We3 Deluxe Edition [Hardcover]

Former Animal Man writer Grant Morrison revisits the issue of human inhumanity towards animals in this story published by Vertigo Comics. Beautifully illustrated by Frank Quitely, WE3 is a frightening, hyper-violent science fiction story "suggested for mature readers." It opens in a secret military research laboratory where scientists are working to replace humans on the battlefield with cybernetically enhanced, remotely controlled animals. Their first success is creating a horde of "rat biorgs" able to repair complicated machinery-aided by the drills and other tools that have been surgically grafted to their bodies. But when a senator comes to inspect the scientists' progress, they show him their proudest achievement, an armored dog, cat, and rabbit outfitted with an array of deadly weaponry and electronic voice boxes that allow them to communicate in a crude form of human speech. At the conclusion of his visit the senator orders the animals destroyed-or as he puts it, "decommissioned"-not because he disapproves of the project, but because they were not specifically bred to be used as test subjects and he is afraid the mental strain of their condition may eventually make them uncontrollable. As the "lost" posters that appear before each chapter in this book make clear (the story was originally published as a three issue miniseries), Bandit the dog, Tinker the cat, and Pirate the rabbit are all stolen pets.

Instead of euthanizing the animals as ordered, the doctor in charge of their care removes their restraints and allows them to escape into the night. As described in the ads for the series, what follows is a cross between Terminator and The Incredible Journey, as the three animals try to find "home"-wherever, and whatever, that is-with the U.S. military in hot pursuit.

As the chase continues, this rollercoaster ride of a story touches readers on an emotional level that makes it clear whose side Morrison is on. With the invaluable assistance of Frank Quitely's breathtaking art, Morrison makes the fugitive animals the most "human" characters in the story, without ever forsaking or diminishing their animal nature.

This is simply one of the greatest works of graphic literature to come along in years.

Cautionary note: While I can not recommend this story highly enough, those who are disturbed by comic book images of graphic violence-whether it's human against animal, animal against human, or even animal against animal-should be prepared for some extremely gory scenes. Also, Quitely's innovative panel arrangements, though visually stunning, may be a little challenging for the untrained comic book reading eye to follow.

We3

Let me begin by stating that I am not terribly fond of graphic novels. Even as a child I had no particular love for comic books. Nevertheless, a positive review of Morrison's and Quitely's We3 in the Washington Post, which included a stunning illustration of a cybernetically besuited cat springing at the viewer before a lightning-torn sky, inspired me to check out this work.

I immediately loved it. It's quirky, insightful, exciting, and profoundly moving. One could be trite and call it "Incredible Journey" meets "The Terminator." But this is a much more complex work, and such a comparison does it a disservice. The graphics are innovative and beautiful (even the violence and gore is rendered with a loving attention to detail). The artists manage not only to break out of two dimensions and add depth-here are bullets half the size of the page, flying uncomfortably close to the reader, there a fight spills off the bottom of one page only to crash down on the top of the next-but also to add an element of time as well. No old-school comic this; time and depth and skillfully rendered with clever tricks of the graphic arts.

The story is a simple one: Three family pets, abducted by the government and turned into lethal killing machines, are about to be "decommissioned" (read euthanised). A helpful scientist helps them stage a violet escape, and they begin their journey "home," though what home might be, none of them has a clue. The animals speak in a simple, synthesized patois of AOL-speak. The cat uses "ST!NK" to describe that which it doesn't like, and refers to the dog's (who is called "1") not knowing anything as "1 KNOW 0." The dog is obsessed not only with home, but with being a "GUD DOG." The authors show great skill in allowing the animals to express an amazing depth of feeling with a vocabulary of only a few dozen words.

Despite the story's simplicity, there is much beneath the surface. What does it mean to have a home? Are the animals mere "amoral killing machines" as the military describes them, or do their actions display a moral, albeit non-human, undercurrent? Graphic novels rely on the reader to use his or her own brain to tease out themes and meaning from the story. A good graphic novel, such as this, provides an interactive experience.

Unquestionably, the hyper-violence of this work means that it's not for children, or the weak-of-stomach. But do yourself a favor. Even if you scoff at comic books, pick up a copy of We3-you'll enjoy it. I've read a lot of literature, but few works have left as big an impression upon me as this one. Days later, I still found myself thinking about it. In the end, the thing that best describes the brilliance of We3 is the fact that even though the story is brought to a definite conclusion-one that doesn't really allow for sequals-I'm quite sad that there won't be more We3. In under a 100 pages of illustration, and sparse text, I found three characters that were more real, more interesting, more engaging, than those I've met in countless other bloated novels. Read We3. It will leave a mark on you and make you think.

Grant Morrison is an amazing author. The prolific comic book writer is best-known for intricate, mind-altering meta-stories that must be read multiple times to fully appreciate. (His Vertigo titles include "Animal Man," "Doom Patrol," and "The Invisibles.") With "WE3," the story he tells is far more straightforward, covering a mere three comic book issues. Even within that limited space, he and artist Frank Quitely have created a wonderfully bizarre little tale, a splatterpunk retelling of "The Incredible Journey" that oozes with Morrison's distinctive warped ideas and pointed social commentary -- and somehow manages to be heartwarming as well.

"WE3" opens terrifically, as a fugitive war criminal and his bodyguards are messily assassinated by what looks like a trio of giant, fiber-optic cockroaches. These three deadly entities are soon revealed to be the result of a top-secret military bioengineering project. Once common household pets, their bodies have been grafted into indestructible cyborg exoskeletons, while electrodes in their brains allow them to receive direct orders from their human commanders. They are known only by their numbers: 1 the dog is equipped with ground-to-air missiles and automatic rifles, 2 the cat shoots flechette needles from his metal fingertips, and 3 the rabbit leaves a trail of explosive mines. (Their names were once Bandit, Tinker, and Pirate, as revealed by the poignant "Missing" posters that precede each chapter.) The animals have even been equipped with a rudimentary robo-sentience, and can mimic human speech. Sadly, the project has moved on and WE3 is now obsolete and due for termination. That's when the scientist in charge of the animals, in a burst of guilty compassion, "forgets" to activate the suits' security locks -- and before you can say "Fido," three deadly cybercritters are on the loose.

The remainder of the story chronicles WE3's exploits and the military's increasingly frantic attempts to bring them down. The problem, you see, is that the animals have been programmed to protect themselves at all costs if they perceive a threat to their lives, and it never occurred to those silly army scientists that they themselves are included in this equation. When conventional troops and weapons prove useless, the humans try fighting fire with fire -- first with remote-controlled rats, then with the sinister "Weapon 4," the next stage in the project. But WE3 won't go down easily. It's not just that they're fighting for their lives; 1 has a vague memory of "Home," and he is leading the skeptical 2 and the childlike 3 toward where he remembers "Home" to be. "?Home is?" the cat asks, in the strange digital-pidgin the animals speak, and the dog replies, "Is run no more." I admired Morrison for being able to convey so much in so few words. I also liked that he didn't anthropomorphize the animals; they are not furry, four-legged "people" like in the movies, but confused household pets whose latent instincts are at war with the rudimentary AI they've been implanted with. ("Bad dog!" 1 whimpers as he mows down hapless humans.) Despite the mayhem they cause, we feel deeply for these poor, twisted creatures.

Whether or not WE3 finds "Home" I won't reveal, though I will observe that the climax contains an admirable mix of tragedy and comfort. Both the writing and the art are simple and right to the point; Morrison can be poetic when we wants, but in this case, he knows that the dialogue must be bare-bones to keep the story from dragging. Quitely's art stays firmly in line with a photorealistic approach that makes the violence and gore -- of which there is a great deal -- even more effective. Happily, Morrison continues his trend of playing with the layout of the comic panels in order to accent the story. The are moments when a single image is splashed across two pages, and moments when the page shatters into a hundred fragmented panels. At times we're disoriented, and at times we know exactly what's happening and are horrified by it. The haunting images are really the heart of "WE3"; it doesn't leave the mind in a hurry. It also resonates on a topical level. I mean, is the story really that far-fetched? Scientists have already figured out how to "enslave" rats by sticking computer chips in their heads. Besides an adventure story, "WE3" is a solemn reminder that the human race enjoys playing God -- and that sometimes, we pay the price for it.

"WE3" is a prime example of a master storyteller at work. Only someone as talented as Morrison could craft such an effective tale in so few pages. Only someone as talented as Quitely could illustrate the tale with such pitch-perfect imagery. Although it's a quick read, this book is worth its cover price.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 76 reviews  4.6 out of 5 stars