WE3

By Alex De-Gruchy
March 22, 2006

WE3 is just one of several successful collaborations between writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely, who have worked together on various high-profile projects in the past such as New X-Men and JLA: Earth 2. The two creators are currently at the top of their game with the commercial and critical success that is DC's All-Star Superman series. However, WE3 is a story far removed from their superhero work, a decidedly darker and stranger tale...starring a dog, a cat and a rabbit.

Plot

Grant Morrison has written a story where the weapons of the future aren't missiles, chemicals or a new type of gun. The U.S. military's new killing machines go by the names Bandit, Tinker and Pirate - a dog, cat, and rabbit, respectively. These are no ordinary animals, as they have been enhanced with cybernetic technology that allows them to move and react at exceptional speeds, as well as being fitted with lethal weaponry such as rapid-fire guns and razor-sharp metallic claws. However, even after several successful missions, the military men in charge of the WE3 project have decided to decommission these three specimens.

Knowing that this means death for the animals, Doctor Berry, who has spent years overseeing the WE3 project, releases Bandit, Tinker and Pirate from their bonds, and the animals escape into the night. With Bandit acting as the leader, he has only one thought in mind - to go "home." And so the three animals begin their journey together, letting nothing stand in their way, even as their former handlers send out forces against them. These come in various forms such as a horde of cyborg rats, groups of human soldiers, combat helicopters and, near the end of the story, Animal Weapon 4 - another enhanced animal that's big, nasty, and lethal, and is only released as a last resort.

Although the plot for WE3 is not particularly complicated, the story moves at a good pace and never gets dull or predictable. However, it isn't a story that will take long to read, what with the straightforward premise and often threadbare dialogue from the three main characters. But hey, give them a break - they are animals, after all. And even during the scenes with little dialogue, Quitely's gorgeous artwork will keep your eyes glued to the page.

Characterisation

Hmm...where do you start when your main characters are a dog, a cat and a rabbit? Well, Morrison does a good job of giving Bandit, Tinker and Pirate distinctive personalities so that they each stand on their own as individual characters. Bandit the dog is the leader of the three, and the one with the desire to go to a place he knows only as "home." He tries to be a "good dog," which is particularly apparent when there's a battle between the three escapees and a horde of cybernetic rats who've been sent to kill them. After a train crashes off a bridge and into a river, Bandit pulls a man from the water and onto nearby land (although Morrison gives this scene a grim little twist in the end).

Tinker the cat is more selfish, with no desire to be the equivalent of a "good dog," or any interest in helping people. She has nothing but contempt for the humans she encounters, which is clear from an early scene involving the three animals and their military captors, where Tinker hisses "Mmmen stink! Bossss! Stink!" She repeats these phrases several times throughout the rest of the story, even though she follows Bandit's plan to go home. However, even with this selfish streak in her character, she risks her own life several times to help Bandit and Pirate.

Pirate the rabbit is the least intelligent of the three animals, and is more interested in simply eating grass than making any particular decisions. He is more than happy to go along with whatever Bandit decides to do. However, much like Tinker, Pirate still has a sense of camaraderie with his two other companions.

Overall, Morrison has done an impressive job of making the three animals of WE3 actual distinctive characters, despite their limited vocabulary and single-minded purpose of going "home." The relationships between Bandit, Tinker and Pirate keep things interesting as the animals continue on their journey, and the story can be oddly touching at times, even with the trail of carnage that the animals leave behind them.

In addition to these three animals, there are several human characters who play a part in the story, although this is ultimately a story told from the animals' point of view. Two of the people behind the WE3 project are Doctor Trendle and Doctor Berry, who I mentioned earlier. Although Doctor Trendle does his best to hunt the animals down, he does so with no real malicious intent - he simply believes it is the right thing to do. Even though the animals are the stars of the story, Morrison has crafted supporting characters with depth, who are fully-rounded individuals in their own right.

Art

Although Quitely is one of the current group of artists who seem unable to cope with a monthly schedule, you simply cannot deny the level of intricate detail that he puts into his work. Personally, my feelings towards his art have always been mixed, particularly when it comes to his renditions of people - he just seems to make most of his characters look ugly, and this tends to stand out when it comes to his superhero work. However, being that the main characters of WE3 aren't human, it isn't really an issue here. Quitely manages to convey genuine emotion in the three animal protagonists without ever making them look cartoon-ish or unrealistic - at the end of the day, the animals look how they should look.

Some of the scenes that really leap off the page and grab your attention are the action scenes, which never hold back in terms of gruesome detail. During several of these scenes, Quitely draws a series of very small panels that are scattered around the main panels, and even these stand out in grisly detail as they show things such as one of Tinker's metal claws raking an eyeball, or a soldier getting his throat torn out. The inks also do a great job of complementing the art by bringing out the detail in every panel, but without ever feeling too crowded or busy.

Overall

WE3 stands out as an inventive and original story unlike many others on the comic racks. Morrison tells an intriguing and often touching tale, and manages to convey strong and distinct characterisation in protagonists who aren't human and who have a very limited vocabulary with which to express themselves. Quitely's artwork has never looked better, serving the plot exceptionally and bringing these characters and their journey to life. As brutally realistic as this story can be at times, there is a definite heart behind it, and although it might not take too long to read, it is a thrilling and sometimes thought-provoking tale that is well worth picking up, and ranks among some of the best works by these two creators.

Publisher: DC/Vertigo
Writing: Grant Morrison
Pencils: Frank Quitely
Inks & Colours: Jamie Grant
Collects WE3 Issues #1-3