Mark Allen reviews Trees #14…
Trees grow on dirt full of dead things.
Apparently aware of the unplanned six-month gap between issues 13 and 14, the conclusion of Trees‘ second volume begins with a propulsive scene of action that puts into motion events that have been brewing since the series began. It also serves as a reminder of just how damn good Jason Howard is at capturing complex human expressions before blowing them the hell up.
Issue #14 wraps up both of volume two’s plot strands with a fleetness and precision that doesn’t skimp on illuminating character or rush the pacing; Warren Ellis’s script is, as ever, an exemplar of no-frills storytelling that retains thrills and gives Howard room to do some of the best work of his career so far. The first thread to be resolved involves a conflict between the NYPD and Manhattan gunrunners based in the island’s flooded downtown area, a conflict that involves harsh, merciless violence that is soon dwarfed by both the Tree towering over the city and machinations from other, more Machiavellian characters.
The second is a more cerebral but no less revelatory sequence that sees research scientist Doctor Creasy discovering the deadly flowers that caused the destruction of her former Arctic base growing on the Orkney islands. This is bad news, but the British government’s growing interest and involvement in Creasy’s investigations have a disquieting atmosphere all their own, especially when the drones show up. Howard depicts robots and mechanical beings – and there are plenty of them, Trees being set in the not-too-distant future – as having uncanny personalities, almost like domesticated animals. This makes these flying cameras with mounted guns all the more unnerving when you consider what violent purposes humans tend to give animals with sharp teeth. The geopolitical allegories present in this comic are sharply drawn and possess a discomforting, undeniable timeliness.
Despite the significant delay – due to Ellis’s health problems late last year – the issue’s promise of the storylines to come are tantalising, picking up both on unresolved threads from the first volume and intertwining developments from this one. The writer’s work of late is cumulative; what may seem sparse and frustratingly brief in a single issue develops into something much larger and more gratifying in the context of the bigger picture, and it’s a welcome relief to have a key part of that puzzle in place.
Rating: 9/10
Mark Allen
. url=”.” . width=”100%” height=”150″ iframe=”true” /]
https://youtu.be/b7Ozs5mj5ao?list=PL18yMRIfoszEaHYNDTy5C-cH9Oa2gN5ng
Originally published August 5, 2016. Updated April 15, 2018.
