Blazing Reader,

Why would anyone insist on coming to a gun fight with a knife? Seems like a good way to die, doesn't it?

I look at that question today, in part two of my multi-post review of the V for Vendetta graphic novel. But before I dive into the blades and bullets, I'd like to comment on David Lloyd's illustrations.

The artwork is a little like stumbling out of a summer afternoon into a candlelit cellar — slightly grim at first, but as my eyes adjust, the dystopian backdrop takes on a sweeping, majestic vibe that I find almost musical:

And, unlike the film, there is little blood, despite just as many knifefights.

Interestingly, V's insistence on using knives to fight men with guns appears to be purely philosophical, rather than practical. As far as I can tell, there are two reasons for this unorthodox tactic:

1. The gun is the weapon of the state. The most common first move of tyrannical regimes is to outlaw gun ownership. V opposes not only the state, but also the means of their monopolized power over the people.

He's not anti-gun, just anti-government, but he sees the two as one.

2. Another insinuated reason for his fondness for blades over bullets appears to be one of empathy. The distance at which a gun can be used makes the harm they cause less felt by the wielder. A dagger, sword or knife, on the other hand, requires a closeness with your opponent. You feel the blade enter their flesh and experience their pain. It's not impersonal at all, which limits its use.

Of course, I doubt Alan Moore is recommending Texans turn in their shotguns for a Ginsu. Like so many aspects of the story, it's not about realism, but symbolism. The rejection of bullets in the novel is also a rejection of ballots — no longer voting for which slave master has a monopoly on the use of force.

John C.A. Manley

P.S. Next part, I'll get more into the "bulletproof" philosophical theme of V for Vendetta. Until then, if you missed part one, you can read it here: Adam Susan: A comic book villain with depth .

P.P.S. And if you haven't yet, you can purchase your copy of this hauntingly illustrated graphic novel through my Blazing Book Shop.

John C. A. Manley is the author of Much Ado About Corona, All The Humans Are Sleeping and other works of philosophical fiction that are "so completely engaging that you find yourself alternately laughing, gasping, hanging on for dear life." Get free samples of his stories by becoming a Blazing Pine Cone email subscriber.