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The Duality of Freedom in V For Vendetta

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Graphic novels carry the honor of being the most deceptively collaborative medium. Films and traditional novels each have their own strengths, demanding different levels of participation from their audience and building on their limitations therewithin, but no other medium can show so much to their audience and still build from how little they can show. Comics, by their very concept, trick a reader into seeing motion where there is none. They hear words that are never spoken, see people in paint and pen strokes, and build entire worlds from a series of small and uniform boxes. A comic is limited by how little page space an author can afford, but can it truly be said that their message stops at their artwork? Moviegoers build from what they see. Novels live and die by the depth of a reader's imagination. But graphic novels demand attention from both sides, and rather than buckle under the limitations of each medium, they use text and artwork as stepping stones to form something entirely new.

V For Vendetta, much like the medium of graphic novels itself, thrives on duality. The dystopian London setting pits two political extremes against each other: the fascists headed by the Nazi-inspired Norsefire, and the anarchy spearheaded by the mysterious titular V. Curiously, V is presented in a morally ambiguous light despite having all the makings of a classic comic book hero. He fights for what he believes in, seeks to free the people from a totalitarian state, and is given superhuman powers after becoming a human test subject. However, he is also a violent terrorist willing to put innocents in harm's way, going so far as to kidnap and torture Evey to make her understand his mindset. The subverted archetypes also extend to many members of Norsefire, from the heroic antagonist Eric Finch to the outright pathetic Adam Susan--a far cry from the usual cruel and charismatic comic book dictator. Most importantly of all, the theme of duality extends to anarchy itself. Consider the following page:

Source: Moore, Alan and David Lloyd. V For Vendetta. DC Comics, 2008.

V's calm and collected speech contrasts sharply against the violence of the Norsefire soldiers. Even more, V's words carry a threat, spoken against a backdrop of human atrocities. In any other medium, this juxtaposition would not work. The text works against the images by forcing the reader to consider the contrast in each side. If we can briefly apply some of the concepts raised by Scott McCloud in his book Understanding Comics, we see that this medium, this collaborative experience, demands more from the reader than a film ever could. Which side is wrong? Which side is right? Are both? Are neither? If the medium is the message, as argued by McCloud, then V For Vendetta forces the reader to confront all sides of oppression, even if it comes from within.

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