WE3

1

My introduction to Grant Morrison. I know people who love him; I know people who hate him. But when one writes something that is basically almost a militarized graphic novel version of ‘Plague Dogs (not lab experiments, but military experiments),' but with a slightly happy ending, I will definitely read you again.

Oh, gods. Had I not been in public, I probably would have been bawling. Poor brave, adorable 3.

Kinda between 3 and 4 stars. Because - Lordie, is there carnage. Expect carnage front to back, panel by panel. Not a single page goes by that blood and guts aren't spewing around. It also threatens to turn very dark, very fast - and I won't spoil the ending. Oh, and this is definitely my cat. I don't think I can look at my cat in the same way anymore. Put my cat in a suit of armor, and, yeah, I guess she'd murder us all.

Basic: three pets - a cat, a dog, a rabbit - are mutilated into Borg-type super-soldiers by those hyper-shady, hyper-cynical versions of the military we oft see in comix or sci-fi B movies. After the animals break loose, so does all hell. Including super secret supersoldier Animal Weapon 4 - I won't spoil what animal it is. But it's not a cow. And if there's one animal that - should we choose to Borgify it into a killing machine - would really rip us to shreds on a mighty path of vengeance, it'd be the cow. Or maybe a chicken or pig. Anyway. Please consider donating to Farm Sanctuary to avert this terrible revenge.

Anyway, this gets really gross, really fast, and stays gross. For this reason, and for the general animal rights despair, I've always had trouble getting past page 3 of this comix. I've had it for YEARS. Today I managed, and it's a fast, sharp, good read. The paneling is really elegant. So much is told visually; kudos to the authors and no wonder this always makes the “top 10 graphic novels” list. It's very well-done.

Just don't eat before you read this.

And don't expect to NOT feel weird around your (non-killing machine) pet after you read this.

So... yeah. Let me premise why I picked this up in the first place, shall I? Somehow we got on the topic at work about animal cruelty. I don't remember how, to be completely honest. What I did remember, was that my comic loving co-worker mentioned that Grant Morrison had done a very brutal comic all about that topic. He warned me that it was sad, dark, and violent. Of course, being a curious person, I had to go and find out what he was talking about.

He was right.

This is a story about a secret project that turns common household pets into murderous, rampaging mech-monsters. From the very beginning, I knew that this book was going to hit me hard. If you have difficulty dealing with animal cruelty? Stay away from this book. It's bloody. It's violent. It's so, so very sad. I found myself completely wrapped up in the story of these three pets, of We3 and their devastatingly bleak existence. I wanted to stop reading, but I kept reading and hoping that the ending would work out for the best.

Whew. Anyone who says that comics can't be used to tell important stories, is dead wrong. What better way to make a point than to illustrate it in broad, vivid art?

Definitely a poignant commentary and observation of where we are going. I felt he graphics were too, well, graphic, but I do love this story.