Monday, May 18, 2015

This Week's Read: We3

I planned to talk about Black Science this week, but then I saw We3 and remembered how good it was.

Grant Morrison is a comic writing powerhouse. We all know this. Likewise, Frank Quitely has enough books under his pencil-and-ink belt to keep taking notice of his work. Though it's not their only collaboration, We3 showcases how incredibly well these two work together.

Vertigo published We3 about 10 years ago. I'm sure it felt more like science fiction back then (think Homeward Bound but with more cyborgs and graphic violence), but seems possible these days - at least to me. In the story, a cyborg dog, cat, and rabbit (Weapons 1, 2 and 3, respectively), escape from a government facility with the help of the scientist who created them. Not understanding how destructive they are, they try to find their way back to somewhere they can call "home." Meanwhile, the US military doggedly (see what I did there?) hunts them down.

This story is very clearly not for children. From the first sequence, we are shoved into muted color schemes, fast-paced panel design, and a rather graphic shootout scene, which is detailed in sketches from the back of the book. Morrison writes each animal with depressing reality; there are no corny jokes or one-liners. The humor present is so dark that I almost felt bad for laughing, and Quitely makea sure of this with artwork that matches the tone flawlessly. My favorite books are heart-wrenching, so I have no complaints on that end. Those of you looking for a light romp, however, will be both disappointed and sad. If you're a huge animal lover as well, then...prepare to have your soul stomped upon. Fair warning.

The volume containing the entire miniseries also contains a hearty group of production sketches, notes on sequence setup, parts of the script, and even original logo designs.

All in all, it's a good comic if you ever find yourself feeling too happy, or if you can appreciate a sad tale without letting it affect your entire year. Or let it. I don't control your life; do what you want.

Go read.

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