V for Vendetta
Essay title: V for Vendetta
-The graphic novel form complicates V because it gives you a lot of information at once that you must absorb and retain.
-Without the artwork you would not have as much detail about the characters’ appearances or the setting,
-Symbolism is hidden throughout the novel within the artwork. You would not get as much information or foreshadow is such a discreet manner is a purely written novel.
-Themes and plot would also have to be portrayed differently if V was not a graphic novel. This is because the visuals would not exist to help form and build the conflicts.
-Without pictures V would not have been as good of a novel. The complexity that the graphic novel form allows is what made V for Vendetta such an intense read. They say a picture is worth 1,000 words, and in this case I believe that’s true. In a regular written novel form V would probably be at least 2 times as long because each image is so informative and crucial when portraying key elements in the plot.
-I copied specific frames from the novel as examples of how the artwork truly does inform the reader without saying a word.
Color
-Moore uses color in a few ways. Some of his scenes are drawn with color as emotion; others are set by their color schemes. The tone helps portray setting, time and sometimes just to create a feeling.
-In these frames Moore uses a blue color scheme, almost black, to depict the time of day. The dark colors indicate that this scene takes place at night and the clouds give you the feeling of a storm approaching, literally and figuratively.
-These scenes are colored in a red scheme. This is not just because Moore felt like it, it is for a reason. The automatic word associated with the color is love. He plays on this color affiliation response often throughout V.
-These frames are used as setting. The multi color completes the disco idea, but it also gives you a sense of fantasy, which is intended. Evey is supposed to feel safe and “in another world” with V in these scenes.
Line
-Scott McCloud examines lines and the way they are formed. Then he translates them into feelings and actions. The type of line used to draw a character, especially their face, also holds meaning in V.
-The dolls are the purest characters in this story. This comes out in the way they are drawn. The soft curves of their faces are warm and gentle. They look almost angelic. They are made to appear flawless and perfect, unlike the rest of the characters in the novel.
-These frames show how differently Moore draws males and females. She, like most of the rest of the women, is drawn with smooth passive lines, while he is drawn with savage deadly lines. Also much of his face is blackened, making his distorted, sort of disfigured. It also gives you the sense that he is hiding something away that he doesn’t want others to see.
-This is a perfect example of McCloud’s “Living in Line” chapter. Glass doesn’t naturally break into rigid, perfectly proportionate triangles. Moore did this for a reason. He used the jagged pointy glass to indicate how unwelcome and severe the action in these frames is.
Background
-Moore uses the background of his frames for many reasons. He sometimes put hidden or underlying ideas in the backdrop. Also he uses it to foreshadow upcoming events and to display irony throughout the novel.
-In this frame the swastika is being marched through the background for a reason. Although the true meaning if the symbol is forgotten by many, the idea that it brings to mind is often of Nazi Germany. I believe in this frame Moore plays on the affiliation of the symbol so the reader can have something real to compare this novel with.
-In this scene a portrayal of Les Miserable is in the background. I am not too sure what the entire story/play is about, however I believe that it fits in this scene because it’s about fighting for your freedom by going against the government.
-Moore uses irony to set up this frame. As the finger men, the men who up hold the law, try to rape her, a sign saying, “Strength through purity, purity through faith,” Hangs in the background.