Trees #08
Writer: Warren Ellis
Artist: Jason Howard
Publisher: Image
Arcana Intellego.
At the risk of sounding cliché, this issue just changed everything. Well, I mean last issue did that too, and actually the issue before that did too, but… what was I saying? Right: this issue changes EVERYTHING. And with the apparent military move on Shu, the developments/discoveries at the Arctic encampment, and Tito’s fate in Rio, that means a lot.
Considering all those points and more set in motion last issue, we actually saw a lot of the follow-up for many of the preludes and events that have had their foundations established since the start of the series. Don’t get me wrong – a lot of it ends pretty violently (or straight-up tragically), but what else did you expect? As the final issue of Trees mysterious and incredibly dense (narrative wise) first arc, Ellis and Howard delivered the goods HARD.
If anything, my only concern with this issue was that the fate of the Somalian Tree assault was not followed up with, but considering Ellis’ particular brand of care in storytelling, I’m sure that this fallout will be followed up with soon enough. My other issue is that I admittedly keep wanting to expound so many details in my reviews (as opposed to my typical style), but this issue sets so many resolves so many prior plot points in such unexpected fashions that the literal state of everything that has and will be has taken a drastic turn in the best ways. Well, best for the reader. Things seem pretty damn dismal otherwise.
I don’t know how much longer this series has, but with the way things are progressing status quos have been utterly redefined and it seems that things can only get worse from here on out; perhaps things truly have to get worse before they can get better. In any case, I wouldn’t at all be surprised to see a time jump between this issue and issue #9 (due out in May, I believe), but while this issue does a lot of things great with characters that I have to admit I’ve formed some relative attachment to, the Trees remain just as mysterious as ever -- even if they have become little more than static with this arc’s conclusion.
Artist: Jason Howard
Publisher: Image
Arcana Intellego.
At the risk of sounding cliché, this issue just changed everything. Well, I mean last issue did that too, and actually the issue before that did too, but… what was I saying? Right: this issue changes EVERYTHING. And with the apparent military move on Shu, the developments/discoveries at the Arctic encampment, and Tito’s fate in Rio, that means a lot.
Considering all those points and more set in motion last issue, we actually saw a lot of the follow-up for many of the preludes and events that have had their foundations established since the start of the series. Don’t get me wrong – a lot of it ends pretty violently (or straight-up tragically), but what else did you expect? As the final issue of Trees mysterious and incredibly dense (narrative wise) first arc, Ellis and Howard delivered the goods HARD.
If anything, my only concern with this issue was that the fate of the Somalian Tree assault was not followed up with, but considering Ellis’ particular brand of care in storytelling, I’m sure that this fallout will be followed up with soon enough. My other issue is that I admittedly keep wanting to expound so many details in my reviews (as opposed to my typical style), but this issue sets so many resolves so many prior plot points in such unexpected fashions that the literal state of everything that has and will be has taken a drastic turn in the best ways. Well, best for the reader. Things seem pretty damn dismal otherwise.
I don’t know how much longer this series has, but with the way things are progressing status quos have been utterly redefined and it seems that things can only get worse from here on out; perhaps things truly have to get worse before they can get better. In any case, I wouldn’t at all be surprised to see a time jump between this issue and issue #9 (due out in May, I believe), but while this issue does a lot of things great with characters that I have to admit I’ve formed some relative attachment to, the Trees remain just as mysterious as ever -- even if they have become little more than static with this arc’s conclusion.
A Look Inside
