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V For Vendetta
Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2016 5:23 am
by peter
Two-thirds through this graphic novel (Moore's first I think) and mmmm......... I'm a bit disappointed I think. I'm a big Moore fan but in this case I preferred the film.
Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2016 9:31 am
by Fist and Faith
It's been many years, so I don't remember it too well, but I feel the same way. The fact that I don't remember it too well is because it didn't burn itself into me, and I didn't do multiple readings.
Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2016 9:35 am
by sgt.null
have not read the graphic, picked it up at the library, but seemed a bit dense and dry.
Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2016 4:21 pm
by peter
It's a humourless piece [no shame in that] that certainly suffers from it's now being divorced from the time at which it was written. As a product of 'Thatchers Britain' with it's police battling the miners, and calls for AID's victims to be segregated, one can see where it was coming from, but in the light of 9-11 and the war on terror etc it has not aged well. The V of the novel has little of the panache and vigour of the film charachter, and the girl somehow fails to get your sympathy. I'll finish it for sure......but then it goes onto ebay!
Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2016 4:50 pm
by Hashi Lebwohl
Watchmen suffers from the same defect--it was a product of its time and does not "mesh" well into the world of 2016. That being said, this is rare case of the movie being better than the book but that is because Hugo Weaving is a good actor--he was able to make the character of V engaging an entertaining even though we never see his face.
Strangely, even though the story was written in the context of Thatcher's Britain it took on new meaning and new life here, especially among the people who still believe that Bush orchestrated 9-11. V is still the go-to book for certain subcultures because of this.
Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2016 10:26 am
by sgt.null
Alan Moore seems to embody the law of diminishing returns nowadays.
Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2016 4:46 pm
by peter
And yet he was adamantly against both films, demanding that his name be removed from the credits and denying any connection to the works at all. He estimates this act of 'principle' has cost him several millions of dollars; Moore fool him I say!
Did finish it indeed last night and remain unimpressed. I've read most of his stuff now - just the 'swamp thing' comics to go which I do quite fancy.
And of course 'The Killing Joke', his foray into Batman territory, which is a must at some point!

Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2016 5:47 pm
by I'm Murrin
Saga of the Swamp Thing is very good, peter.
Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2016 9:23 pm
by peter
Excellent to hear Murrin: I'm guessing it can be ordered in my library - I'll report back when I've given it a go!
Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2016 5:22 am
by Hashi Lebwohl
I still have my first print first edition "special green color" Killing Joke; I don't think it has been out of its bag in over 20 years--still near mint.
Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2016 4:56 pm
by peter
Did you buy it as a Moore fan Hashi, or a Batman one [the latter I'd guess]. Given that you haven't returned to re-read it in those many a years, can I assume that it was somewhat mediocre in your opinion?
Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2016 3:10 pm
by Hashi Lebwohl
Neither--I bought it because it was a special first-edition release. I haven't reread it in many years because I know the story well enough that I need not peruse it again.
Aside from what happens to Barbara Gordon, I think it also marked the first time we got any sort of Joker backstory about his life before the Red Hood and that aftermath. Whether that history is accurate, though, is anyone's guess.
Posted: Sat Feb 20, 2016 9:11 am
by sgt.null
the Joker is more a totem than a person at this point. tell his origin however it fits your story. it can be explained as the rantings of a lunatic.
Posted: Sat Feb 20, 2016 8:32 pm
by peter
There is a great deal of 'history' out there in comic-land that I'm totally ignorant of, mores the pity!
Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2016 7:09 am
by sgt.null
peter wrote:There is a great deal of 'history' out there in comic-land that I'm totally ignorant of, mores the pity!
ask away, we have enough people who are fans to help you out.
Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2016 7:21 am
by peter
We've just got our first dedicated comic shop opened up in town Sarge. Some of my workmates are keen fans so one day soon I'll get down there and have a look at the material.
Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2016 1:27 am
by dANdeLION
Hashi Lebwohl wrote:I still have my first print first edition "special green color" Killing Joke; I don't think it has been out of its bag in over 20 years--still near mint.
I just reread my copy not 2 weeks ago.