bold_badger's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Confinement, Violence, Murder, and Torture
Moderate: Kidnapping, Toxic relationship, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Xenophobia, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Abandonment, War, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, and Genocide
bearystarry's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: War, Medical trauma, Genocide, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Torture, Sexual harassment, Homophobia, Hate crime, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Death of parent, Death, Colonisation, Alcohol, Religious bigotry, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Murder, Cursing, Lesbophobia, Infidelity, Domestic abuse, Confinement, Gun violence, Classism, Blood, and Biphobia
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Sexual content
yaboiellis's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Kidnapping, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Grief, Physical abuse, Bullying, Classism, Gaslighting, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Blood, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Body horror, Death of parent, Confinement, Cursing, Drug use, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: War, Alcohol, Trafficking, Alcoholism, Torture, Xenophobia, and Violence
Minor: Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Rape, Sexism, and Sexual violence
xenia_li's review
5.0
Graphic: Racism, Adult/minor relationship, Hate crime, Police brutality, Violence, Torture, Racial slurs, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, and Genocide
Moderate: Mental illness, Infidelity, Rape, War, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Pedophilia, Murder, Gun violence, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Incest, Medical trauma, Antisemitism, Drug abuse, Violence, Grief, and Religious bigotry
dudebell's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
The world of V for Vendetta is one in which fascists in Britain have successfully eradicated all visible ‘minorities’ from their country, leaving behind only those less visible - those who are queer. Characters are forced to make the decision: to be visible, or to move invisibly. For Valerie, this is her “one inch” that she will not give up. For Ruth, this is price she is willing to pay for her ‘freedom’ — a freedom that is simply a different sort of prison. It’s interesting to me that, in the afterword of the edition I read, Moore describes an earlier version of V as “transsexual” — and it’s true. Firstly in the sense that V is both everything and nothing, he is a man and a woman and both and neither, he is an idea, and anyone can be an idea. He represents anarchy and freedom and the queerness we can associate with that, and we see this as
Spoiler
Evey dons his mask and becomes him; a woman becomes a man. I can also very easily see V as Ruth, as someone who decided one prison and got the other one anyway, who is fuelled by remorse for what she did to Valerie, who takes her lover’s initial in an act of defiance but still feels the need for invisibility, the need to mask her face and lie.The world of V is also one in which love has been replaced with power, and for me this is the strongest element of the novel. All romance is a power play. Sexual intimacy is girls on a stage, is rape. Susan (and there’s something to be said about genderplay with that name as well) is ruling a world so devoid of love that he falls for a computer (here again — a non-sexed ‘entity’ who is addressed as a woman and has the voice of a man). There’s an incredible scene where, almost in a trance, Susan whispers “I love you” to Fate, while Creedy trembles in the background, unsure if he’s the object of this affection. Lost love is depicted as queer joy, as a celebration of Blackness. And this is something that has been sacrificed for uniformity and control.
There are some issues I take with the comic. I think the film’s decision to make Gordon a queer man was the right one, as his role in the book is a little cloudy. I also wish the two leads were less opaque. While I understand this decision to make V more myth than man, I wish there had been moments to humanise him and make him feel more real.
Spoiler
But the biggest offence for me is Evey’s under-reaction to her torture and captivity at V’s hands. What V does is insurmountable, strangely motivated, unclear in its outcome. In my opinion it would almost be better if it were lost entirely.Overall, a classic comic, one of the greats. Definitely an important read for anyone interested in the medium.
Graphic: Blood, Classism, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Genocide, Gun violence, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Police brutality, Violence, War, Xenophobia, Confinement, Death, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Infidelity, Medical content, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Torture
Moderate: Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, and Antisemitism
fueledbymostro's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Domestic abuse, and Genocide
fallandfox's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, War, Violence, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Sexual assault, Rape, Racism, Police brutality, Pedophilia, Misogyny, Lesbophobia, Kidnapping, Infidelity, Homophobia, Gun violence, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse
danicrids's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Moderate: Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Sexism, and Murder
scripturient's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Blood, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Gore, Medical trauma, Medical content, Physical abuse, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Incest, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, and Homophobia