Graphic Novels

V for Vendetta is not your usual novel. Because Alan Moore and David Lloyd teamed up to make this a graphic novel, the way in which the reader views the story changes. I have never read a graphic novel before so this was quite a change. I must admit it took some time to begin reading the novel because I found myself trying to get every detail possible from the graphics. However you cannot call V for Vendetta your average “comic book”, at least not in the usual sense of the phrase. This story is not about a man with the ability to fly, but the ability to think. This particular graphic novel was also meant for a mature audience with issues dealing with racism, sexism, vengeance, and anarchy throughout the entire story.

But “V” is different from usual novels because it contains graphics. These graphics enhance the story for several reasons. A great majority of the story is dialogue and the reader can utilize the pictures to get a better sense of the scene unfolding. Whereas in typical novels, the reader must rely on textual clues to make the scene come alive in his or her mind. In addition each picture gives the dialogue a powerful effect. For example when V is explaining the day in which he escaped from Larkhill a picture of the outline of a man amongst bright yellow flames accompanies the dialogue. It’s a powerful tool to help the reader feel the emotions of both the characters and the overall story. It would be interesting to see if reading the novel without the graphics would still have the same effects.