We3 is a Graphic Novel full of horrid, grotesque and occasionally sweet images.
While definitely a book which speaks against the mistreatment of animals and the abuse of power, by those in power; it also shows how there are people who are truly benevolent and exist on a higher level.
One of the pages I found particularly significant to these themes and the overall work, was the FIFTH page of the THIRD book.
The set up to this page is a homeless man finding the three escaped animals: Bandit, Tinker and Pirate. This man treats the animals the animals with supreme kindness and, after getting over the initial shock of them talking, offers to give them some help. He is then confronted with police who question him about seeing any animals and offering him a reward the he can obviously use.
The answer question comes at the top of the page I’m analyzing and it goes as following, “But..NAH…I seen nothing you fascist pig assholes.”
1. Plot
This page was extremely important to the plot of the book for several reasons.
a. First this page showed that the man was not actually tricking the animals, and was definitely not going to turn them over.
b. Second it establishes that the military has a general idea of the area that the animals are in.
c. Third and finally it shows that the military is definitely going to use the bull mastiff to try and destroy the animals.
2. Character
This page establishes the personality of the homeless man.
a. The first thing we see is that he values life more than money
i. This is established due to the fact he doesn’t turn the animals in
b. The second is that he distrusts and possible out right hates the military/ police.
i. By naming them as “pigs” we see the outright hatred of this character.
3. Symbolism
a. This Man is a Savior
i. He sacrifices himself rather than put the animals in harm’s way.
ii. He buys the animals time by getting arrested
iii. Most importantly he shows the animals that he is benevolently compassionate, through the way he treats them, which foreshadows his adoption of the animals later on.
4. Visual Design
1. Panel One
a. This panels shows close up on the mans eyes
b. We see here that the man is sad and tired looking, but I think it also shows a fiery passion which has ignited the fierce determination that he has to save the animals
c. The fieriness is shown through the yellow glow of the panel and the redness of his eyes.
2. Panels Two – Four
a. These panels emphasize wetness and water colors.
b. We see rain pouring down and men in green and blue uniforms.
c. It’s almost like the panels are crying as you move down the page for what is about to happen.
3. Panel Five
a. RED
b. This panel talks about unleashing a blood thirsty hell hound and in return we see that the entire panel is red like fire and blood, and glowing like the gates of hell.