We are back once again with a series that has so far, after only a single issue, has left a lasting impression on a great many people. Can Trees #2 live up the hype that has been created, or will it feel that sophomore slump that so many other book fall victim to?
This book doesn’t faff about with an sort of recap, so if this is your first outing prepare to play a little catch up on the events. The titular Trees take a backseat this issue with the narrative begin to shit onto a few of the characters that we were introduced to back in issue #1. Ellis is laying the foundation for a larger interconnected narrative with Trees #2 and you can see how this issue would fit in much better context when the series hits a collected form.
On its own though, the book can come off as a little dialogue heavy at times. Personally, I enjoyed the direction it took, shying away from the Trees and continuing to jump back and forth between parts of the world. Some of these jumps work better than others with the situation in Somalia being the most intriguing as a reader. We see how these Trees can be used as political footholds for some countries and how other, much poorer countries are left to fight for every inch even when a Tree buffers two territories.
We again see the role of the team in the arctic regions of Norway become more pronounced. The research outpost is far from civilization and get to see the bubbling of tension from certain individuals within the group. The discovery of these black flowers from the end of issue #1 almost become a secondary concern as people argue about rotations and push each others buttons. It’s pretty cliche as far as being stuck in the middle of nowhere goes, but I do hope that the focus on this group of people moves to the more scientific side of the Tree situation and doesn’t focus too much on in-group tension like so many other stories do.
Lastly, the story elements within the region of Cefalu are by far the most boring. Nothing much goes on that grabs the reader and the characters focused just aren’t that interesting, or likable. The book tries to push a “freedom-fighter” angle with this regions lead character trying to liberate the city from… Well, that just it, we aren’t really sure. The entirety of the segment is told in four pages and the only thing of interest, or value is the very last panel that will only leave you scratching your head.
Look, Trees #2 is a fine book for what it’s setting up. This is the kind of story that had a collected volume in mind from the very beginning and because of this we should be prepared for a slower issue or two. Trees has always been a story about the people and how they deal with the situations being caused by these monolithic structures. I absolutely love how, for now at least, these monstrous Trees are relegated as the secondary stories. Aside from the Cefalu section, the writing is well executed and does a lot to set thing up, but I will admit that many people will finish issue #2 and start screaming for something to happen already.
If you are a fan of a slower paced book, then you are going to enjoy Trees #2 from Image Comics. You can feel that Warren Ellis is crafting something much bigger just under the surface with this series. It must also be mentioned the art from Jason Howard is once again outstanding. The only problems I had with Trees #2 all fall in the lap of those few pages the focus on Cefalu. The writing there is pretty bland and the art in a few panels also feels off with respects to what it supposed to be happening from a narrative perspective.
If you have already invested in Trees #1 then this is of course going to be on your list of books to pick up. If on the other hand you have been on the fence or weren’t impressed by the last issue, Trees #2 isn’t going to do anything to change your view. For those that havent picked up the series I suggest finding a copy of Trees #1 and giving that a read to see what your feelings are.
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