Published: November 20th, 2018
Written by: Alan Moore
Art by: David Lloyd
DC Comics, Vertigo, 397 Pages
Review:
While I had several singles issue of V for Vendetta, as a kid. I’ve never actually completed the run and I’ve never read the ten-part maxi-series in its entirety.
That is until now, and because Comixology recently had a sale on the 30th anniversary edition, which was pretty pricey for a digital comic before the sale.
Being a long-time fan of Alan Moore’s work, most specifically Watchmen, and a fan of the V for Vendetta film adaptation, reading this was long overdue.
For the most part, I was really impressed with the story in its original form. It was more fleshed out than the film, which I can now say was a really good adaptation of the source material despite having limited time to fit as much in as possible.
The comic, however, was able to convey things in a deeper way while also showing things that couldn’t have been used in the film due to the differences between the two mediums and major studio Hollywood’s tendency to self-censor.
I can’t say that I was blown away by David Lloyd’s art style but that’s also pretty subjective and it does fit the tone of the story well. It’s just not my general cup of tea and it came across as pretty subdued with muted colors and action that didn’t feel as dynamic as it could have been. Still, it works for the story and I don’t want to sound like I’m just shitting on it.
If you’ve seen the film but never read the comic, the plot is basically the same. There’s just a little more meat and potatoes with the comic.
While many comics that have been labeled as “masterpieces” don’t live up to the historical hype, I’d say that V for Vendetta does. It’s a long read, packed with almost too much dialogue but it’s certainly not boring and it has solid pacing where every scene feels necessary.
Frankly, it truly is one of Alan Moore’s best.
Rating: 9/10
Pairs well with: Alan Moore’s Watchmen, as well as his more political work.
Talking Pulp 