The first issues of the comic, V for Vendetta, penned by Alan Moore were published the same year I was born. Years later, the collected edition was my first meaningful foray into comic books when my 19th century British literature professor inexplicably put it on his reading list. I don’t think he got tenure. He did, however, recommend picking up Watchmen. Solid advice from anyone.
The film, while entertaining, sanitized one of the main characters, V, and Moore saw another of his anarchic screeds turned into a family-friendly product. One glaring omission in the film is the absence of V’s laboratory where he makes “hallucinogenics as cheaply as water.” In Moore’s book, LSD is almost a character in a pivotal scene. Of course, the film gave Moore an opportunity to engage in what seems like his favorite pass-time: misanthropic grumbling. Overall, the movie is a fun adaptation, but this time I find myself agreeing with most of Moore’s complaints.