Family Tree #8 Feature Reviews 

“Family Tree” #8

By | August 28th, 2020
Posted in Reviews | % Comments

Taking a break from some of the more meditative and internally tense issues, “Family Tree” #8 is full throttle action. Bullets fly, bark breaks, and chainsaws whirl menacingly. There’s a lot of carnage, and not a lot of time for afterthought. In other hands the mayhem would get messy, but for Lemire and the team, the action feels tight — for the most part.

Cover by Phil Hester,
Eric Gapstur,
and Ryan Cody
Written by Jeff Lemire
Illustrated by Phil Hester and Eric Gapstur
Colored by Ryan Cody
Lettered by Steve Wands

While Meg tries to explain her transformation, Grandpa Judd makes his last stand against the Arborists!

Plot-wise, “Family Tree” #8 brings us back squarely to the present. As we noted last “Family Tree” #7 month, flashback and dual timeline sequences can be risky. Writers run the risk of making the past way more interesting than the present, introducing too many plot lines that need picking up at some point, conflicting art styles, and more. Of course, Lemire, Hester, and Gapstur are no chumps. In their hands, time jumping feels seamless. Still, after “Family Tree” #7 it’s good to have an immediate story pickup.

After more whispers of the global apocalypse, “Family Tree” #8 brings us the personal apocalypse for Judd and his family. They’re backed against the wall (er, tree), and after running for nearly eight issues, things finally come to head. Violence cannot be avoided. Actions are met with reactions, and the casualties are plentiful. The pacing during these moments feels exceptionally tight. Oftentimes with last stand moments, battles can get drawn out while everyone gets their stab at a monologue. The tension stalls, and as audience members we forget our favorite (or least favorite) characters are bleeding out. “Family Tree” #8 is pretty far from high fantasy, so that’s less of an issue, but moments like these are on any comic fan’s radar. However, in “Family Tree” #8 the chaotic and poetic moments come hand in hand, and each has just enough room to breathe before the next beat hits. It works well, and feels realistic. The best moments in “Family Tree” #8 are the simple lines exchanged between bitter enemies.

But why should we care about anything being realistic in a story about people turning into trees and talking to disembodied, wooden limbs? It’s a good question, but we’d counter that when we talk about things being realistic in comics with sci-fi or fantasy elements, it’s more about emotional realism, regardless of what fantastical set pieces exist. No matter how many dragons exist in a world, the important thing is that characters respond in ways the audience can empathize with. Because that’s part of the fun of storytelling, answering the question: “If I were there, how would I do it?” Framed that way, I think Lemire gives readers a masterclass in desperation and hope. For a story that started with a desperate run to evade terror, “Family Tree” #8 feels like a respite, and an earned end, as bloody as it is. We’re excited to see what happens after the “to be continued,” that’s for sure.

Eight issues into the story, it may seem like there’s little else we can say about the art, colors, and style of the comic. Luckily, the art team keeps us sharp while keeping on their A game. Wands’s letting is a stand-out. Darcy’s almost handwritten, love letter-esque speech feels especially frail and at risk during the prolonged firefight, and couples well with Judd’s more traditionally masculine, robust speech. Use of space has been especially strong in “Family Tree,” and this issue is no exception. Negative space takes over some of the more dramatic panels in “Family Tree” #8, and the imagery is stark and effective. Judd, framed against a white background, weapon extended against the Arborists in defiance, feels powerful and dignified. Josh, kneeling by his grandfather in an equally white background, feels alone, contemplative, yet resolved. And all these interspersed with moments of utter chaos and zipping bullets.

There’s not much here in terms of major set-pieces, but that’s okay. “Family Tree” #7 gave us an atypical issue full of vibrant and mysterious scenery, so dropping back into the robust setting of roads, fences, and sparse forests in “Family Tree” #8 sets a good emotional contrast. The spartan surroundings work well in “Family Tree” #8. They close the space between protagonists and antagonists, reminding the reader that more than world building and intrigue (of which there is both!), the most important thing in this middle-America, just trying to get by story is the people at its center. In that way, it’s classic Lemire and a delight to read. If there’s one complaint for “Family Tree” #8, it’s that things feel a little linear. Judd and the team have been running pretty much non-stop since the start of the series. In future issues, it’d be nice to let the family have a break, and some room to breathe. Of course, maybe that complaint is just a sign of good storytelling. We’re so invested in these characters, we want a lull in the conflict…for their sake!

The question as always, is what to expect from here? Without getting too deep into specifics, “Family Tree” #8 ends before the dust settles. It’s unclear if we’re on the eve of the end of the world or if it’s already begun, but after constant teases to a forboding prophecy, it’s looking like a lever’s been pulled in “Family Tree” #8. We’re not sure where it will go next, but there’s a clear sense that after this issue, things will not be the same.

Final Verdict: 8.4 – An explosive finale to the current story arc, “Family Tree” #8 balances tight action with earned emotional beats.


//TAGS | Lemire County

Kobi Bordoley

comic reviews, as a treat.

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