I really liked the novel and the intelligent writing by Allan Moore , it's definitely one of the most important graphic novels ever written. Although the slow paced narrative and the jump of events from time to time a bit annoyed me. Anarchy seems to be the whole idea of the novel and the fight against the fascist government in a post apocalyptic Britain.
the art of the novel is pretty neat and David Lloyd character design for V is very revolutionary and iconic which we can see the impact of the mask of V today. Totally worth reading

'll try not to say anything about this that hasn't been said before but that's unlikely, considering that this is Alan Moore.

Make no mistake about it. This is not Watchmen. What we have here are ideas from books like 1984 and Animal Farm presented in comic book form with a sort of batman-like hero at the helm. It succeeds by creating a uniquely British atmosphere with beautifully illustrated scenes in washed out, dystopian colors. There are many characters speaking in rather thick British accents, and probably dozens of English landmarks or locations that I don't recognize.

Interestingly, it also took out the comic book sound fx and narrative. Everything is done in dialogue. What's kind of tedious though, is that V talks like a fortune cookie, quoting this book or that. He comes across as a man of only a few words of his own, with the rest of the characters reciting his story.

If this was a movie, I'd reccomend rental instead of buying. Try it at your local library first.

Alan Moore's V for Vendetta is to his Watchmen what Tolkien's Hobbit is to his Silmarillion: an inferior work of superior satisfaction.

I should point out before going any further, however, that I am in no way suggesting V for Vendetta or The Hobbit are anything less than classics. As works of literature both are vastly superior to most books written, especially within their genres. They simply don't match the literary heights of their more lofty relations.

But this is about V for Vendetta, so here's my take on its inferiority and superiority: to the Watchmen:

Inferiority -- While both books are set in fascistic dystopias (either parallel or near future), Watchmen's world offers us greater depth of history, an engrossing mythology that raises the tales believability despite its fantastic elements, while working on multiple levels of theme, meaning and artistry. It is dark, sinister, unrelenting, hopeless and utterly genius.

Superiority -- Yet V for Vendetta is no slouch as a work of art. After all, any story dealing with terrorism/freedom fighting in the last 25 years that dares to make the terrorist/freedom fighter a hero is a work worth reading.

More importantly, however, V is a powerful and convincing character. S/he makes it clear that anarchy is not about chaos but a different form of order without law. S/he is a wounded being whose rage can be tempered with mercy; s/he is a teacher whose love can lead to the torture of her/his student(s); s/he is an artist whose art is change. And all of this makes her/him a far more likable character than folks like Rorschach and Comedian, making V for Vendetta vastly more accessible than its cousin.

V for Vendetta also has a slightly more hopeful finish than Watchmen. There is a tiny possibility that the change begun in fascist England will continue in a positive direction. After all, the mantle of V refuses to die, which is a heck of a lot better than Ozymandias' forced utopia just waiting to explode into a violence far worse than any that has come before.

I can close the cover on V for Vendetta and feel refreshed, whereas I usually close the cover on Watchmen and feel the need for a scalding shower to steam off the filth. The former is much more satisfying than the latter.

So I have to admit that I enjoy V for Vendetta more than Watchmen. I am more likely to pick it up when I am feeling nostalgic for my comic book youth, but I have no doubt that Watchmen is the superior work.

It's hard to believe that this was written 20 years ago. With the fear of terrorism bringing the whole world closer to fascist rule, this book is as fresh as anything out there. If possible, it's even better than Moore's other classic, Watchmen. You'll never forget the mysterious grin of the man known only as V.