V For Vendetta
Writer: Alan Moore
Artist: David Lloyd
Alan Moore provides an excellent study of of totalitarianism vs. anarchy, providing intricate arguments from both sides!
Ranking: 5 stars
For those who are unaware, Alan Moore is widely considered to be one of the greatest (if not the greatest) comic book writers in history. He was part of what has now become widely regarded as the "British Invasion" of comics, where he along with other British writers and artists (including Grant Morrison, Neil Gaiman, Brian Bolland, and Dave Gibbons) saw untapped potential in the stories that could be told in through the graphic medium. As a result, many of the comics produced throughout the late 80's were widely praised for darker and mature story lines that had been previously unseen in comics by the general public. Alan Moore is the writer that most people associate with this movement and for good reason. Many of his works such as FROM HELL, SWAMP THING, THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN, LOST GIRLS and the crown jewel of his library WATCHMEN, helped expand the possibilities that comic writers could explore with stories and characters. I have read a good number of Moore's comics, and while I don't necessarily regard him as my all-time favorite comic writer (that would go to either Brian Michael Bendis or Jeph Loeb), he definitely qualifies as top 5 worthy in that regard. The primary aspect that I feel drives his writing style is his ability to delve deep into a character's psychology, using it to help set the plot in motion and explore a variety of unique themes. This writing style was successfully utilized in BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE, through its arguments on what can cause a man to go insane, and to an even greater degree in WATCHMEN, which heavily focused on the flawed personalities of it's characters in order to ground superheroes in a realistic manner. V FOR VENDETTA is a bit different in this regard, as it uses the deep psychology of its characters in order to explore the complex concepts of freedom, oppression, anarchy, and totalitarianism. The book takes place in an England that has devolved into a fascist dictatorship. In the 1990's a nuclear war had engulfed the entire world, resulting in the deaths of countless civilians and the collapse of the British government. The civil unrest that soon followed led to the rise of the Norsefire party, which reformed the nation into a totalitarian state, where only those who were considered strong and put their faith in the party were fit to live. The story opens with a young woman named Evey Hammond walking down the lonely night lit streets of London. She is struggling to earn money as a munitions worker, and hopes to gain extra by resorting to prostitution. This proves to be a deadly mistake however, as the man she approaches turns out to be one of the fingermen, the party's elite secret police. Before the fingerman and his colleagues can do anything however, a mysterious figure wearing a mask that resembles Guy Fawkes attacks them and rescues Evey. Up on London's rooftops the masked figure, who addresses himself only as "V," reveals to Evey that he is an anarchist rebelling against the dictatorship, which is evidenced by him detonating a bomb he planted in the parliament building. He then takes Evey under his wing, and explains that he intends to rid England of its dictatorship and transform it into, "the land of do-as-you-please." The attack immediately catches the attention of the party's heads, who begin an all-out crusade to capture and discover the identity of V. As V continues to strike against the government, individuals will live, others will die, and some will struggle to decide where their loyalties lie. In the end, will totalitarianism and oppression reign over England, or will anarchy and freedom become the dominating body of power? Either way, all of those present will indeed remember the fifth of November... Similar to my experience with X-MEN: MAGNETO TESTAMENT, V FOR VENDETTA is a comic that I was required to read twice in order for me to analyze it properly. It doesn't mean that I could not enjoy it the first time around, as I acknowledged that it was a well written and intricately thought out story. It was just one of those books that the reader needs to be in the right mood while reading it, as the ideas and themes it conveys are deep and intricately woven into the overall plot. When I decided to take another chance with the book, I found myself unable to take my eyes off of it. Although I will always regard WATCHMEN as my favorite work of Alan Moore's, V FOR VENDETTA is quite easily one of the most complex and intriguing stories that I have encountered in sequential art. Not only is it incredibly well written, but also it engages the reader with complex debates about the benefits and dangers of both anarchy and totalitarianism. Both sides are given justified arguments with logical reasoning, allowing the reader that they each have their pros and cons. The main character V, believes that the only form of freedom that can exist in a totalitarian police state is anarchy. Having witnessed the atrocities committed by the Norsefire party, he feels that justice and order has betrayed society, and that governments are the source of all problems. He now follows the principle of anarchy, believing that an individual should be able to determine their own fate without interference from someone else, leading to his terrorist actions against the Norsefire party. The Norsefire on the other hand, believe that total control of the people is the only way to ensure that England stands strong. They feel that strength is found in working for a common ideal, and that individual freedoms are weaknesses that prevent those goals from being obtained. The party also perceives freedom as dangerous, as the riots and instability that occurred after the original government's collapse was a result of the masses having none to govern them. Essentially, they believe that too much individual freedom leads to the inability to properly control. Rather than picking one side to support, Moore devotes an equal amount of time in presenting each side's arguments, and backs them up with well-developed and logical reasons. It shows that neither side is truly right or wrong, but is a result of the perspectives belonging to their respective members. This allow the reader to see that both anarchy and fascism have their benefits, as well as their set-backs. Should the world be run by anarchy in order to ensure that every individual retains all of their rights, or will a lack of authority result in senseless violence and chaos? Is total control a necessary measure to ensure strength and stability, or will losing freedom mean losing all humanity? These questions not only help to drive the plot forward, but provide depth for the characters, as well as the ideals that they believe in. One aspect in particular that I found unique about V FOR VENDETTA is that rather than antagonizing the dictators, it attempts to humanize them. Some people think of this book as "the 1984 of comics," as it takes place in a totalitarian police state where freedom is virtually a myth. While V FOR VENDETTA definitely does draw influence on George Orwell's writing, Moore's approach on totalitarianism is different. Because 1984 was a novel that advocated the dangers of totalitarianism, Orwell needed paint the villains as power-hungry dictators in order to convey the potential danger of living in a world with zero individual freedoms. In V FOR VENDETTA however, the members of the fascist party come across as more sympathetic than monstrous. Their motives are more complex than a simple lust for power, as they can range from fear of their superiors, to them following an ideal or principle that they believe in. A good example of this is where the leader of the party is revealed to possess a deep love for his country, and will do anything to keep it strong. It shows that the leader is a man that is willing to sacrifice his people's freedom and rights for the benefit of his country. He doesn't take away his people's freedom because he's simply an a**hole, but rather because he believes that individual freedoms are weaknesses that would prevent Britain's survival. Moore himself stated that when writing his dictators, that portraying them as stereotypical "Nazi-like" dictators would be "insulting to the reader's intelligence," as he wanted to show they are still human human beings. He wanted to convey that people corrupted by power are not the Hellish demons, but are ordinary individuals driven to extreme measures, and have different reasons and motivations for doing so. This is indeed a rare interpretation of literary dictators, and Moore's brilliant writing was successful in allowing me to connect with and understand the motives of all his antagonists even if I didn't agree with them. The final area that I feel that I should comment on is the nature of the titular character V. V is presented as a complete enigma to the reader. Although we know his motivations, his beliefs in anarchy, and that he was once a victim of the Norsefire party's cruelty, we know virtually nothing else about him. His true identity is never revealed, and we never see the face under his mask. This is useful in portraying the idea that V is more of an ideal rather than individual person. It doesn't matter who is under the mask, as he could be any ordinary individual rebelling against oppression. It connects with the book's idea of anarchy being the ability to control one's own fate, and that anyone can have the power to do so. The mask itself helps symbolize anarchy as well, as it bears a striking resemblance to Guy Fawkes, the orchestrator of the Gunpowder Treason. What particularly fascinates me is that Alan Moore stated how he struggled in developing the character's appearance, and when the artist Dave Lloyd jokingly suggested a Guy Fawkes-like figure, Moore immediately approved it. Moore's choice to give V this appearance perfectly conveys the character's devotion to anarchy, as Fawkes was an infamous anarchist that once attempted to bomb parliament, which is exactly what V does in the book's opening (and coincidentally took place on the same day, the fifth of November). Another aspect of V is the ambiguity of the character's morality. While the terrorist actions he commits are meant to bring down the dictatorship, they result in the destruction of historical landmarks, as well as the deaths of hundreds of party members. The character's morality is further put to question when he is revealed to have been a victim of the party's concentration camps, and carries out brutal physical and psychological vengeance against those responsible. Moore purposefully characterizes V in this manner, leaving the question of whether V is a noble freedom fighter or mad terrorist up to reader interpretation. Either way, V is indeed one of the most morally gray protagonists in comic book history, and is indeed an intriguing and well-developed character. V FOR VENDETTA is a prime example of why Alan Moore has been hailed by many to be one of the greatest, if not the greatest comic book writers in history. The story is unbelievably well-written, it's characters are morally complex and developed, the book's themes of anarchy vs. totalitarianism are highly engaging, and each side is given equal treatment and time devoted to exploring their motivations and philosophies. Rarely, does work such genius see the light of day in comic books, and while I will always hold WATCHMEN as Moore's greatest masterpiece, V FOR VENDETTA indeed stands worthy of being recognized as the powerhouse of comic book storytelling that it is. "Power is not a means, it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship." -George Orwell
