We3
Encyclopedia
We3 is a three-issue American comic book
mini-series
by writer Grant Morrison
and artist Frank Quitely
, who describe its kinetic style as "Western Manga". It was published in 2004
by the Vertigo imprint of DC Comics
, with a trade paperback
released in 2005
.
, "Bandit" a.k.a. "1"; a cat
, "Tinker" a.k.a. "2"; and a rabbit
, "Pirate" a.k.a. "3", who were all kidnapped from a nearby city and encased in robotic armor. They were also given a limited ability to speak through skull implants. Their body armor fields numerous weapons, including mine laying devices, machine guns and razor claws. It has been implied by Grant Morrison that We3 (Weapons II, III, IV) were actually part of the Weapon Plus
Program that created Captain America
- Weapon I, Wolverine
- Weapon X
, and Fantomex
- Weapon XIII.
We3 meet and overcome numerous hazards on their flight to freedom, as they are pursued by the full might of the military, including other engineered animal weapons. They also encounter civilians, with varying reactions.
: titled We3 (104 pages, Vertigo, 2005 ISBN 1-4012-0495-3).
optioned We3 as a film project with Morrison attached as screenwriter. The script was completed in 2006, and Don Murphy
, Susan Montford
and Rick Benattar remain attached as producers with the film currently in development. If the film is made, the cybernetic animals would be completely computer-generated
.
On December 9th, 2008, it was reported that John Stevenson
, director of Kung Fu Panda
was attached to the project as a director, and that New Line Cinema was no longer involved.
American comic book
An American comic book is a small magazine originating in the United States and containing a narrative in the form of comics. Since 1975 the dimensions have standardized at 6 5/8" x 10 ¼" , down from 6 ¾" x 10 ¼" in the Silver Age, although larger formats appeared in the past...
mini-series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
by writer Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison is a Scottish comic book writer, playwright and occultist. He is known for his nonlinear narratives and counter-cultural leanings, as well as his successful runs on titles like Animal Man, Doom Patrol, JLA, The Invisibles, New X-Men, Fantastic Four, All-Star Superman, and...
and artist Frank Quitely
Frank Quitely
Vincent Deighan, better known by the pen name Frank Quitely, is a Scottish comic book artist. He is best known for his frequent collaborations with Grant Morrison on titles such as New X-Men, We3, All-Star Superman, and Batman and Robin, as well as his work with Mark Millar on The...
, who describe its kinetic style as "Western Manga". It was published in 2004
2004 in comics
-February:*February 6: Marvel Enterprises and Electronic Arts announce a multi-year agreement in which EA will develop a new generation of fighting video games pitting Marvel superheroes against a new, original set of EA heroes....
by the Vertigo imprint of DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
, with a trade paperback
Trade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
released in 2005
2005 in comics
- January :* January 3: Will Eisner, creator of The Spirit, dies at age 87.-April:*April 13:**DC Comics announces the discontinuation of its Humanoids and 2000 A.D. titles....
.
Plot
The story follows the journey of We3, a squad of three prototype "animal weapons," as they flee captivity. The group consists of a dogDog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
, "Bandit" a.k.a. "1"; a cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
, "Tinker" a.k.a. "2"; and a rabbit
Rabbit
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
, "Pirate" a.k.a. "3", who were all kidnapped from a nearby city and encased in robotic armor. They were also given a limited ability to speak through skull implants. Their body armor fields numerous weapons, including mine laying devices, machine guns and razor claws. It has been implied by Grant Morrison that We3 (Weapons II, III, IV) were actually part of the Weapon Plus
Weapon Plus
Weapon Plus is a fictional clandestine program that appears in books published by Marvel Comics. It was created by Grant Morrison during his run in New X-Men. The program's purpose is the creation of supersoldiers intended to fight the wars of the future, especially a Mutant-Human war...
Program that created Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
- Weapon I, Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
- Weapon X
Weapon X
Weapon X is a fictional clandestine government genetic research facility project in the Marvel Universe conducted by the Canadian Government's Department K, which turns willing and unwilling beings into living weapons. The project often captures mutants and experiments on them to enhance their...
, and Fantomex
Fantomex
Fantomex is a fictional superhero associated with the X-Men in titles published by Marvel Comics. Fantomex first appeared in New X-Men #128 and was created by Grant Morrison and Igor Kordey....
- Weapon XIII.
We3 meet and overcome numerous hazards on their flight to freedom, as they are pursued by the full might of the military, including other engineered animal weapons. They also encounter civilians, with varying reactions.
Collected editions
The mini-series has been collected as a trade paperbackTrade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
: titled We3 (104 pages, Vertigo, 2005 ISBN 1-4012-0495-3).
Film
In 2006, New Line CinemaNew Line Cinema
New Line Cinema, often simply referred to as New Line, is an American film studio. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne as a film distributor, later becoming an independent film studio. It became a subsidiary of Time Warner in 1996 and was merged with larger sister studio Warner...
optioned We3 as a film project with Morrison attached as screenwriter. The script was completed in 2006, and Don Murphy
Don Murphy
Don Murphy is an American film producer who produced Natural Born Killers and many other films, including Transformers and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.-Personal background:...
, Susan Montford
Susan Montford
Susan Montford is a Scottish film director, screenwriter, and producer. She is related to the Scottish football commentator Arthur Montford.A film fan as a child, she studied at the Glasgow School of Art where she made short films including Hairpin and Strangers. Her work was shown at the 2000...
and Rick Benattar remain attached as producers with the film currently in development. If the film is made, the cybernetic animals would be completely computer-generated
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
.
On December 9th, 2008, it was reported that John Stevenson
John Wayne Stevenson
John Stevenson is an animation filmmaker and puppeteer best known for directing the 2008 animated feature film, Kung Fu Panda with Mark Osborne...
, director of Kung Fu Panda
Kung Fu Panda
Kung Fu Panda is a 2008 American computer-animated action comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures...
was attached to the project as a director, and that New Line Cinema was no longer involved.
External links
- "Disney With Fangs" – Morrison on We3 (cached), NewsaramaNewsaramaNewsarama is an American website that publishes news, interviews and essays about the American comic book industry.-History:Newsarama began in Summer 1995 as a series of Internet forum postings on the Prodigy comic-book message boards by fan Mike Doran. In these short messages. Doran shared...
, September 1, 2004
Reviews
- Review by Kaustubh Thirumalai at Kvltsite.com
- Review by Greg McElhatton at ReadAboutComics.com
- Review by Josh Green at Comics BulletinComics BulletinComics Bulletin is a website with an emphasis on the American comic book industry, updated daily with news, reviews, interviews, and editorial content. Coverage ranges from mainstream to independent/small press comic book and graphic novel publishers.-History:...