The Byronic Hero in Comics: from The Shadow to V for Vendetta

This article aims to analyse the figure of the Byronic Hero within a specific field of popular culture, that of comic books. In particular, it seeks to highlight the way in which Byronic heroes featuring in comic books adhere to the characteristics of the original prototype building upon the expressive potential of this hybrid medium. Since its coinage, the term «Byronic Hero» has become nearly ubiquitous in literary discourse. Its influence, however, has also extended to modern media, where it has been leveraged as a central feature in stories for a broad audience, often centred around characters who inherit the Byronic stance. Byronic Heroes, in short, «are men of stupendous assertiveness and uncertain morality», and comic books are replete with similar characters, be they antiheroes or positive heroes with negative character traits. The present essay will focus specifically on the enigmatic V of Moore’s and Lloyd’s V for Vendetta (1982-1985), a character intent on overthrowing a totalitarian regime. Having risen to great prominence not only within the comic book world but also thanks to their cinematic adaptations, such characters have contributed to the dissemination and popularization of the Byronic Hero figure, hence to the transmission of Byron’s legacy.