Which is better to read? V for Vendetta or Watchmen?

Discussion in 'Comic Books and Graphic Novels' started by wizzo1980, Sep 2, 2020.

  1. Maglite

    Maglite Porkchop sandwiches!

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    Yeah, you've got a really good point. I think I F'ed up in my post with that "unflattering light" bit and blurred admirable/heroic with sympathetic/relatable, which wasn't my intent at all. Rorschach is not admirable or heroic.

    When I said his response was the easiest to root for, I was coming at it at from the lens of Novaburnhilde's complicity with the murder of innocents bit - which I do find to be a compelling, believable motivator. While I don't consider myself to be like Rorschach or share his philosophical/political outlook, I find his response relatable because if I were faced with a similar dilemma as Veidt's plan, I'd really struggle with being complicit in it.

    However, you're right - the ethics here are more thorny than I made them out to be. The stakes are a little easy for me to lose sight of in our present day, in light of how the Cold War ended up actually playing out, but yeah, the in-world nuclear situation was pretty dire towards the end of the book and was likely heading towards total annihilation. Which of course, changes a lot about that last confrontation between Rorschach and Manhattan.

    I was basically trying to get across that I agree that Moore intended for Rorschach to be critical of objectivist/simplistic views of right and wrong, but I don't agree that he was written as a character to be utterly hated. I just did a poor job of conveying that. Appreciate your post pointing that out. :)