We3

[JBeckett]

What does everyone think? I loved it. I just loaned it out to another non-comic reader tonight.

[BizarroBeachHead]

It's fantastic. I keep trying to convince my non comic friends to read it, but they never get hooked. How can you not be interested with the great tag line of "Robocop meets Homeward Bound"!?!?!?

[stealthwise]

Great exploration of the medium's possibilities in terms of the art. The animals were also fleshed out with what has to be the most sparse dialogue ever. I loved it.

[bosshog7169]

The single greatest story in the history of comics. I kid u not. This is the one comic that i show to my friends who are not interested in comics at all. Even people who have never read a comic book or feel its nerdy, once i give them this book they are converted. Everybody i know loves this stuff. The movie needs to happen soon. I wish Kubrick were still alive to direct

[matt levin]

"The single greatest story in the history of comics."

Welll....I don't know if it'd be my choice, but I sure did enjoy it! & I bet it's even better as a trade book. One of the few, maybe.

Matt

[estee]

I met Frank Quietly at a con in TO recently (nice guy by the way, great accent) and complimented him on his use of panels and oblique angles. He replied that Grant had a lot to do with how WE3 was developed. In fact Grant called Frank up all the time and said he should drawn things this way and this way...Frank replied to that that maybe Grant should drawn the fricken book. Heh. :D

[Tadhg]

I bet it's even better as a trade book. One of the few, maybe.

Matt

Except the trade costs 13 bucks

[JBeckett]

You know Grant could most likely draw it decently too. The last page or so of the Invisibles looked good.

[Tweek]

I must say, WE3 is one of the best comics I red this year. Allmost made me cry, hehe :o

[Lurker]

We3 is great. Its one of the few non-superhero works Grant's done that I can completely comprehend (;)), and Morrison and Quitely are the best team working in comics.

[miss5050]

loved it
great characters :) of course-cat killer is my fav :D
art was spectacular-remember those bullets? :o
made me cry a little ;)

[dancj]

Except the trade costs 13 bucks

That is annoying - and the main reason I'm holding out for it to get cheap enough on eBay

[stealthwise]

That is annoying - and the main reason I'm holding out for it to get cheap enough on eBay

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1401204953/qid=1127753628/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-7825995-3452902?v=glance&s=books

$10.39 isn't bad.

[RedBaron]

I really loved it. It's been a long time since I came away from a three issue series and felt REALLY satisfied, but then WE3 came along. First off Quitely and Morrison's panel layouts and image construction are amazingly inventive and dramatic. I love how one scene of violence gets displayed over a series of disjointed panels to represent the fragmentary nature of spontaneous, brutal violence. In terms of story, Morrison manages to provide a compelling, moving, emotional, scary, and thrilling tale in three concise issues and with sparse dialogue, as Stealthwise said, but also without being too sentimental towards the animals. Morrison manages to balance sentimentality with a somber tone, made all the more tragic because these animals are really on the verge of self-awareness and able to feel complex and abstract ontological consciousness but not express this

[dancj]

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1401204953/qid=1127753628/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-7825995-3452902?v=glance&s=books

$10.39 isn't bad.


For me it's £6.39 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1845761596/qid=1127820796/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl/202-2138059-9892606), which isn't terrible, but it is more than I'm used to paying for 3 issues. It's not bad enough to keep it off my Christmas list though.

Interestingly, the British edition of WE3 is actuallly cheaper than the British edition of Seaguy

Dan

[Jack Destruct]

Sometimes I think that Quietly draws his character really ugly, with too many wrinkles and the like (a friend of mine says that his characters all look like they have down-syndrome), a prime example is his work on Morrison's New X-men...

So anyway, WE3 still works well though because the story isn't focussed on the human characters, nor are we meant to sympathise with them (for the most part).

So anyway, to summarise:
Frank's art = good
Frank's humans = ugly

Flex Mentallo is probably Frank's best work with GM, great art all round and the characters look fairly realistic without being distractingly-ugly.

Also, it's one of Grant's best stories, but in a fairly non-Grant kind of way. I couldn't imagine anyone NOT liking WE3, even if they hated Invisibles, Seaguy, or even New Xmen.

Just my random thoughts.

[Shawn Hopkins]

Wow. I'm not usually a sucker for animal stories, but this really affected me and made me a little weepy. I love that hateful cat, loyal dog and stupid rabbit. I think one of the things that most got to me about it is that these are not wild animals. They are pets and they think like pets, especially the dog, and that makes what was done to them all the more awful, an act of betrayal.

I think it's one of Grant Morrison's best works and definitely the best thing I've seen from Quitely.

[geewaiho]

comic find of the year in my book, absouloutely loved it, poignent and very sensitive. I felt so sad for when '3' got killed, when he pooped his last bomb in the jaws of the other killer dog, would not the dog been killed too???,

Apparently the we3 animations being announced, so i ve been told. Maybe they could get the blokes that created watership down to make it. Then again watership down was donkeys years ago, dunno whats happened to the creaters.

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

umm, thought it was a bit crap myself, actually.

I mean it was alright, but I can't really see what all the fuss is about.
I agree with some of the points about great layouts and it didn't go over the top with the animals talking and such, but it all felt a bit flat to me (especially as it came after SeaGuy and just before Vinamarama).
And I know I sound like the old lady in that joke, but it was all over too quickly - I really couldn't imagine having had to wait a month between issues.
(also thought it was funny that the man who made fun of himself in Animal Man for getting too preachy on animal rights, much to the anger of the books character, would write this).

But yeah, I've got no problem with it, just not my thing - so you don't need to lynch me - but I think the hype is drowning what it actually is.

[noh-varr]

This is hands done one of the best books of the last five years IMO.

But isn't it odd that if you go look at the All Star Superman thread there's a HUGE list of pages, yet the same creators on this gorgeous original story has a whole two? I'd much rather have something new like We3 then the great Superman we are getting, but just rambling tired and bored, so excuse me.

[Gilda Dent]

This is one of those that I pushed on my wife, and she kept reisisting, but finally gave it a try, and thought it was really good. Being an animal lover helps there, I think.

Gilda

[Violently Apathetic]

I'm a little torn. It had the potential to be a good story, and in many ways it was, but I don't know if it was the length or something but I ended up thinking of it as a poor man's Plague Dogs. Certain scenes, like the animals stripped of their ‘mechas’ but still looking bedraggled and misused struck me as rather poignant. The violence, though a little too graphic for my personal taste, was used effectively. Violence is always startling when you see it directed at small furry animals...

What was my point again? It's a good story but I think it could have stood to be a tad longer and explain more about that female researchers relationship with the animals and such.

[Dirtbag]

I enjoyed it, liked the idea and way it felt like a modern version of that movie I use to watch in school, The Long Journey, or something, with the cat and two dogs trying to make it home. Glad to see they turned it into an animation, that has the potential to be sweet. I love the scene of the bullets cutting through the guys.

[MPagar]

I really enjoyed this book. The wife ended up crying, mainly because she's a huge animal fan.
Artistically, it was great. The details were awesome and some of the paneling were quite innovative.

[Watchman]

The single greatest story in the history of comics. I kid u not.
Is this based on fact or mere opinion?

[Tadhg]

Is this based on fact or mere opinion?

How could something be factually greatest? And what's so mere about an opinion?

[Violently Apathetic]

Has this become the rhetorical question thread?

[stealthwise]

Perhaps it was always so?

[CoreyB]

Do you think previous posters in this thread will edit their posts into rhetoric questions?

[dancj]

Perhaps it was always so?

Do you really believe that sticking a question mark on the end of a sentence turns it into a question?

[stealthwise]

... Maybe?

[dancj]

... ?

[stealthwise]

? ... ?? ????


!

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

I really enjoyed this book. The wife ended up crying, mainly because she's a huge animal fan.


With the 'fan' appearing on another line, I missed it completly had spent a long time staring at that sentence. ?

[Davideaux]

I just finished the trade and I enjoyed it very much. I do have a question. I'm familiar with cats and I own 2 dogs, but what kind of pets are rabbits? I couldn't get what the rabbit's personality was. He just seemed to be complaining about his tail.

Also the ending, was the homeless guy blackmailing the scientist?

[mgs]

but what kind of pets are rabbits? I couldn't get what the rabbit's personality was. He just seemed to be complaining about his tail.

Also the ending, was the homeless guy blackmailing the scientist?

rabbits are a bit indifferent. they have personalities, but not anything like cats and dogs, which is why you may not be familiar with them. as for the homeless guy, no, he was not blackmailing the scientist.

[Davideaux]

rabbits are a bit indifferent. they have personalities, but not anything like cats and dogs, which is why you may not be familiar with them. as for the homeless guy, no, he was not blackmailing the scientist.

I think it was blackmail because the scientist was shown giving the homeless man some hundred-dollar bills. Not the usual loose change.

As for the rabbit, the other animals had personalities. The dog was loyal and protective. The cat was a vicious killer. But the rabbit was what? Indifferent?

[Ryan Day]

The homeless guy couldn't really blackmail the scientist because he didn't know who he was. He only ever saw the animals and the army guys.

On the other hand, the scientist certainly would have recognized the animals. He'd have given the money because of guilt and/or sympathy.

[-Sven-]

WE3 left me quite dissapointed after the last page, I just felt unaffected.

I mean, you can tell there has been some thinking involved in its creation, and some scenes were quite original (animals stripping off their armor), artwork was very good and effective (and innovative, some ingenious panel-layouts), but this story would have benefited from being one or two issues longer, so they could have included some scenes to stress the relationship between the doc and her animals (just so you can better understand her actions and feelings), or the capturing of the pets.

To me, the fact that they didn't makes this a straight-forward action tale, one that has no real pay-off and feels a bit rushed and incomplete.

[stealthwise]

WE3 left me quite dissapointed after the last page, I just felt unaffected.

I mean, you can tell there has been some thinking involved in its creation, and some scenes were quite original (animals stripping off their armor), artwork was very good and effective (and innovative, some ingenious panel-layouts), but this story would have benefited from being one or two issues longer, so they could have included some scenes to stress the relationship between the doc and her animals (just so you can better understand her actions and feelings), or the capturing of the pets.

To me, the fact that they didn't makes this a straight-forward action tale, one that has no real pay-off and feels a bit rushed and incomplete.

Or you could just re-read it and pick up on all of the subtle nuances in the art that describe the situation without spelling it out in block letters.

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

WE3 left me quite dissapointed after the last page, I just felt unaffected.

I mean, you can tell there has been some thinking involved in its creation, and some scenes were quite original (animals stripping off their armor), artwork was very good and effective (and innovative, some ingenious panel-layouts), but this story would have benefited from being one or two issues longer, so they could have included some scenes to stress the relationship between the doc and her animals (just so you can better understand her actions and feelings), or the capturing of the pets.

To me, the fact that they didn't makes this a straight-forward action tale, one that has no real pay-off and feels a bit rushed and incomplete.

See I think it would have benefited from being shorter, 48pages maybe.
Longer wouldn't work though, there just wasn't enough story - it would have become padding.

[streator]

i just ordered this tpb. i enjoyed morrison and quitely together on new x-men and remembered hearing good things about this book when it was released.

this marks my first non-marvel comic purchase ever, i think.

[dancj]

this marks my first non-marvel comic purchase ever, i think.

You've made it to 4,812 posts without ever buying a non-Marvel comic? Welcome to the outside world!

[mgs]

You've made it to 4,812 posts without ever buying a non-Marvel comic? Welcome to the outside world!

talk about lucky! imagine if streator's first purchase was some crappy non-marvel book?!? ;)

[Jack Destruct]

Or you could just re-read it and pick up on all of the subtle nuances in the art that describe the situation without spelling it out in block letters.

Exactly!

Everything you need to know about the characters and their motivations is there, it's just done with a subtlety that is not often found in comic books.

Then again, maybe it has to do with your own cultural background that you bring to the book. I understood exactly where the woman was coming from because I would've done the same, having lived with at least one pet dog all my life and being extremely empathic towards animals.

If you've never had a pet dog or cat that you loved like a member of your family, then maybe it'd be harder to see where she was coming from and you wouldn't really get it.


See I think it would have benefited from being shorter, 48pages maybe.
Longer wouldn't work though, there just wasn't enough story - it would have become padding.

I don't know if it needed to be shorter, but it definitely didn't need to be longer. Seemed perfectly paced to me.

[keithtalent]

I've just read this.

I thought it was mawkish and banal.

[Winslow]

I've just read this.

I thought it was mawkish and banal.

How so?

. . . .

[keithtalent]

How so?

. . . .

Well it was a cloyingly sentimental story about some animals, with meta-messages about the arms race about as subtle as a bludgeoning across the face. All fitting into the rather obvious journey home genre. Nothing original to recommend it unless putting animals in a suit of armour is sufficient grounds to recommend a story (which it isn't).

[Winslow]

Well it was a cloyingly sentimental story about some animals, with meta-messages about the arms race about as subtle as a bludgeoning across the face. All fitting into the rather obvious journey home genre. Nothing original to recommend it unless putting animals in a suit of armour is sufficient grounds to recommend a story (which it isn't).

If you look hard enough, almost everything is derivative or reductionist. I'm not sure when it "crosses a line" into mawkish and banal.

I thought it was a creative and new way to look at how the corporate war oligarchy can numb our conscience.

Obviously, your mileage may vary.

[keithtalent]

If you look hard enough, almost everything is derivative or reductionist.

Agreed, although in this instance one does not have to look very hard at all.


I'm not sure when it "crosses a line" into mawkish and banal.

I think the default position for a story about animals journeying home is for it to be mawkish, Morrison was rather not able to cross the line into non-mawkishness. Similarly it was banal and never crossed the line into originality.


I thought it was a creative and new way to look at how the corporate war oligarchy can numb our conscience.

Assuming I understand what you mean by 'corporate war oligarchy' I still really don't see this.

[Winslow]

Assuming I understand what you mean by 'corporate war oligarchy' I still really don't see this.

It sounded cute when I wrote it.

I simply meant the defense industry in the States is becoming less competitive, more specialized, and with less oversight. All of those things provide an atmosphere where pragmatism can trump ethics ("numb our conscience").

But if you didn't like it, I doubt I'll be able to change your mind.

[Ryan Day]

I think WE3 is a simple story without a lot of subtext. Obviously it reflects Morrison's animal rights beliefs, but on the whole it's just a simple story about three animals trying to get home.

It's about as elegantly simple a story as you could do with cyborg animals, I think, though I think about 75% of the credit for its greatness has to go to Frank Quitely - it's one of the most gorgeous looking books of the last decade.

[streator]

i just ordered this tpb. i enjoyed morrison and quitely together on new x-men and remembered hearing good things about this book when it was released.

this marks my first non-marvel comic purchase ever, i think.

well, it's taken me about two years, but i finally got around to reading this yesterday.

it was good, but not great. the art was definitely the strongest point.

i was kind of underwhelmed by the ending.

have morrison and quitely worked on anything together besides superman since we3?

is all-star superman worth checking out (i've never read a superman comic)?

[trsman2785]

Hated it. Too sad for me.

[carabas]

have morrison and quitely worked on anything together besides superman since we3?I don't think so. Well, "Batman And Robin" which is supposed to come out when this "Battle For The Cowl" nonsens clears up. But before WE3 they worked together on "New X-Men", "Flex Mentallo", and "The Invisibles".

[T Hedge Coke]

is all-star superman worth checking out (i've never read a superman comic)?

General consensus among Superman fans and nonfans is that it's quintessential Supes. Personally, as someone who loves the idea of Superman but not often the execution, I loved the All Star run. Everyone involved was completely on top of their game for that series.

I do hope that Morrison moving to LA implies the We3 flick is moving along at a decent pace. Revision, revision, of course, but as long as something's not dead, it's in motion.

[Dave G.]

Read this when it first came out and remember being a bit underwhelmed. Story was a bit too sweet for me and tried too hard to pull at the heartstrings. Art was fantastic though.

[mgs]

As for the rabbit, the other animals had personalities. The dog was loyal and protective. The cat was a vicious killer. But the rabbit was what? Indifferent?
to me, it was the rabbit that most acted like an 'animal'. I mean, it was probably the least domesticated, so rabbits being what they are..I think it showed in the story an animal side to one of them, instead of thinking for the humans that used to control it.

As for those who didn't like the story, that may be they may have had different expectations for the story, or they are not familiar with all types of comic books and the varying stories they can tell.

[streator]

General consensus among Superman fans and nonfans is that it's quintessential Supes. Personally, as someone who loves the idea of Superman but not often the execution, I loved the All Star run. Everyone involved was completely on top of their game for that series.

i looked some online, and it appears that the second tpb isn't being released until august. why such a long wait?

i may pick up the first tpb and if i like it we'll see. it sounds like the ideal superman book for someone like me.

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

i looked some online, and it appears that the second tpb isn't being released until august. why such a long wait?

i may pick up the first tpb and if i like it we'll see. it sounds like the ideal superman book for someone like me.

The two slim hardbacks are readily available.
I'd say the wait is to push consumers towards that or the single issues.

[Warpsters]

It's odd....I am not a fan of Morrison or Quitely for the most part but I really dug this book.

[Jack-In-The-Box]

It's one of my favorites.

[streator]

The two slim hardbacks are readily available.
I'd say the wait is to push consumers towards that or the single issues.

i can't seem to find the first hc online anywhere (other than ebay).

anyway, i'm going to pick up the first tpb now and go from there. if i like it i'll have something to look forward to in august, then.