In the 1980s, the landscape of DC was changing as their comics became more than just "for kids". Stories like The Killing Joke and Watchmen were pushing the envelope, targeting an older crowd, and Alan Moore contributed to it. Near the end of the decade, DC fans were in for a surprise as Alan Moore and his team crafted another dark and memorable comic, one that focused on battling Fascism...
V for Vendetta.
Released in 1988, the story focused on the "terrorist" known as V and a woman named Evie as they fought tyranny in a world where England was under fascist rule. Yes, in the world of V for Vendetta, England, which fought Nazism in World War II, was taken over by a fascist party. Alongside Watchmen, V for Vendetta became one of the most influential comics, and would eventually gain a movie adaptation in 2006 staring Natalie Portman as Evie and Hugo Weaving as V.
I obtained the graphic novel earlier this year and read it to the end, and, in the last month, my parents and I watched the film adaptation. It isn't every day when you get to watch an R-rated comic book movie with your mom and dad, especially as they'd seen it before at one point. So, what do I think of the comic and the movie. Let us start with the comic, and I have no intent of spoiling the ending in case you never read it.
The story is compelling, intense, and motivational. V is a well-written mysterious character, and Evie serves as the audience surrogate, our way of seeing the world of the Norsefire-controlled England and V's crusade against the fascist. The tone is dark, and ominous, and, as it is aimed at an older crowd, there are a couple instances of explicit nudity, female nudity, and there is a sex scene at one point. As for the violence, V does kill bad guys here and there, but the blood is used... sparingly. However, the sex, nudity and blood is not the focus, its the story of good against tyranny while discussing the importance of individual freedom.
The movie, which involved the Wachowski Brothers of Matrix fame, tells the same story, but makes some changes. The late John Hurt stars as Adam Sutler, the film counterpart to the comic's villain Adam Susan, which can offer 1984 vibes for those who have seen the 50s and 80s adaptation of the novel, and when I was watching the film, I initially didn't realize the man playing Sutler was Mr. Hurt. Likely because I was focused on the other actors like Natalie Portman and Stephen Fry, but John had some incredible range, and is a joy to watch even though he was the villain here.
My overall thoughts?
I love the comic, and its worth a reread. I might reread it today or tomorrow. You can't go wrong with a story where someone opposes a British fascist regime, and the artwork is spectacularly gorgeous, not to mention the writing is incredible. The movie version is equal, despite taking creative liberties, such as certain events being revised or omitted or the villain having a name change along with how his fate plays out. The comic gets a 9.9 and the film gets a 10/10. Mr. Moore's contribution to DC is legendary, even though he isn't fond of movies adapting his works, but he deserves the respect. See you all later, people.
-James M
