(en) France, Alternative Libertaire AL #230 - Classics of subversion: Alan Moore and David Lloyd "V for Vendetta" (fr)

In England, where fascism has become more social chaos caused by a third world war, it is 
certain that were not resigned to the authoritarian system. V for Vendetta is a story of 
revenge, but not only. It is also an ode to the strength and freedom. After eliminating 
his former torturers, V, a survivor of a concentration camp, has the ambition to destroy 
the centers of power in order to make room for the people to revolt and rebuild any other 
company. --- V is clearly a figure of antiheroes: sometimes crazy, sometimes sadistic, 
wearing a mask frozen smile when killing enemies (reference to Guy Fawkes who was on the 
verge of making the Palace of Westminster in 1605 explode). He opposed in all respects to 
the heroes of traditional comics: he does not defend the nation and the authority but 
anarchy, freedom, justice and equality.

The narrative is interspersed with dialogue between V and Evey, kid bursting slab he 
collected while she was about to be killed by cops. V explains what anarchy and removing 
the stigma attached to the term " Anarchy means "without a master" not "without order" , 
"" Anarchy has two faces: creator and destroyer. The destructive shade empires, prepares 
the carpet ruins where the creator can build a better world . "

Far from being a real political work, V for Vendetta has the merit to speak of revolution 
and anarchism through a gripping storyline and stunning designs. Alan Moore and David 
Lloyd thought this story during the Thatcher years, imagining the evolution of England to 
a fascist regime. The personification of a political ideal through the hero can sometimes 
be disturbing but the speech it defines anarchy as the building society by the people and 
not leaders or leaders. As a result, the hero launched a sacrificial cause and disappears 
to make room for the collective construction. It appears marked by the reading of this 
fresco science fiction. Alan Moore and David Lloyd will not compromise either in the 
script or drawing, the story is dark, violent, sometimes creepy, like the society they 
seek to portray. The authors have chosen to use only the dialogue and drawing, which 
purifies the books of any element of contextualization and narration.

The "moral" of the story is that freedom and equality can not be confiscated forever 
people: " The noise is proportional to the silence that preceded it. More calm was 
absolute, plus thunder shock. Our teachers have not heard the voice of the people for 
generations . "

Flo (AL Montpellier)

? Alan Moore and David Lloyd, V for Vendetta , Urban comics, 2012, 352 pages, 28 euros.