V For Vendetta - Alan Moore and David Lloyd

Moore again. "V for Vendetta" was a really good movie. I am sure most who have seen it would agree to that. But comparing Moore's "From Hell" and the movie, I wondered whether this one could also be a better graphic novel. Hence I bought it at the first possible convenient chance. In the middle of all the Greek epics and tragedies which are proving a bit too much to handle by now, I picked up this book as an asylum. Shame that I ended it within 24 hours.

Moore proved his script writing prowess once again. The book fared better than the movie, not by a great margin, but yes, it did. There is something about Moore's novels that make you live them. The fluency of the story draws you in. It is not one scene after another, rather it is one scene running into another, stringing into a beautiful garland. A work of art that you cannot help appreciate. Moore does not simply build a character. He builds characters. The story is not just one protagonist shining above all others. There are multiple stories going on. Characters that make them. Everything contributing to one main plot. David Lloyd is equally a genius. The art work is to dies for. Not as pristine as "Batman : A Killing Joke" but well laid out and beautifully done.

The story set in Britain in an imaginary 90's (the novel was written in the 80's). London ruled by a fascist government in the nuclear holocaust after a third World War. No freedom to anyone. Everyone being observed all the time. In this setting emerges a man of superhuman strength and full of ideas of liberality. Wearing a mask and going by the name 'V', he starts killing the top brass of the party. He advocates anarchy in a totalitarian regime. He takes on a young girl as his protege. He plans to shake the masses awake from its servile slumber.

Alan Moore is nothing short of a genius. A few months ago I was not too big on graphic novels. Now I am a big fan of them. Moore's work at the least is nothing less than a text novel. Next up is "Watchmen". Reading Moore's works, it is no wonder that so many of them have inspired motion pictures.