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WE3
1/OCT/2004
Publisher: Vertigo/DC Comics
Writer: Grant Morrison
Pencils: Frank Quitely
Inks: Jamie Grant
Colors: Jamie Grant
Letters: Todd Klein
Price: $2.95 US/R29.50 SA
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Grant Morrison [New X-men, Seaguy]
and Frank Quitely [New X-Men,
Bite Club] regroup to form a creator ‘super
team’ of their own. Lock your doors and batten down your hatches
as they plan to use a bunch of household pets in ways you would
never have imagined...
The US Government has been using normal domestic animals
in an advanced bio-engineering project to make a futuristic
army of super-bionic animal soldiers. After a high-ranking official
decides that things have gotten out of hand when he finds out that
the ‘pets’ can talk, he decides to decommission this
initial experimental force in lieu of a more streamlined and safer
one for the future of animatronic warfare. The head scientist decides
to help free her animals rather than see them perish and that’s
when the kibble starts to hit the fan...
An amazingly action-packed and suspenseful opening scene gets you
straight into the just of the book from the very first page, which
is essential for a 3-issue mini-series. The first few scenes in
this issue are completely void of dialogue and narration. This
‘silent montage’ says a lot about Quitely’s visuals
and Morrison’s overall ideas that both can carry the book
without a word for the first thirteen pages. There is fantastic
use of ‘visual speech’ via newspaper headlines and truck
logos etc. which Quitely employs to get the basics of the story
across during this ‘silent’ section of the book.
This comic is easy to understand, unlike what I have heard of Morrison’s
work on such titles as ‘The Filth’ and to a certain
extent ‘Seaguy’, and should bring a great deal of enjoyment
to sci-fi comic book fans. Morrison has managed to build up some
great action scenes intermingled with some stunning little sci-fi
pieces which make this first issue a real page turner.
Frank Quitely brings one of his most polished performances
to this book and uses some clever methods in which to get the story
across. In one scene a group of top army dignitaries visits
the project headquarters, by not showing the faces of the General
and most of the scientists we get a feel for the horror/mystery
and amazement felt by those witnessing the animal experiments for
the first time. This is a very clever way to draw the focus onto
the animals by simply not allowing your reader to visualise the
secondary players in a scene until the artist wants them to be involved
directly.
While Quitely uses advanced visual techniques such as the
ones explained above, he also relies on comic book staples such
as the double-page spread. His glorious spread of the escaping
animals, with a lead in of some amazing small panel work, is incredibly
effective. Again with limited dialogue Quitely tells the story of
the animals escape from the lab via a network of security cameras
which stands out as another example of his intelligent visual-storytelling
devices.
I really liked the originality of the cover design
for this issue. A home-made ‘missing’ poster with a
great central image reminiscent of a photograph by an owner of his/her
beloved pet. Great detail is shown in the rendering as we see a
Playstation 2 next to the Television, scattered CD’s and magazines
which make this a very life-like background scene which is realistic
yet still fun to look at. The wooden floorboard lighting and texturing
is particularly remarkable in its realness. The only downer would
have to be the ‘Dog Tag’ logo which comes across as
weak and a bit garish when compared to the rest of the cover.
Everything it was promised it would be and more, the art is even
better than I expected and the story is riveting from start to finish.
Score 10/10
Reviewed By:Iain Duncan
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