WE3

WE3 is a three-volume mini-series by the author Grant Morrison and the illustrator Frank Quitely , who describe their kinetic style as western manga themselves . The series was released in late 2004 by Vertigo , an imprint of DC Comics .

content

When the three pets Bandit, Tinker and Pirate become cybernetic killer machines, the US government hopes to usher in a new era of warfare. Renewed as 1, 2 and 3, the animal protagonists form a balanced social network that fulfills its deadly missions based on a division of labor. Despite its success, the program is discontinued by order of a senator. Its creator, Roseanne “Dr. Doolittle “Berry, releases Weapon 3 (WE3) in the hope that the animals can escape their fate.

As different as the quadrupeds may be, they complement each other perfectly. While the dog is always loyal to people and seeks their affection, the command-resistant cat prefers to follow away from their lust for murder. The rabbit is the mediator between 1 and 2 when it is not busy with its metabolism. In combat, however, the beasts function like a perfectly coordinated organism.

The three protagonists try to find a home that doesn't exist. They kill themselves almost casually by government troops, helicopters and other killer cyborgs. The animal helplessness is underlined by the rudimentary vocabulary. In the moment of desperation, the self-abandonment of the dog Bandit, it is precisely the aloof cat that encourages him and realizes that the three have found the home they longed for.

Superficially, WE3 merges splatter, horror and road movie elements into a story about human hubris and its consequences. The choice of the protagonists - innocent pets, actually - increases the surreality of the material. The abstract dialogues are nuanced. The central theme of the work is self-knowledge as a way out of suffering.

Frank Quitely's pictures complete Morrison's story. They show the power of animals, which have a different sense of space and time and thus make perfect soldiers. Quitely jumps between panels, draws from unusual angles, lets the reader look out of security cameras or the technically modified eyes of the animals and accelerates storytelling by switching from microscopic 18-panel pages to double-sided widescreen panels.

Film adaptation

New Line Cinema bought the film rights to WE3. Susan Montford , Rick Benattar and AngryFilms' Don Murphy are named as producers. New Line is negotiating with author Grant Morrison about the implementation of the screen display. It has since been announced that John Stevenson ( Kung Fu Panda ) will direct.

Publications

WE3 ( ISBN 1401204953 ), a softcover trade paperback, contains the mini-series. The volume was released on June 1, 2005.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Stevenson is directing the film adaptation of WE3 ( memento of the original from April 2, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 

Web links

• "Disney With Fangs" - Morrison on WE3 ( Memento from May 13, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
• New Line buys the rights to WE3
• WE3 on the official Vertigo website.