Because it took shape so slowly, I think it gave Alan lots of room to think as it developed. Unfortunately, this system of creativity ceased when Warrior folded, and the last part of V - the final 3 issues of the DC series - were all drawn from 3 complete scripts that Alan wrote as a complete package. At the time, it would probably have been impossible for him to have completed V in the circumstances of it's earlier making because he was very busy with lots of other work, but I always feel kind of sad that we couldn't have done it again that way. sm: Did you expect such a positive and lasting response from the comics community, both critics and readers? Also, while you were working on it, did you feel that it was a unique, truly original work? A strongly political graphic novel like never seen before... DL: When we started it, I don't think we knew exactly where we were going with it. It was just a way of being able to do some kind of story about a masked vigilante which we had complete control over - that was kick enough for us. It's political nature and it's continuing political development grew out of the subject we eventually chose to set the story around - one man's battle against a tyrannical government. We did know at the beginning that we were doing something different because we were breaking some conventional rules with it. As far as that "positive response" goes that you were talking about: V gradually picked up support as time went by, but a lot of that resulted from the fact that V appeared in almost every issue of Warrior ( it's initial home ) with a stable team, whereas a lot of the other stories ceased, changed creative teams, etc. Most of that long-lasting appreciation you're talking about grew over time after [continues]