V is for Very Good

V for Vendetta, by Alan Moore and David Lloyd, is full of great titles. The first book is Europe After the Reign, establishing the time and place of the story. The second book is This Vicious Cabaret, evoking a song that describes the increasingly important role of the supporting cast. Finally, the third book, The Land of Do-As-You-Please, indicates the anarchy that Britain races towards in the finale.

Even the book's title is awesome: V for Vendetta. Two meanings: yes, "V" stands for the word Vendetta, a concept that seems to be child's play. But the enigmatic character V stands for his own vendetta. Double meaning, see.

Also, every chapter in the book starts with the letter V. It's one of the very few gimmicks that Alan Moore's inserted into this comic.

This is quite different from his last work. Watchmen, produced with Dave Gibbons, was so deep in symbolism it needed a flashlight and spelunking equipment. Here, the ideas are even better than Watchmen's, applying as they do to human philosophy in general, and not just super heroes.

V for Vendetta is one of those sad occasions on which I am biased going into a book. You see, I saw the film first, which was itself an impressive work of story and atmosphere. Going into the comic, there are a few things I noticed right off the bat.

First, the story is almost exactly the same, with a few exceptions. Second, Moore and Lloyd make no effort to hide the radical fascist and anarchist themes in the book, unlike in the movie. Third, it's much harder to tell who's who in the book.

This last point makes a few scenes very hard to follow. However, it ultimately works, because the people whose names I lost track of are largely the members of the government -- and they're supposed to be nameless faceless entities. It's only when they get real character development -- like Finch and the Scotsman -- that I start paying attention to them, and they break free of their conformist, samey lifestyle.

To counter the hard-to-follow moments, there are some bits that translate much better in the world of comics. The reveal of the nature of Evey's imprisonment is a splash-page. V's television transmission is a really awesome metaphor that lasts an entire chapter. (Essentially, he explains to the citizens of Britain that they have not done their job properly, and have two years to right themselves... or face the consequences.) The character of the Leader, and the true nature of V (revealed at the verrrrry end), are subtle and well-done. I miss the montage from the movie where things rise to the breaking point with the murder of the little girl, but it's a small price to pay, and the slow build works better in this medium anyway.

The material seems to better fit the medium, too. David Lloyd has a very gritty style that fits the themes of fascism, prostitution, and corruption in a future post-holocaust Britain. Think Blade Runner meets Fahrenheit 451. Actually, that doesn't even begin to describe the tone. Go read this book, instead.

I do wish that I hadn't seen the movie first. It's a nice movie. The themes in the book, though, are purer and less subject to current-day politics. Actually, it's interesting simply as a book about breaking free from oppression. And the ending is still one of the most truly satisfying I've read recently.

Even if you don't read comics, pick up V for Vendetta and give it a try. It's a heavy work, but it's easier to read than Watchmen, and not quite so full of itself. And anyway, the character of V will stay with you for a while -- or, at least, his ideas will.