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V for Vendetta | 
| Author: Alan Moore
Creator: David Lloyd
Publisher: Vertigo
Category: Book
List Price: $19.99
Buy New: $13.59
You Save: $6.40 (32%)
Rating:  5 reviews
Sales Rank: 2055
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 296
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 10.1 x 6.6 x 0.6
ISBN: 140120841X
Dewey Decimal Number: 741
EAN: 9781401208417
Publication Date: October 24, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 6 to 10 days
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| Customer Reviews:
 He is V November 4, 2008
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
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.
V for Vendetta December 16, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Here am I again, confronted with classic, one of those comics that changed the way people looked at the media. On of those works that showed that comics and heroes aren't about flashy superpowers or great feats of strength, evil enemies and demonic characters with want for total destruction. This one showed that comic book can be intelligent, thought-provoking and in a way brave - in not choosing the easy way out. Its macabre atmosphere, which corresponds to bleak atmosphere of great towns and political systems of today, it's dark brilliance, brisk of Shakespearean tragedy, mask that never stops smiling and never shows it' face, birth and life of an subversive idea, romanticism embodied in a product of concentrational camps. Where Adorno saw nothing but bleak existence, destruction of all hope for humane project, Moore saw the birthplace of new kind of warrior, one which bathed in blood of fellow humans, one utterly insane but whose insanity feels as a better programme when compared to government one, one which embodies anarchy, revolution, and changes to come - all in one body.
There is no need for fresh, new and inspiring look to this classic, it aged wonderfully, showing just now its full potential. What maybe seemed overrated back then in the eighties, now shows itself as a reality, somewhat harsh, but metaphorically correct. What many of the "more literate" books failed to see, Moore and Lloyd showed in a disturbing way, forcing their reader to think once again about the world in which he lives in.
This is the book for everyone. It's not avant garde in a way the one would need vast amount of experience before reading it, it can be understood and enjoyed by total beginner, and it can be understood in all of it's complexity. That doesn't mean that Moore's symbols are banal or impregnated with pathetic high-talk. It means that "V for Vendetta" in it's simplicity becomes complex, its usage of shadows, perspective, movement, color - all blend into one fine piece of art that speaks of human struggle, human monstrosities, ordinary lives which shatters when confronted to aggressive ideology. It speaks of war, want for war, and want for peace eternal. Its political leftism may be appalling to some, which will consider way of V as being too radical and violent, it may disturb rational pragmatist who will in V's romanticism observe nothing but childish ideas which cannot, and should not be achieved. But mere existence of these interpretations, mere possibility to look upon this book as something more than colorful piece of action figures, shows how great this book is. Quarter of the century later, drawing inspiration from this one, many artist presented many great work to readers of the world, but few managed to score high as V did. If you didn't yet read this, you can be sure that you're omitting great work, kind of works that shows once in a decade or more. And after this, as you might have already guessed, way is open to "Watchmen".
The best December 23, 2008
0 out of 3 found this review helpful
graphic novel ever written, in my humble opinion. That said I don't love the artwork. If you love the movie, you must read this. You just must. If you do not, you suck. /topic
V for Vendetta Graphic Novel January 6, 2009
I loooove this Graphic Novel, I decided to purchase it after watching the movie, and although it is very different from the movie, it is still quite interesting. I read this book in one day!
Brilliant January 8, 2009
This is by far Alan Moore's best work. His later work delves into more arcane moral problems but this book confronts the evil of fascism and group think with an amazing clarity. I consider this one of the best books I've read, graphic or otherwise.
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