Intertextuality and The Depiction of Ideological Conflicts. the Case of V for Vendetta

Intertextuality seems to be Alan Moore’s trademark. In his most famous comic books and graphic novels, such as V for Vendetta, Watchmen, Lost Girls or The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, he often refers to other texts of high and low culture. Therefore, a certain level of cultural competence is required to decode various messages hidden by the British writer. In V for Vendetta intertextuality is employed to convey certain political and ideological messages in a more subtle and indirect way. Through various allusions and quotations, Moore presents his views on the condition of the depicted society as well as on the political clash between a fascist state and its anarchist enemy. Intertextual references are also included in the graphics of the comic book. It is the aim of this paper to discuss if, how and to what extent intertextuality can influence the complexity of the graphic novel’s message and be used to indirectly convey particular political and social ideas.