The second arc of “Trees” begins here, where Warren Ellis continues his mysterious tale of gargantuan extraterrestrial “trees” that have planted themselves around the world. In this issue, Ellis narrows his focus on Doctor Joanne Creasy from the previous arc and, along with artist Jason Howard, escalates the suspense and poses more intriguing questions in a book that’s deserving of both immense praise and an even bigger audience.
Written by Warren Ellis
Illustrated by Jason HowardBeginning the second TREES story, “Two Forests.” The Orkney Tree, set among the standing stones of that remote island, seems almost like it was always meant to be there. But, following the events in Svalbard, it could be nothing but a vast unexploded bomb. Across the Atlantic, there is a new mayor in New York City, who grew up under the shadow of the Manhattan Tree. And he might be the bigger threat.
Ellis and Howard continue to explore the ramifications of a world living with tree-like structures that have unexplainable origins. Unlike the previous arc’s expert juggling of disparate characters, issue nine focuses on one woman. The destruction and death from the last issue has taken a heavy toll on Doctor Creasy and she is now recruited by the English government to embark on a fact-finding mission. As a biologist who has experience with observing these deadly trees that have arrived without any hint of reason, she is given the responsibility of discovering a method of understanding this baffling phenomenon.
Ellis’ tale retains its atmosphere of portentous doom from previous chapters in “Trees” #9. The issue begins with a horrific flashback from the previous arc that Howard brings to vivid life. Ellis continues throughout the rest of the issue to trust and respect the intelligence of the reader. Past events and motivations don’t have to be explained in order to enjoy what Ellis and Howard are doing with this book. The story and dialogue unfolds naturally and is devoid of any filler. The scarcity of words may have some detractors bellyaching over the how much this and the previous issues are quick reads. That complaint does not take into account the fact that this story is slowly unfolding and building suspense and character in such nuanced ways through both Ellis and Howard’s artistry.
The characters in “Trees” have as much depth and complexity as the story itself. The government agent is obviously (or is he?) keeping secrets and unspoken motivations hidden from Creasy. His dialogue is too familiar and jokily monotonous to not be hiding something sinister. Creasy, although fairly blunt in her language, recalls flashbacks and flashes certain facial expressions that require no words in their subtlety. Ellis is a master of the comic book art form and knows when to let his artist express his story in ways that only the medium itself can accomplish in stunning fashion. It’s fortuitous that Ellis and Howard are collaborators on this book.
Howard is Ellis’ equal when it comes to the power of “Trees” #9’s powerful storytelling. Ellis allows for silent moments where Howard can express characterization simply through his art. In one powerful panel where Creasy has stepped off a bus on a rainy night, Howard has her with arms folded in resignation where the red of her jacket and the brown of the bus stand out in sharp contrast to the rest of the scene. The surrounding buildings and the other people around Creasy are all covered in shadow, evoking a sense of desolation that permeates every moment of this issue. Here is a woman who is truly alone and must navigate a world shrouded in deception and subterfuge. Howard expresses this simply and without bombast to great effect.
It’s especially important to point out that Howard colors the book himself and is able to utilize his color palette to convey such powerful emotions and feelings in a world that oozes desolation. That desolation is not only present in solitary moments like the rainy one described above, but in one-on-one scenes between her and other people. The scene between Creasy and a government agent is haunting and, in the hands of lesser artists, could have been boring and straightforward. Instead, Howard’s unique artistic style is beautifully expressed in his sketchy pencils that subtly coax out complex emotions without the need for Ellis to write what each character may be thinking at a particular moment. In this same extended scene, Howard’s color palette is again used to impeccable effect. The pea-soup green color of the drab rainy-day sky is used as a backdrop for the government agent and this color choice, as well as the rest of the scene’s coloring, evinces a sinister feeling of claustrophobia and despair. The art, as well as the story, portends strife and horror for the future of Creasy and her world.
“Trees” #9 is a drastic change from the previous issues and begins a new arc that promises answers. Doctor Creasy is a strong character who definitely has the courage, drive, and complex humanity to make the future of this book brimming with promise. Warren Ellis is writing a book that has the feel of a hidden gem. A book this subtle, despite its sensational premise, is deserving of careful reading for both its written and artistic brilliance.
Final Verdict: 8.5 – Ellis and Howard are a perfect artistic couple and demonstrate, with “Trees” #9, that the fruits of their combined labor strongly continues into the second arc of this underappreciated title. Grabbing the first trade and this issue cannot be more highly recommended.
