, would include: From Hell, Road to Perdition and Sin City. To that small but distinctive ...more

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Feb 15, 2018 Marpapad rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I adored this graphic novel, every single page of it. If I could give it more than 5 stars, then I would.

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Nov 10, 2018 Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: comics-graphic-manga, own, paperback

I freaking love the movie and I love this novel!!

One day I will add the pic of me in my V mask! I just need to get a good hat and cape 😉

Happy Reading!

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾 ...more

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Nov 10, 2015 Sean Barrs rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: comic-graphic-novel, 3-star-reads

Prison. What exactly is prison? Is it just the confinement in which we are placed after crime? Or is it something more? Can we become imprisoned without being aware of it? Can we even imprison ourselves? Perhaps even to the state?

description

Alan Moore depicts these questions in this scary graphic novel that is set in some crazy right-winged London that reeks of fascism and corruption. It’s a dark, eerily real place; it is a place that might have actually been in an alternate history. Just like in Watchmen Moore shows us an alternative past that is stark and weirdly possible. The people struggle under an oppressive regime; they have no voice; they have no liberty or identity: they are in a monumental prison of both body and mind. And, worse yet, because of the mass propaganda campaigns, intimidating armed troop patrols, and lack of freedom in general, the people are not fully aware of their own oppressive plight. They’re ignorant and led along by the voice of power and authority. They have no free will.

This is where V. comes in. In the guise of a shadowy villain, the costumed rogue represents pure anarchy. His way of thought, as he himself admits, would lead to nothing but chaos. But, anything is better than fascism, right? Well, you’d think so but V. is far from the morale crusader he identifies himself as. Despite his form of vigilante justice, he is not morally good. What he inflicts on his protégé is nothing but damn nasty; yes, it opened her eyes to the prison of life, but in order for them to be opened he had to inflict great cruelty. Do the ends ever justify the means? Anarchy is the complete lack of authority over the populace, which is what V. is striving for, but he is acting with the power and ruthless of the very thing he is trying to overcome.

Indeed, what he exacts is a form of manipulative control, which is the very thing he is trying to destroy through his wave of terrorism. He is certainly a dark and complex character. Perhaps his ethos is even slightly self-defeating and contradictory. I don’t think he’s any better that what he is trying to destroy, but perhaps that’s the idea. Perhaps, Moore is trying to suggest that corruption is the very essence of human nature, and that nobody is beyond it. I think V. is less a man than an ideal. He represents something much bigger than himself, which is signified by his legacy. But, what this thing is destructive and extreme; his idea is not necessarily something beneficial to mankind.

description

I much preferred Watchmen to this; it was less political and focused on human nature rather than the complex nature of politics. I think the right reader could take a lot from this, but for me, I thought it was too bleak. There's little in the way of redemptive themes here.

2.5 stars ...more

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Jul 27, 2019 Teodora rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopia, graphic-novels

Me: *is 21 yo and has no idea what tf V for Vendetta is about*
My friend: *hands me her personal graphic novel in disgust* I pity you

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May 13, 2007 J.G. Keely rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, dystopia, reviewed, comics

I struggled for a long time with the growing notion that conservatives simply aren't funny. At first it seemed a silly idea, since conservatism draws from sources as varied as progressivism: all levels of intelligence and wealth, all kinds of people from all walks of life--yet none of them are funny.

Certainly they can tell jokes and be charming, but not satirical, not biting. Subversion doesn't come naturally to them, and it should have been clear why: Conservatism relies on ideals, on grand her ...more

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Apr 06, 2013 Lyn rated it liked it · review of another edition

I enjoyed the 2005 film V for Vendetta starring Natalie Portman and Hugo Weaving and so my son bought me the book.

The BOOK turned out to be a graphic novel.

I asked if this was an illustrated version of the literature and searched to discover that this WAS the book. So the graphic novel sat on my bookcase for months and months while I read other books, more traditionally published.

But then I learned that Neil Gaiman had published The Sandman series and I recalled fondly my high school days whe ...more

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Oct 02, 2016 Michael Finocchiaro rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: english-20th-c, graphic-novels, dystopian

There are some classics that it takes time to get around to reading, watching, and appreciating. I recall the hubbub around the movie premiere of V for Vendetta but for some reason, I didn’t go see it or even take interest in the comic book. Somehow, the other big hits of 2005 – Star Wars III, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chronicles of Narnia, Peter Jackson’s King Kong (with the delicious Naomi Watts), Brokeback Mountain, and Walk the Line (amazing interpretation of the Man in Black by J There are some classics that it takes time to get around to reading, watching, and appreciating. I recall the hubbub around the movie premiere of V for Vendetta but for some reason, I didn’t go see it or even take interest in the comic book. Somehow, the other big hits of 2005 – Star Wars III, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chronicles of Narnia, Peter Jackson’s King Kong (with the delicious Naomi Watts), Brokeback Mountain, and Walk the Line (amazing interpretation of the Man in Black by Joachim Pheonix)…come to think of it, 2005 was a BIG year in cinema and for me, V for Vendetta fell through the cracks. I was also not into comics back then… Well, there is a time for everything and the time to explore Alan Moore‘s apocalyptic vision of the United Kingdom in V finally arrived. I will talk first about the comic book, then about the movie, then about my general impressions. Hope you enjoy it.

The comic book from 1982 is definitely a classic. From the same author as the superb and similarly pessimistic Watchmen (reviewed by yours truly here), the story takes place in a future England following a global nuclear conflict with England tightly ruled by a vicious, vindictive, totalitarian Fascist party, the Norsefire, that has killed off the “denizens” of society (minorities, homosexuals, etc) in concentration camps. A mysterious terrorist arises called simply V who threatens the established order. His destructive path crosses that of Evey and their relationship is the primary focus of much of the comic. The government is run by various entities ingeniously identified by various body parts: The Eye (visual surveillance), The Nose (regular police), the Finger (secret police), the Mouth (propaganda), the Head (executive Brand embodied in the “Leader” Adam Susan) and the Ear (audio surveillance). There are several interweaving plot-lines besides the V-Evey story primarily focussed on the lives and sometimes deaths of various members of the government as well the cat-and-mouse game between Eric Finch of the Nose and his target V. It is a surprisingly complex tale – more so than I had imagined – and requires concentration to fully understand and follow. The artwork of David Lloyd is pseudo-realist sort of like that of Frank Miller, but a bit darker in color choices (primarily black, white, blue, and yellow throughout). It is a long read, but ends up being very rewarding – at least as much as Watchmen in terms of a standalone story.

The film as previously noted came out in 2005. It did a respectable $132m at the box office given the $50m production cost. The performances of Hugo Weaving as V and Natalie Portman as Evey were both outstanding. There are lots of signature Wachowski moments (overhead views of rain falling on Evey after her “liberation” just like the Matrix shot before they go in after the Oracle or the slow-motion V fighting scenes) and the action is pretty much non-stop. There are quite a few divergences from the comic here – two example: Evey does NOT take on the mask after the death of V, V is presented more as a liberator and lover of freedom (while still being a “monster”) than in the comic where his persona was far more ambiguous. Another major departure from the book was the confrontation at the end between V and the Finger where the blood splashes as V hacks through the secret police troops – again classic Wachowski (Hugo Weaving borrowing some of his Smith moves from Matrix) but still lots of fun to watch. The great thing about this movie is that it is relatively timeless and shot in such a manner that it will probably still look fresh in another 10-20 years. As for Portman, despite my skepticism about her (I have a real problem with anyone associated with The Phantom Menace and the rest of the Star Wars Prequel trilogy), she was extraordinary in this film as Evey. The final kiss notwithstanding, it was not overacted and was challenging (shaved head, torture – lots of difficult acting choices to make), so I regained some admiration for her acting skills. Overall, this is a keeper for sure.

As for the themes and atmosphere in the universe of V, I can’t help but wonder at this seeming obsession with fascism in the early 80s in the UK. I got to thinking about The Wall which came out in 1979 and also showed a fascist side to England (Roger Water’s interpretation anyway). I also recall some of the criticisms aimed at punk rock having a strong fascist vein to it (associations with swastika tattoos, jackboots, etc). I have only really known the UK since the late 90s and I find it so far removed from fascism today that I have a real hard time suspending disbelief and imagining a fascist dictatorship in place of the parliamentary democracy. Perhaps some of my UK readers that remember the 70s and 80s can speak in the comments about how prevalent and realistic fears of a fascist coup d’état were at the time. Was it really a reaction by artists to the strictures of Thatcherism or perhaps preoccupation with the Irish crisis and unrest at home? I am really curious about this. Another thing that is a bit forward-looking perhaps in the book is the treatment of the pedophile Bishop Lilliman. I don’t believe that the scandal of pedophilia in the priesthood had quite made the news back in 1982, but it is at the center of one of the key V kills where Evey was the bait. Was this visionary on the part of Alan Moore as well or had there already been some high profile scandals back when it was written?

The relationship between Evey and V is a fascinating one that ebbs and flows throughout the graphic novel and the film. The love that V has for Evey has a fatherly aspect, but also a brother-sister aspect as well. It does not seem sexual in the least but it is profoundly important to V. Evey comes to love V profoundly as well as she is the only one to see behind the mask – while respecting his desire to never glance behind the mask – because she sees his indomitable spirit despite the suffering he endured at the hands of the government and she realizes that despite the violence, his integrity is intact. In the best fiction and film, our values of good and bad are challenged (Walt in Breaking Bad, Tony Soprano, Julien Sorel, Raskolnikov…) and here we want to root for V despite his massive acts of violence. The author and filmmakers did a great job of putting us in Evey’s shoes as we understand and sympathize with V’s motivations. I think that is the essential timeless quality of this V for Vendetta and why it will remain a cult classic for years to come. ...more

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Nov 29, 2012 Bookwraiths rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: graphic-novels, graphic-novels-dc

Originally reviewed at Bookwraiths.

When I picked up this graphic novel (after years of telling myself I’d get to it one of these days), I really wanted to love it. Watchmen by Moore is one of my all-time, favorite graphic novels, so I always envisioned V for Vendetta being another masterpiece of comic writing along those same lines: not only entertaining but enlightening as well. Unfortunately, I was immensely disappointed by this graphic novel.

Now, to be fair, I hate overtly political literary ...more

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Jan 27, 2015 Leonard Gaya rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Post-catastrophic dystopias were all the rage in the 1980s. After all, the end of the century was just around the corner, and millennialism was getting into a gentle simmer — it is now, it seems, in a running boil. It was a second “golden age” for science fiction and dystopian visions of the future: the time of The Handmaid's Tale and Blade Runner and Neuromancer and Terminator and V (the miniseries with the lizard-like aliens) and many others. V for Vendetta, published around 1988, fits right i Post-catastrophic dystopias were all the rage in the 1980s. After all, the end of the century was just around the corner, and millennialism was getting into a gentle simmer — it is now, it seems, in a running boil. It was a second “golden age” for science fiction and dystopian visions of the future: the time of The Handmaid's Tale and Blade Runner and Neuromancer and Terminator and V (the miniseries with the lizard-like aliens) and many others. V for Vendetta, published around 1988, fits right in there.

The story is set in a fiendishly Orwellian version of Britain, turned into a sort of totalitarian Oceania after Europe has been wiped out by nuclear war. The difference with 1984 is that the protagonist is not an isolated and impotent victim. This time, it is a mysterious and androgynous ninja-like hero who speaks in Shakespeare quotes, wrapped in a Guy Fawkes costume, wearing an ever-grinning and creepy doll mask. This faceless superhero saves a young woman from rape in the opening scene and then takes her in his underground lair, a sort of hidden museum and library, where he keeps copies of Cervantes, Dante, Goethe, Homer, Dickens, Swift, Shelley, Pynchon… the cultural legacy that has been banned by a Labour Party turned into neo-fascism and racism. However, what starts as a sort of Jean Valjean / Cosette relationship will take a different and quite startling direction down the line.

It is altogether a fascinating graphic novel, that starts as a dark superhero story (the closest character to V, in the DC Comics universe, is probably Batman — especially in the unbeatable albums of Frank Miller) and ends up in a somewhat ambiguous way, dialogues turning into long monologues, and direct actions into memories — the evocation of the concentration camps are chilling —, dreams, metaphors, reflections, Cockney wordplay, silence. The artwork makes ingenious and sometimes dizzying use of angles, shadows and repetitions, but the style and look are overall conventional. The book was initially published in black and white. For some reason, the latest editions have been coloured: the result is visually shabby and irritating.

Since Moore and Lloyd’s book, V’s mask has become the famous icon of the Anonymous cyber-activists and protesters movement. I guess the authors would not disavow this ideological twist: after all, V for Vendetta is an anarchist vindication of resistance, rebellion and, even, of revolutions — which, as it happens, is a diametrically opposite stance to that of George Orwell. I guess it might also be read as a vindication of media manipulation, terrorism, civil unrest and political chaos — a widespread phenomenon 30-odd years later —, which is one of the many deliberate and troubling ambiguities of this book.

I watched the 2005 film adaptation by the Wachowskis, with Natalie Portman, a few years ago. She, of course, is, as always, outstanding. I particularly remember being both elated and terrified by the opening and closing Bonfire Night scenes, with the pyrotechnics over the London skyline and the detonating cannons in Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture. I forget about the rest. ...more

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Mar 16, 2014 Sam Quixote rated it did not like it · review of another edition

V for Vendetta is one of those books that has the reputation for being one of the greatest comics ever written and frequently appears on “graphic novels everyone must read” lists. It’s a celebrated classic by the most acclaimed comics writer of all time, Alan Moore, and is one of the few books many non-comics readers have read. But why is this so feted? V for Vendetta is a badly written, even more poorly conceived pamphlet espousing anarchism as the ideal political system featuring non-character ...more

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Jul 09, 2008 Bryce Wilson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: comics

If Watchmen is Alan Moore's Sergeant Pepper, and From Hell his Abbey Road (And in the end the love you take is equal to the number of prostitutes you disembowl) then V For Vendetta is his Rubber Soul.

Like Rubber Soul it tends to get overlooked and undervalued because it's "merely" a perfect pop record rather then a artform redefining masterpiece. V is simply put a potent piece of Pop Art. The story is bracing, the art beautiful, the way it plays with iconography of humanities past sins is simpl ...more

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Mar 15, 2014 Algernon (Darth Anyan) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: comics, 2014

Behind this mask there is more than just flesh. Beneath this mask there is an idea ... And ideas are bulletproof.

Comic books are for geeky kids who dream of men in tights saving the world and women in skimpy outfits who swoon into their brawny arms, right? Who takes comic book seriously? Alan Moore is not the only name to be put forward in answer to this question, but he is for me the best example of the power behind the medium. I rate 'V for Vendetta' on the same level as '1984' or 'Animal Fa ...more

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Feb 19, 2017 Sud666 rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: comics, favorites

V for Vendetta is superb. For people wanting to read this book, that's really all you have to take away from my review. Written in a period of liberal angst (over Thatcher's Election as PM) wherein he forecasts a dystopian view of England's future. There has been a nuclear war (not very specific as to the who/why) but England has been spared. The government is Fascist and uses Orwellian terminology for it's different departments-the Head, the Fingers, the Eye, etc. In this world we are introduce V for Vendetta is superb. For people wanting to read this book, that's really all you have to take away from my review. Written in a period of liberal angst (over Thatcher's Election as PM) wherein he forecasts a dystopian view of England's future. There has been a nuclear war (not very specific as to the who/why) but England has been spared. The government is Fascist and uses Orwellian terminology for it's different departments-the Head, the Fingers, the Eye, etc. In this world we are introduced to V.
The story is about V and his attempt to bring down the government. V channels his inner Guy Fawkes (aka Guido Fawkes-a Catholic Englishman who attempted to kill King James I by blowing up Westminster Palace. Um he didn't. He was found guarding the Gunpowder, arrested and managed to fall off the scaffolding, before being hanged, and promptly broke his neck.) by blowing up Parliament.
He is joined inn this by Evey Hammond. Evey was nearly raped and killed by a group of Fingermen, when she is rescued by V. Her metamorphosis from meek to her "reincarnated" mindset near the end of the story is quite remarkable. As far as V- he is something more than human. I shall not spoil the rest of the story or the plot for you-especially if you are unfamiliar with what happens.

The plot of the angst driven anti-hero fighting a fascist government is really not that original, but what sets this book apart is Alan Moore's prose. It is quite simply beautiful. It flows smoothly and compels the reader to pay attention to each and every word-a rarity in comic writing. This is Moore at his finest (though Watchmen and Swamp Thing are also of similar quality) using Shakespeare and other famous authors to give V's speech a measure of class and culture that serves up memorable lines. This is a story that can be read merely for the writing itself.

The art is quite decent especially considering the time. The art complements the dark story line. The colors are muted and only a few colors are used. The entire feel is a mix of dreary, depressing and yet sinister all at the same time. Quite in keeping with the nature of the government in the tale.

If you are looking for a great story, phenomenal prose that will stay with you after finishing the book and most of all- the salient points it makes about people and their particular relationship with their government, self-development and concepts of what is freedom make this a deep book. Unlike most comics, this not only entertains-but it gives food for thought. It paints a stark warning of the price people will pay for "security". This is not a fun tale, though there is a great deal going on and is meant to be more of an engine to drive the thoughts of readers. There is a lot of subtle things such as V- is it V for Vendetta? Each chapter of this tale has a word that starts with "V" as its title. There is something to be said also for "Evey" (V?) and her eventual transformation.

A superbly written tale. That's the best summation for this magnum opus from the mind of Alan Moore. Even people who have no use for comics, should read this one. The prose alone makes it worth it. Highly recommend to anyone for with a love for the written word. Do yourself a favor and do not let the movie be the reason you know this tale- read the original, far deeper, far darker version.
...more

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Mar 17, 2018 Nickolas the Kid rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: graphic-novels

That was a great graphic novel!
In dystopian times, the UK government has taken all civil liberties from the citizens, allowing them to spy on anyone without warrant at anytime. V will stand against the oppressive and controlling British government at all costs.

The masked hero V is a good crusader like Batman or Zorro, but for me and because of his relationship with Evey, he has a lot of similarities with the Phantom of the Opera. Both are masked (because of their deformed face) and they have a ...more

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Apr 29, 2008 Laura rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, comic

Eh.

Okay. There's political writing, and then there's political comics (Watchmen, also by Moore). Pure political writing, essays or editorials or what have you, doesn't have to leave everyone satisfied. It can leave some angry or displeased or challenged, so long as it makes its point.

POLITICAL COMICS HAVE TO BE DIFFERENT.

A political comic must not only make a clear political point, but it must ALSO be interesting in a way that is peculiar to comics: it must have a gratifying narrative, it must b Eh.

Okay. There's political writing, and then there's political comics (Watchmen, also by Moore). Pure political writing, essays or editorials or what have you, doesn't have to leave everyone satisfied. It can leave some angry or displeased or challenged, so long as it makes its point.

POLITICAL COMICS HAVE TO BE DIFFERENT.

A political comic must not only make a clear political point, but it must ALSO be interesting in a way that is peculiar to comics: it must have a gratifying narrative, it must be artistically sound, and it must have the same kind of emotional influence that a regular old novel or movie would have, because comics are, primarily, STORIES.
V for Vendetta is a glut of political writing stuffed into an attractive skin of art and garnished over with the platitudiest delivery I have ever had the misfortune to be exposed to outside a 50s superhero comic. My god. It's got the same blind and senseless energy of delivery that any Superman-hurling-a-car comic would have. This stems, I think, primarily from the fact that it's an anarchist comic, and making anarchism into a coherent and attractive viewpoint is nearly impossible, given that anarchism is probably the illest-conceived of any extant ideology.
However, because it's ANARCHISM, because the writing is coherent and cleverer than most graphic novels', because it's all draped over with mystery, because it's a well-designed book, tone and layout-wise, and because the art is fantastic, the essential failure of the book-- the fact that it lacks anything behind its shell of hyperenergetic blathering-- gets a pass.
Seriously. The book tries so hard to be political and symbolic it crushes itself. Premise-wise, the story doesn't make a lot of sense-- we hear that England was living in a government vacuum for several years, and that London was straight-across flooded, and that every other landmass on the planet has been nuked, AND that a nuclear winter has occurred, but for some reason they're still living in a fully-mechanized modern consumer society. All right. Sure. Also, it appears that the only remaining political ideologies in the universe are Fascism and Socialism/Communism, with Anarchism resting on its own crazy-ass axis out who the hell knows where. All right, again. Beginning to sound more and more like Revolutionary Spain/every third world country ever. Sure. Got that. 'First and freest Republic in the world loses all sense of its political heritage and persecutes the hell out of its inhabitants' is the ONLY trend in British apocalyptic fiction, but this is the worst I've ever seen it done.
I don't know. What is Moore posing here as the only options for political ideology? He paints a world in which one can ONLY be EITHER a ethnocentric homophobic racist fascist or an 'anarchist'. All right. What does he mean by this? Returning to a state of nature? Gradual and spontaneous shift to democracy? End of the modern mechanized world? Spontaneous national adoption of a sort of leaderless socialist state? Hmm. Moore handles his material childishly. For me, the political-apocalypse stories that WORK show the protagonists yearning after a state of leave-me-alone-let's-all-be-friends sort of political neutralism-- a state of 'let's have universal human rights and that's all please' joy. A utopia of 'being a normal person'. Children of Men is like this. Even Watchmen is less heavy on the socialism and focuses more on the 'let's stop being persecutors and start being nice to everyone else again' mentality. Readers can therefore identify with the protagonists-- they aren't radicals. They're just normal people trying to be normal again. But in V for Vendetta, the only way peace can be achieved is if every individual person is a politically-radical crowd member willing to use mob violence.
Not inspirational.
I don't care what you think about the degree to which individuals must be political to preserve their rights. This book makes no coherent political point and the messages it DOES articulate are comprised solely of platitudes. It fails to rpesent any realistic view of any political spectrum whatsoever. Instead of focusing on human rights/the dignity of man/the right to be free, it sours the whole batch by presenting some shallowly-conceived idea of anarchism as the solution to all modern political crises. The fact is that this book reads like a poorly-contrived piece of anti-Thatcher propaganda.

Which is essentially what it is.

EDIT: I've read some other reviews of this book on goodreads and I've decided I have to make one point.

You CANNOT like this book becuase 'V is an amazing character.' V IS ALMOST NOT A CHARACTER. Moore specifically has him talk about how who he is is not important. V is a big bundle of soggy political ideology stuffed up into a man-suit with a funny mask on the front. The whole backstory bit exists to give the situation-- the SITUATION, not the character-- plausibility. The fact that the backstory even exists sours Moore's ideological point, which is unfortunate, since the point was shallow enough to begin with. V is suppsoed to be an 'everyman', and is supposed to represent the potential in all of us to make a difference. But how did he get like this? First of all, he's insane, mildly or seriously, but slightly insane at some level, at any rate. Secondly, he's got SUPER POWERS of combat/the mind that he was given in a crazy SCIENCE-FICTION HORMONE EXPERIMENT. All right. So the potential to make a difference is there in all of us, but we need a hero to tell us this is so, and that hero himself needs to be a super-human person in some way before he can take up the job? I don't think so.
There's some extreme cognitive dissonance in this story. Moore can't decide whether to espouse the power of the people as a body or the power of the individual-- an individual who, in some ways, is nearly as charismatic as a 20th-century dictator, yet who is, in other ways, utterly flat and irrelevant.
V is not a character. V is an idea, and a cloudy one at that. ...more

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Apr 30, 2014 Evgeny rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: comics

The plot of the graphic novel is well-known, so I do not think I will go into many details. Basically after a nuclear war Britain survived, but now has a pseudo-fascist government - with concentration camps and such. There were a series of experiments on human prisoners in one of the camps with one prisoner surviving and acquiring super-human abilities (as well as some touch of madness). The guy escaped and is now planning his revenge on the people who were in charge in the camp as well as the w ...more

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Aug 18, 2015 Trish rated it it was amazing

My very first comic / graphic novel - and yes, I don't really know the difference except, maybe, that graphic novels are darker than the typical comic books? Or maybe it's just the difference in origin? Before I offend hardcore fans of the genre, let's move on to my review of this one, shall we? ;p

By the way, since this is the first graphic novel I've read and am reviewing, I thought it appropriate to finally try including images / gifs - if you don't think it appropriate, shut up.
So here we go ...more

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Nov 05, 2017 Mohammed Arabey rated it liked it · review of another edition

The 5th of November....

One of a very long waited to-read that been sitting on my shelf for so long.

As a Story, it's almost 4 ☆☆☆☆, but the art is totally 2 ☆☆.
Yet both have its own high points and low ones...
More on that on the full review. ...more

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Oct 17, 2017 Vivian rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: graphic-or-comic, 2017-odyssey, library, dystopian

In times of darkness and great need, we look for a hero.

Book 1:
The backstory and a particularly intriguing story of freedom versus justice emerges in this postnuclear apocalyptic story. Tick-tock, times up for some very bad people. I also recall why my farmboy friends are not stupid. I had a machete and gasoline, and they... well, I'd have been a bigger fan of chemistry, too. The things you learn playing in the shed.

Book 2:
The saga continues, but this time we see Evey and her trajectory. There ...more

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May 24, 2017 Ayman Gomaa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: comics

Masterpiece

One of the best graphic novel i read ever
My second reading for Alan Moore after Batman:the killing Joke and to be fair he is the best graphic author ever , if he was wrote only this novel it will be enough to make him the best coz of the idea and the imagination he had , but we are lucky to enjoy more of his Masterpieces .

Many People don't prefer Alan Moore novels because they see it's so dark and in a Dystopia World , well he is right , the world is a mess and enough with the fairy ...more

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Aug 04, 2016 Sidharth Vardhan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopian-utopian-futurisitic, english-world, graphic-picture, bestest, questioning-norms

“I didn't put you in a prison, Evey. I just showed you the bars.”

I watched the movie first, I loved it - I knew I would love the novel too and yet it amazed me. It answers Orwell's 1984 question; the way Lion King's Hakuna-matata answered Hamlet's 'To be or not to be'. Alan Moore assures us worst of governments can be broken by a single man believing in a single idea. The prose is simply beautiful - I felt like hugging every word uttered in it, specially in Valerie's letter:

"“But what I hope mos ...more

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Nov 05, 2016 Celeste rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, best-books-i-ve-ever-read, graphic-novels

“Remember, remember the fifth of November; the gunpowder treason and plot. I can think of no reason why the Gunpowder Treason should ever be forgot.”

V for Vendetta is one of my favorite movies of all time. For that reason, I never read the graphic novel that inspired the movie, for fear that it would fall short. Until today, that is. And I needn’t have worried; Alan Moore’s original story was just as powerful as the movie. I wasn’t disappointed at all, and this is now my favorite graphic novel.

I “Remember, remember the fifth of November; the gunpowder treason and plot. I can think of no reason why the Gunpowder Treason should ever be forgot.”

V for Vendetta is one of my favorite movies of all time. For that reason, I never read the graphic novel that inspired the movie, for fear that it would fall short. Until today, that is. And I needn’t have worried; Alan Moore’s original story was just as powerful as the movie. I wasn’t disappointed at all, and this is now my favorite graphic novel.

I think of V for Vendetta as an alternate 1984, one where Winston and Julia fought back against Big Brother and won. It’s such a powerful story that I can’t really think of how to properly describe it. Bigots and fear mongers will always twist tragedies to their own ends, and will always seek to eradicate anyone who looks different or acts different or thinks different than they do, and will do their best to cow the remainder of the population into submission. In both V for Vendetta and 1984, those bigots and fear mongers succeeded. But V for Vendetta gives us something that 1984 does not; it gives us hope. Because ideas are bulletproof, and the Thought Police and Norsefire can only reach so far. They can beat us down and even kill us, but there is an inch of us they cannot touch without our consent. Even in death, that inch, our integrity, is ours and ours alone. They cannot take it, as they cannot take hope.

There was one thing that was added to the movie that I missed in the book: V’s Alliteration Speech. Here it is below:

"Voilà! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of Fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is it vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished, as the once vital voice of the verisimilitude now venerates what they once vilified. However, this valorous visitation of a bygone vexation stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition. The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose vis-à-vis an introduction, and so it is my very good honor to meet you and you may call me V."

Such a superbly satisfying soliloquy, sí?

One thing I liked better about the graphic novel was the growth of Evey. Natalie Portman did a wonderful job in the movie, but I felt like the Evey present in the final scenes of the graphic novel was stronger, harder, more fully developed.

Do I recommend the graphic novel? Wholeheartedly. Is it better than the movie? No. But they’re both wonderful and inspiring and worth consuming. Please, consume them both. ...more

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Sep 01, 2018 Kristy K rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2018, graphic-novel, dystopian

4.5 Stars

Damn. Alan Moore is one hell of a writer. This was written in the 80's yet the parallels to today...it’s chilling. I watched the movie years ago and liked it but I always hesitated on reading the graphic novel. I’m glad I finally did. The political and social commentary is still very relevant.

I wasn’t the biggest fan of the illustrations. I often found it difficult to decipher who was who in the panels so if their names weren’t said, I wasn’t always sure who was present. Other than tha ...more

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Oct 19, 2008 Paul rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I reread this in one sitting one cold, Saturday in February. It's still remarkable and more than a bit terrifying in our age of Trumplandia.

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Apr 28, 2016 Mia (Parentheses Enthusiast) added it · review of another edition

Shelves: psychopaths-are-fun, got-as-gift, amorality-and-antiheroes, wtf-did-i-just-read, books-with-pictures

This was totally a five-star book. The artistic style and design, the incorporation of different viewpoints, the writing of internal dialogue- they were wonderful. The fantastic fusion of art and prose is obviously indicative of how well Moore and Lloyd worked together, and rarely do we come across a figure like V who remains just as indecipherable in the end as he was in the beginning, constantly providing the reader with food for thought. The Shadow Gallery was a brilliant creation as well, up This was totally a five-star book. The artistic style and design, the incorporation of different viewpoints, the writing of internal dialogue- they were wonderful. The fantastic fusion of art and prose is obviously indicative of how well Moore and Lloyd worked together, and rarely do we come across a figure like V who remains just as indecipherable in the end as he was in the beginning, constantly providing the reader with food for thought. The Shadow Gallery was a brilliant creation as well, up to par with Sherlock's study and Dumbledore's chambers.

Actually, it's more of a four-star book. It wasn't earth-shattering or life-changing, but the craftsmanship is here all the same. I have to give it credit for seamlessly combining elements that at first seem disparate: nuclear war, Guy Fawkes, concentration camps, fascism, vigilantism. There are touches here that are delightfully literary, like Valerie's beautiful letter or V's noirish cabaret song (complete with sheet music, which was a lot of fun for me to play on my keyboard), which effortlessly bring the lofty concepts back down to the reader's level, making it more than just a manifesto.

Now that I think of it, it's a three-star book. For all its theatricality and flare, for all its uniqueness and clever tactics, one can't escape the feeling that V for Vendetta still treads on familiar ground in terms of predictable relationships between characters, and between characters and the government. The way Moore peers deeper into a fascist regime to examine the human cogs and their motivations is fascinating, yes, but the whole message gets lost a bit somewhere between V's incessant diatribes and the bizarrely tangential and wildly confusing interludes in the middle.

I guess it's a two-star book. After all, the story is greatly lacking in coherence, jumping from viewpoint to viewpoint with abandon and throwing together all manner of ridiculous and unnecessary subplots. It's hard to relate to any of the characters, as they consistently make absurd decisions and act erratically. Not to mention that I still didn't know 90% of the characters' names because of how much they blended together, and some of the dialect writing, Scottish specifically, was beyond impossible to read. Also, in the end, the theme is flimsy, leaving many intricacies unanswered.

You know what? This is a one-star book. The two main characters are cardboard cutouts, and the whole thing is completely impenetrable in terms of the denseness and contradiction of the political ideology therein. With a plot that goes from intriguing to confusing to off-the-rails, culminating in a climax that comes simultaneously too early and far too late, any charm that the artwork and innovation conjures up is decimated by sloppy pacing that manages to both rush and lag. Beyond that, V's monologues and modes of speech became grating, and Evey's transformation, like so much else, wasn't believable.

...do you see my problem here? ...more

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Aug 03, 2017 Gianfranco Mancini rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: comics-and-graphic-novels, dystopian, alternative-history, vertigo-comics, dc-comics, alan-moore

Remember, remember!
The fifth of November,
The Gunpowder treason and plot;
I know of no reason
Why the Gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot!

A great classic ucronic dystopian graphic novel, with echoes of Orwell's 1984 and a fascist England not so much futuristic, but a few parts were really just boring, characters' faces were almost the same and at the start of the series the author was like not knowing where the storyline was going... Sorry, mr Moore. I enjoyed much more ...more

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Dec 29, 2016 JA rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Loved the movie so much, but not so much love for the book. Some parts of the movie didn't stay true to the book which, I think, made the movie way better. The book was a bit too sexist at times. I understand, though, that this was written in the 70s/80s so I let it slide. But I am still glad I have, finally, finally read this since this is one of my most anticipated reads this year. My 100th book :)

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...more

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Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Never too Late to...: 2020 April V for Vendetta	10	26	Jun 25, 2020 07:13PM
KPL Book Club: General Discussion	1	2	Feb 12, 2020 03:31PM
remember remember the fifth of november !	1	6	Jan 03, 2020 12:13PM
V for Vendetta the film and V for Vendetta the comic seem worlds apart...	1	15	Dec 12, 2019 01:29AM
Historical fiction book about an English spy and her best friend who was captured. Book cover was black with red letters I think?	2	3	Dec 03, 2019 07:21PM

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About Alan Moore

Alan Moore

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Alan Moore is an English writer most famous for his influential work in comics, including the acclaimed graphic novels Watchmen, V for Vendetta and From Hell. He has also written a novel, Voice of the Fire, and performs "workings" (one-off performance art/spoken word pieces) with The Moon and Serpent Grand Egyptian Theatre of Marvels, some of which have been released on CD.

As a comics writer, Moor ...more