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V for Vendetta #4

V for Vendetta #4

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V must come to a decision about Evey, but it's one his young compatriot might not like. Plus, V breaks into a television station with an important message.

25 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1983

6 people are currently reading
393 people want to read

About the author

Alan Moore

1,576 books21.7k followers
Alan Moore is an English writer most famous for his influential work in comics, including the acclaimed graphic novels Watchmen, V for Vendetta and From Hell. He has also written a novel, Voice of the Fire, and performs "workings" (one-off performance art/spoken word pieces) with The Moon and Serpent Grand Egyptian Theatre of Marvels, some of which have been released on CD.

As a comics writer, Moore is notable for being one of the first writers to apply literary and formalist sensibilities to the mainstream of the medium. As well as including challenging subject matter and adult themes, he brings a wide range of influences to his work, from the literary–authors such as William S. Burroughs, Thomas Pynchon, Robert Anton Wilson and Iain Sinclair; New Wave science fiction writers such as Michael Moorcock; horror writers such as Clive Barker; to the cinematic–filmmakers such as Nicolas Roeg. Influences within comics include Will Eisner, Harvey Kurtzman, Jack Kirby and Bryan Talbot.

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5 stars
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101 (16%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
Profile Image for Sara Dahaabović.
280 reviews96 followers
April 21, 2017
"They say that there's a broken light for every heart on Broadway.
They say that life's a game, then they take the board away.
They give you masks and costumes and an outline of the story
Then leave you all to improvise their vicious cabaret.
In no-longer-pretty cities there are fingers in kitties.
There are warrants, forms, and chitties and a jackboot on the stair.
Sex and death and human grime, in monochrome for one thin dime.
But at least the trains all run on time but they don't go anywhere.
Facing their Responsibilities either on their backs or on their knees
There are ladies who just simply freeze and dare not turn away
And the widows who refuse to cry will be dressed in garter and bow-tie
And be taught to kick their legs up high in this vicious cabaret."
Profile Image for Lör K..
Author 3 books94 followers
February 16, 2018
Rating: 3.5 / 5

Slight spoilers for the previous issues below

In the fourth issue of V for Vendetta, V has to come to a decision on Evey's fate, and it is one she might not like; V breaks into a television station with an incredibly important message.

I don't know what it is about this issue, but something about it irks me. I'm just not as into this issue as I was the first three issues; it feels quite mundane after the shocking revelations of the third issue, and it's almost a bit of a let down. However, the story in this one itself, not only does it quell some of the mystery around the cliffhanger in the third issue, it ends on it's own cliffhanger once more, making me desperate to read on and find out more.

Moore has done an amazing job with this series, and it is a series I look forward to reading more from tomorrow.
Profile Image for Mohammed Arabey.
756 reviews6,673 followers
November 16, 2017
Is it just me, or The Art is really awful... always feel like sketch draft not the final comic...

Also the story in here nothing happens but Vanishing is set between Evey and V... and the preparation for the Video that will be shown next vol.
Profile Image for Vikas.
Author 3 books178 followers
February 25, 2020
In this one Evey gets in trouble, we hear one more emotional monologue and V starts the message to the public to start the revolution.

I have always loved comics, and I hope that I will always love them. Even though I grew up reading local Indian comics like Raj Comics or Diamond Comics or even Manoj Comics, now's the time to catch up on the international and classic comics and Graphic novels. I am on my quest to read as many comics as I can. I Love comics to bit, may comics never leave my side. I loved reading this and love reading more, you should also read what you love and then just Keep on Reading.
Profile Image for Suchona Hasnat.
252 reviews346 followers
July 30, 2024
This is my most favourite instalment so far. I guess the prior ones were setting the scenes for this chapter and I loved it so much. It was sharp and direct to the point. Can’t wait to dive into the rest.
Profile Image for Val.
17 reviews
February 4, 2016
"They say that there's a broken light for every heart on Broadway.
They say that life's a game, then they take the board away.
They give you masks and costumes and an outline of the story
Then leave you all to improvise their vicious cabaret...

In no-longer-pretty cities there are fingers in kitties.
There are warrants, forms, and chitties and a jackboot on the stair.
Sex and death and human grime, in monochrome for one thin dime,
But at least the trains all run on time but they don't go anywhere.
Facing their Responsibilities either on their backs or on their knees
There are ladies who just simply freeze and dare not turn away
And the widows who refuse to cry will be dressed in garter and bow-tie
And be taught to kick their legs up high in this vicious cabaret.

At last! The 1998 Show!
The ballet on the burning stage.
The documentary see
Upon the fractured screen
The dreadful poem scrawled upon the crumpled page...

There's a policeman with an honest soul that has seen whose head is on the pole
And he grunts and fills his briar bowl with a feeling of unease.
But he briskly frisks the torn remains for a fingerprint or crimson stains
And endevours to ignore the chins that he walks in to his knees.
while his master in the dark nearby inspects the hands, with a brutal eye,
That have never brushed a lover's thigh but have squeezed a nation's throat.
But he hungers in his secret dreams for the harsh embrace of cruel machines
But his lover is not what she seems and she will not leave a note.

At last! The 1998 Show!
The Situation Tragedy
Grand Opera slick with soap
Cliffhangers with no hope
The water-colour in the flooded gallery...

There's a girl who'll push but not shove and is desperate for her father's love
She believes the hand beneath the glove maybe one she needs to hold.
Though she doubts her hosts moralities she decides she is more at ease
In the Land Of Doing What You Please than outside in the cold.
But the backdrop's peel and the sets give way and the cast gets eaten by the play
There's a murderer at the Matinee, there are dead men in the aisles
And the patrons and actors too are uncertain if the show is through
And with side-long looks await their cue but the frozen mask just smiles.

At last! The 1998 Show!
The torch-song no one ever sings
The curfew chorus line
The comedy divine
The bulging eyes of puppets strangled by their strings

There's thrills and chills and girls galore, sing-songs and surprises
There's something hear for everyone, (reserve your seat today)
There's mischief and malarkies but no queers or yids or darkies
Within this bastard's carnival, this vicious cabaret."


Profile Image for Renuka.
82 reviews56 followers
October 29, 2018
"They say that there's a broken light for every heart on Broadway.
They say that life's a game, then they take the board away.
They give you masks and costumes and an outline of the story
Then leave you all to improvise their vicious cabaret.

In no-longer-pretty cities, there are fingers in kitties.
There are warrants, forms, and chitties and a jackboot on the stair.
Sex and death and human grime, in monochrome for one thin dime,
But at least the trains all run on time but they don't go anywhere.
Facing their Responsibilities either on their backs or on their knees
There are ladies who just simply freeze and dare not turn away
And the widows who refuse to cry will be dressed in garter and bow-tie
And be taught to kick their legs up high in this vicious cabaret."


This series keeps getting better and better!
Profile Image for Ray.
402 reviews46 followers
October 23, 2017
I have to say that compared to the previous 3 comics this one was a bit dull.
I still liked it, but not as much as the others.

I loved the song at the beginning of the comic and absolutely adored the last two pages!
I hope the next book is better
Profile Image for Darinda.
9,195 reviews157 followers
April 3, 2018
A dystopian world where corruption rules. V, an anarchist, sets out to destroy the government.

Volume IV of X includes four parts:
Prelude - This Victorious Cabaret
Chapter 1 - The Vanishing
Chapter 2 - The Veil
Chapter 3 - Video
Profile Image for Paulina ෂ.
716 reviews
June 10, 2018
[3.5]
Me encanta el ambiente y composición que está haciendo Moore con los personajes y la historia en sí. No fue un tomo con grandes diálogos, pero sí con un gran mensaje a través de pocas palabras.
Profile Image for Michael Sorbello.
Author 1 book316 followers
September 5, 2020
V for Vendetta takes place in a nightmarish version of London in the year 2032 after the world has been torn apart by a prolonged civil war and a mysterious virus that ravaged the population of America and Europe. The United Kingdom was overthrown by a Nordic supremacist who turned the country into an Orwellian police state where art, music, literature, free speech and every other basic right that people take for granted has been outlawed. On top of the society having Orwellian characteristics, it also has the teachings, punishment and disciplinary methods shared by Adolf Hitler’s Reich and Joseph Stalin’s rule over the Soviet Union. Anyone that doesn’t belong to the master race or refuses to fall in line with the extreme rules are viewed as undesirables and are sent to concentration camps where their existence is completely erased from society.

Millions of people were slaughtered without mercy, but a single man managed to escape from the hellish death sentence of the camps. He has no name and no one knows his face. He calls himself V and he has a vendetta against the monsters that stole everything he held dear, enslaved his people and destroyed his beloved homeland. He plans to lead a rebellion against the government by pulling the mask off their cruel brainwashing tactics and leading one small revolution at a time by introducing the common folk to the forgotten ideas of truth, art, freedom and individuality.

One such individual is a naive teenage girl selling her body on the street named Evie. She unknowingly offers services to men working for the fascist regime and they threaten to assault her before killing her. V appears from the shadows, killing the men in dazzling style all the while reciting forbidden verses from banned literature to mock the evil and enlighten any citizens that may be listening.

With no place to go, V takes Evie under his wing and re-educates her in his hidden base where he has access to banned books, films, plays, music and many more forgotten delights. This is what makes V such a fun character. He’s like Edmond from The Count of Monte Cristo with a touch of Erik from Phantom of the Opera and Inigo Montoya from The Princess Bride thrown into a violent dystopian society. He’s cunning, witty, playful and sadistic and it’s a joy to listen to him give grand speeches like an A+ theater student all while committing deadly acts of terrorism and genocide against the fascist regime.

Being around such an eccentric man changes Evie greatly in a short amount of time. The truths are revealed to her. She realizes that art and literature are banned because knowledge is the kryptonite to fascism. She slowly gains a sense of independence and awareness and we witness through her eyes how naive, innocent people that are easily manipulated can grow resistant to the people that prey on them by educating themselves. They can then pass on their knowledge and experiences to other naive individuals who can gain their own sense of independence.

Evie works as V’s accomplice for a time, acting as bait for men who abuse their power while V brings them to justice through brute force. She eventually separates from V and goes about carrying out his will in her own way, aiding V in empowering the people to stand up for their rights and take the world back into their own hands.

Though he fights for freedom, V is not a hero by any means of the word. He knows that people have to die and innocent people will get caught up in his revenge in order for his rebellion to succeed, but he knows it’s a necessary evil. He’s the vengeful ghost of what society once was and he’s willing to become a devil to return the world to its former glory.

Revenge isn’t enough for V, however. He has to make the people living in constant fear and indoctrination remember what the world used to be and remind them that society only became the way it did because of their own foolish actions. They’re the ones that voted such corrupt people into positions of power. They’re the ones that sold their own freedom. They’re the ones that sentenced themselves to a life of tyranny. All because they allowed themselves to be seduced by the lies and propaganda of evil politicians that sought to manipulate them and enslave them for their own benefit.

V has no problem becoming a villain if it means setting the world free in the end. The cruel and immoral acts of one can inspire others to learn from what they’ve done and apply what they’ve learned to their own lives in more moral and humanistic ways that don’t involve murder or terrorism, much like V inspired Evie and Evie inspired others in turn.

That’s the core theme of V for Vendetta. Society is often responsible for its own downfall and it’s our duty to hold ourselves accountable. As men like Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin would agree, the ignorance and indoctrination of the people is fascism's greatest weapon. As Hitler once said, If you tell a big enough lie and tell it frequently enough, it will be believed. It’s always good to keep your eyes peeled and take everything you hear with a grain of salt. You never know who wants to fill your head with false promises only to stab you in the back and destroy everything you love moments later.

A liar can only deceive you if you choose to remain ignorant of their ways, and they can only turn you into a monster if you choose to ignore the humanity of the good people that surround you. Don’t let other people control you and don’t let them turn you into something you’re not. Freedom, peace, art and knowledge are all irreplaceable treasures that we should never sell to people who view us as less than human.
Profile Image for Vyshakh Aravindan.
1,235 reviews11 followers
October 4, 2025
🕸️ Issue #4 – Shadows and Smoke

The oppression of Norsefire becomes more grotesque. Surveillance, propaganda, and betrayal are everywhere.

V continues his crusade, targeting officials responsible for the old regime’s atrocities. The issue balances suspense with philosophy: dialogue about freedom, fear, and responsibility cuts sharper than knives.

The final pages: Evey faces a moral crossroads — her choice between safety and awakening — and the issue closes on a whisper of revolution.
Profile Image for Axl Rōjūrō Black.
129 reviews1 follower
May 5, 2023
Dicen que la vida es un juego sin reglas, alguien te da las máscaras, el vestuario y el guión.
Profile Image for Brittany.
762 reviews3 followers
February 15, 2022
I am still enjoying this series. Each issue really know how to end on a cliffhanger. However, there's some that just feel a little dull and lackluster. Like absolutely nothing is relevant to the rest of what we've read already in the previous issues. And volume #4 felt that way.

I'll keep reading, though, because I need to see this through. V is starting to really shine and come forward with his plan, it feels like, so I must know how it "ends."
Profile Image for Michael Scott.
778 reviews159 followers
December 28, 2011
[I read [book:V for Vendetta] as a series eleven installments, of which ten are the actual story and one a summary of the creative process, so this will be one review repeated across each. I have individual marks for each installment, explained in part in the volume chronology (see the spoiler.)]

V for Vendetta is Alan Moore's take on dystopia; here, the hero takes on the totalitarian regime set in the UK. As such, this graphical novel is part of a topical list that includes Zamyatin's We, Huxley's Brave New World, and Orwell's 1984.

The book focuses on V, who fights against the totalitarian government. In the mid- to end-1990s, UK is one of the few surviving states; the other major powers have annihilated each other in a nuclear war. (This scenario has been popular with sci-fi writers from the mid-1950s, with books such as Brian Aldiss's Hothouse and movies such as On the Beach as prominent examples.) UK has been saved by the anti-nuclear policies of its ruling Labor party, but had to give up in the process---we don't learn why---all personal freedom and rights. As Labor quickly turns into a fascist party, labor camps are used to exterminate whoever the leaders deem undesirable, and the citizens live from day to day. In this setting, V is the modern hero who, having understood the structure and survived the murderous attempts of the government, attempts to topple the regime. Through ruthless action mixed with acts of genuine kindness, V will give spark to the revolution.



Overall, I was rather unimpressed with this graphical novel. I found the story rather cliched and linear, despite attempts to spice it up through alternative ploys. The depiction of V is artificially mystical, whereas everyone else, from the crowd to the state apparatus, receive sparing attention. Last but not least, the graphical novel format hinders the reader, as most of the dialogue stems from similarly-faced, similarly-dressed characters. (This also helps in understanding the disorientation of the crowds.)

Overall, I can recommend neither the movie or the graphical novel. There's much better material on the topic, out there.
Profile Image for Sandra Delgado.
498 reviews3 followers
December 28, 2017
5/5 estrellas.
Revolución.
Para quien haya visto la película: el comic cuenta muchísimos más detalles y merece la pena.
Además, ver la película antes, como es mi caso, hace que entienda mucho más algunos detalles que pueden ser confusos.
Totalmente recomendado.
No apto para niños.
No recomendado para adolescentes, mejor cuando ya tengan asentada algo la cabeza.
Profile Image for Sakebushippo.
563 reviews96 followers
December 7, 2023
LEER RESEÑA COMPLETA EN MI BLOG: https://www.blogdivergente.com/2023/1...

La paleta de colores y el arte detallado de David Lloyd contribuyen significativamente a la atmósfera sombría y evocadora de la historia. La elección del blanco y negro, con toques de rojo ocasional, intensifica la sensación de desesperación y rebelión en cada viñeta.
Profile Image for Arnold Ramírez.
34 reviews10 followers
October 18, 2015
Buenas noches, Londres. Es hora de que charlemos.
¿Están cómodos?
Si es así, comenzaré.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews

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