Staff Picks 3
Juan Pintor
Issue date: 3/1/09 Section: Arts & Culture
Published in 2004, We3 shows how man's best friend can also be his worst enemy.
The graphic novel depicts the harrowing and ever-heartbreaking tale of the members of the "Animal Weapon 3" program, a trio of everyday household pets (i.e. a dog named Bandit, a cat named Tinker, and a bunny named Pirate), who are kidnapped by the U.S. government to experiment on with biomechanical warfare to replace human soldiers with furry ones.
Although equipped with enough advanced hardware and aggressive weaponry to take out a small country, the We3 program is abruptly halted, with the animals ordered to be "decommissioned." Rather than see them die, their doctor/trainer frees the animals into the world, leaving the pets and reader wondering where they'll go from there.
Written by Grant Morrison and with art by Frank Quitely, the paperback would be endearing if it weren't so depressing. But it's the way Morrison taps those emotions that keeps readers vetsed in the story. Barely aware of the power they wield, Bandit, Tinker, and Pirate spend the remainder of the series looking for "home" while running from the government that wants them dead. The book is as heart-wrenching as it is violent, as Quitely's aggressive and hyper-detailed images might seem too explicit for some.
Animal activist Morrison's tale will leave readers with a newfound respect for animals and an appreciation for the four-legged friend.
The graphic novel depicts the harrowing and ever-heartbreaking tale of the members of the "Animal Weapon 3" program, a trio of everyday household pets (i.e. a dog named Bandit, a cat named Tinker, and a bunny named Pirate), who are kidnapped by the U.S. government to experiment on with biomechanical warfare to replace human soldiers with furry ones.
Although equipped with enough advanced hardware and aggressive weaponry to take out a small country, the We3 program is abruptly halted, with the animals ordered to be "decommissioned." Rather than see them die, their doctor/trainer frees the animals into the world, leaving the pets and reader wondering where they'll go from there.
Written by Grant Morrison and with art by Frank Quitely, the paperback would be endearing if it weren't so depressing. But it's the way Morrison taps those emotions that keeps readers vetsed in the story. Barely aware of the power they wield, Bandit, Tinker, and Pirate spend the remainder of the series looking for "home" while running from the government that wants them dead. The book is as heart-wrenching as it is violent, as Quitely's aggressive and hyper-detailed images might seem too explicit for some.
Animal activist Morrison's tale will leave readers with a newfound respect for animals and an appreciation for the four-legged friend.
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