V for Vendetta by Alan Moore, David Lloyd Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of V for Vendetta
Book Review: He is V!
Summary: 5 Stars
One of the latest gritty, dark graphic novels to be adapted to film was "V for Vendetta," based on Alan Moore's futuristic comic of the same name. But as usual, the source is the most compelling.
First published in the early 1980s, Moore painted a frightening future where there is only one man who can challenge the fascist system. Is he an anarchic madman, or a freedom-loving visionary? Readers will have to decide for themselves, but the story is a fascinating action story that raises quite a few questions.
The year is 1998 (okay, pretend it's an alternate reality), and Britain is ruled by a fascist regime, and dominated by a shadowy figure. Order is the law. Blacks, gays, Muslims and Jews are relegated to concentration camps, where they are tortured with medical experiments and evil priests. The one exception is a horribly scarred man, who blew his way out with a homemade bomb. He donned a Guy Fawkes mask, and calls himself V, for he "has no name."
One night he rescues a young prostitute, Evey, from a bunch of thuggish policemen, whisks her down into his hidden base, and involves her in a trap-and-murder plot. Evey is both repulsed and fascinated by V's plots, especially when she is interrogated. And when an order-obsessed policeman closes in on V, both he and Evey must accept their fates.
"V For Vendetta" is a thinking-reader's comic. Fascism and anarchy -- both concepts that Moore clearly understands -- are timeless concepts that pop up periodically throughout human history. So even though 1998 came and went long ago, "V For Vendetta" is an intelligent, deeply compelling story that still resonates in its readers.
Moore's London is a rather dank, dismal place, apparently reflecting the government. He knows how to chill his readers with a diversity-free England that seems a lot like Nazi Germany. Even nonessential scenes like Evey's interrogation are absolutely harrowing. But he can also tug at the heartstrings, such as when Evey reads Valerie's letters.
And Dave Lloyd's artwork is rather flat and a bit faded-looking, though this is not very distracting. But despite the ordinary art, the novel is brought to life by the solid characters and surreal illustrations, with V as the most surreal of all -- just look at that creepy smiling mask.
At first glance, V is a vigilante hero in the tradition of Zorro -- the government is oppressive, and he's trying to take it down. But V is not a plaster hero, and his actions can be very morally ambiguous. Is he a hero or a madman? Did those experiments make him psychotic, or did they just give him courage? Moore leaves it up to our imaginations what he is. By the end, V has become less a person than an ideal.
"V For Vendetta" is a memorable, somewhat frightening graphic novel, which will leave you thinking about what you might do in such a world. A deserving classic.
Book Review: Great value for money, but overall a bit dull and predictable.
Summary: 2 Stars
This comic is about a guy who dresses up like guy fawkes and does anarchic things in a rigid, dystopian society, and that's about it. I was pretty disspointed with this. It doesn't come close to the complexity and depth of the Watchmen, doesn't add anything to what you may have read in 1984, and doesn't have the driving momentum of The Dark knight returns.
Although there's still Alan Moore's great dialogue and some very clever touches, it just doesn't explore any ideas, it's a really simple and uninteresting story, with predictable and flat characters. All of the ideas here are explored much better in Dark knight returns, which deals with questions about hard right wing fascism, liberal beaurocracy and anarchy society in much more frank and realistic ways, without compromising a damn good story.
The art is also pretty messy, dated and comes off looking dry and unappealing. This may be regarded as a classic by most, but I would at least recommend you get the other classic comics first.
Book Review: V for vendetta - The book
Summary: 5 Stars
First watch the entertaining film.
Then read the wonderful book.
I have recently read the book twice within a month (I borrowed it from the local library but it's on my Amazon wish list) and was blown away by it. I haven't read a comic for years - probably not since I was in my early teens (too many years ago to work out) - but this book was everything a book should be but in graphic novel form. Extremely well drawn and incredibly well written. Intelligent use of language; great plot and great characters. While the story is similar to the film version once you have read the book you realise how much has been changed. I'm past getting too upset over films not following the book as closely as I'd prefer and have long since forgiven Peter Jackson for some major changes to Lord of The Rings. Similarly I'll forgive the Wachowski brothers and James McTeigue for cutting out swathes of the book and changing the story-line to fit 120 minutes or so. However once you have read the book you'll realise how much better the original version is. It makes more sense and while leaving one or two things hanging it feels right.
Warning - just because it's in comic format it doesn't mean it's a child's book. I'd say 12 or over and that would depend on the child's maturity.
Book Review: Graphics Novels always have the upper hand.
Summary: 5 Stars
I saw the Film first, then read the Graphic Novel. Loved both of course and very much would recommend it. Read the book first, the language and writing is as much satired and flamboyant that it feels more ambigious as in the film, the film has its own excellent adaptation of the novel, which makes it more enjoyable. The book has a more Vaudeville and Neo-Dickens-on outlook of it, and it pars well in that much of it feels very cinematic. Both good versions of a cunning and elequent story. 9/10. Book Review: Can I Give it Six Out of Five?
Summary: 5 Stars
An absolute masterpiece!
I have never read a graphic novel and got into this through the film (worth a watch). I make a point of never reading the book of the film and thought i'd give it a try.
The story is a dark, chilling, orwellian style warning, of the results of facism. Like 1984 you can see this vision of the future around you now in the form of CCTV, and the war of words brought by the war on terror.
The graphics are great, especially like the ghoul like bishop.
If you've never tried graphic novels, try it. You might, like me love it.