Trees #4 Review
Trees #4 does very little to advance its plot, instead focusing on character development. Again, we see the story jump between various destinations in an attempt to flesh out a specific set of characters. While the character development is interesting in its own rite, the feeling of being slowly pulled along this path once a month is hard to get used to. “Slow burn” is a good way of describing this book so far, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Warren Ellis is no stranger to exotic themes and strange stories. Where Trees appears to be a very sci-fi book on its surface, it is actually really grounded as a narrative representing people’s various personalities and cultures.
It is clear that the Trees are now a part of everyday life for the citizens around the world. And how people deal with that is both unique and intriguing. While some people see the Trees as an opportunity to expand their art, others see it as a threat, while some see it as an opportunity to prove their self worth in the world. Unfortunately, this is a book that seems to be taking a long time to build up; this may turn out to be a book better read in trade format.
Jason Howard continues to knock the art out of the park here portraying a wide variety of locales, cultures, and even representing the Trees in an eerie and ominous way.
I can’t recommend this book enough. Sure, things seem to be going a little slow now, but where things will go after the primary arc intrigues me, especially after seeing the last page. If you’re not reading this now, the trade will surely be a great entry point in the future.
Score: 8.0