This week’s focus is on one of the finest examples of comic book storytelling to come out of the past decade.
Strong statement? Absolutely.
I’ve gone on record with my man-crush on Grant Morrison. To me he is 100 percent comic enjoyment. Enthusiastic,smart, unafraid to toss the crazy out onto the page and let the inkblood scribble it out. And Frank Quitely is the slowest and finest artist working now. I know the complaints. His people can look weird. I like to think of it as stylized, but it’s valid enough. Admittedly it as an acquired taste to me at first. But he’s a top notch storyteller, as the several wordless passages in this comic proves.
We3 is a 2004 3-issue limited series from Vertigo. It’s the story of a dog, a cat and a rabbit, all of whom have been cybernetically enhanced, biogenetically engineered, and trained to kill for the government. And it is a story that could not be told in any medium other than comics. I mean that. This is a comic story, not a movie pitch masquerading in comic clothes. There are pages that utilize the full compliment of comic storytelling techniques. There are scenes of violence rendered in refreshingly “comic” ways.
I’d assume since this is a fairly recent series many of you may have probably read this. For those that haven’t, go pick up the trade. Don’t even bother finishing this column.
Story synopsis: the 3 animals are about to be “decommissioned”after their final wetworks assignment and their trainer–who has grown quite fond of them–doesn’t want to see them…”decommissioned.” So she frees them. The government isn’t happy. Mayhem ensues. Carnage erupts. Bodies happen.
The 3 are capable of rudimentary speech, so along their path to freedom we see the very basic thoughts they have in their search for freedom. Their voices, their character, is perfect. How do you write a rabbit? I’d think very much like this. The animals follow their nature. The dog wants to be a “gud dog.” The cat is antisocial. Think Bucky Katt from Get Fuzzy with flechettes, rockets and body armor.
Peta would not like this comic. Animals were harmed in the writing and drawing of it. But they’re not real so it’s ok. But the violence is essential to the story. The 3 are following their nature. But they’re souped-up death-pets so their nature is far more dangerous than just the schnauzer down the street’s nature.
If you don’t like Morrison, you’ll still enjoy it. If you don’t like Quitely, you’ll still enjoy it. Is this a
guarantee? I don’t know, depends on if I can get sued. But I’m giving this one of the higher recommendations that I’ll give a comic in this column, so if you have not partaken of this series, it’s readily available in trade form, and you should definitely try it. You shouldn’t even still be reading this if you haven’t.