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Trees (Collected Editions)
Trees, Vol. 2: Two Forests
Ten years after they landed. All over the world. And they did nothing, standing on the surface of the Earth like trees, exerting their silent pressure on the world, as if there were no one here and nothing under foot. Ten years since we learned that there is intelligent life in the universe, but that they did not recognize us as intelligent or alive.
Trees, a new science fiction novel by Warren Ellis (Transmetropolitan, Red) and Jason Howard (Super Dinosaur, The Astounding Wolf-Man), looks at a near-future world where life goes on in the shadows of the Trees. Biologist Jo Creasy, the survivor of the catastrophic Arctic events of Trees: Volume One, is sent to the Orkneys to look for the phenomenon that she knows is the sign of the end of the world. A smaller apocalypse is being enacted in New York, where a mayoral candidate is taking revenge for the night the Tree landed on Manhattan...
Collects issues 9-14.
Trees, a new science fiction novel by Warren Ellis (Transmetropolitan, Red) and Jason Howard (Super Dinosaur, The Astounding Wolf-Man), looks at a near-future world where life goes on in the shadows of the Trees. Biologist Jo Creasy, the survivor of the catastrophic Arctic events of Trees: Volume One, is sent to the Orkneys to look for the phenomenon that she knows is the sign of the end of the world. A smaller apocalypse is being enacted in New York, where a mayoral candidate is taking revenge for the night the Tree landed on Manhattan...
Collects issues 9-14.
128 pages, Paperback
First published October 11, 2016
18 people are currently reading
682 people want to read
About the author
Warren Ellis
1,959 books5,766 followersWarren Ellis is the award-winning writer of graphic novels like TRANSMETROPOLITAN, FELL, MINISTRY OF SPACE and PLANETARY, and the author of the NYT-bestselling GUN MACHINE and the “underground classic” novel CROOKED LITTLE VEIN, as well as the digital short-story single DEAD PIG COLLECTOR. His newest book is the novella NORMAL, from FSG Originals, listed as one of Amazon’s Best 100 Books Of 2016.
The movie RED is based on his graphic novel of the same name, its sequel having been released in summer 2013. IRON MAN 3 is based on his Marvel Comics graphic novel IRON MAN: EXTREMIS. He is currently developing his graphic novel sequence with Jason Howard, TREES, for television, in concert with HardySonBaker and NBCU, and continues to work as a screenwriter and producer in film and television, represented by Angela Cheng Caplan and Cheng Caplan Company. He is the creator, writer and co-producer of the Netflix series CASTLEVANIA, recently renewed for its third season, and of the recently-announced Netflix series HEAVEN’S FOREST.
He’s written extensively for VICE, WIRED UK and Reuters on technological and cultural matters, and given keynote speeches and lectures at events like dConstruct, ThingsCon, Improving Reality, SxSW, How The Light Gets In, Haunted Machines and Cognitive Cities.
Warren Ellis has recently developed and curated the revival of the Wildstorm creative library for DC Entertainment with the series THE WILD STORM, and is currently working on the serialising of new graphic novel works TREES: THREE FATES and INJECTION at Image Comics, and the serialised graphic novel THE BATMAN’S GRAVE for DC Comics, while working as a Consulting Producer on another television series.
A documentary about his work, CAPTURED GHOSTS, was released in 2012.
Recognitions include the NUIG Literary and Debating Society’s President’s Medal for service to freedom of speech, the EAGLE AWARDS Roll Of Honour for lifetime achievement in the field of comics & graphic novels, the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire 2010, the Sidewise Award for Alternate History and the International Horror Guild Award for illustrated narrative. He is a Patron of Humanists UK. He holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Essex.
Warren Ellis lives outside London, on the south-east coast of England, in case he needs to make a quick getaway.
The movie RED is based on his graphic novel of the same name, its sequel having been released in summer 2013. IRON MAN 3 is based on his Marvel Comics graphic novel IRON MAN: EXTREMIS. He is currently developing his graphic novel sequence with Jason Howard, TREES, for television, in concert with HardySonBaker and NBCU, and continues to work as a screenwriter and producer in film and television, represented by Angela Cheng Caplan and Cheng Caplan Company. He is the creator, writer and co-producer of the Netflix series CASTLEVANIA, recently renewed for its third season, and of the recently-announced Netflix series HEAVEN’S FOREST.
He’s written extensively for VICE, WIRED UK and Reuters on technological and cultural matters, and given keynote speeches and lectures at events like dConstruct, ThingsCon, Improving Reality, SxSW, How The Light Gets In, Haunted Machines and Cognitive Cities.
Warren Ellis has recently developed and curated the revival of the Wildstorm creative library for DC Entertainment with the series THE WILD STORM, and is currently working on the serialising of new graphic novel works TREES: THREE FATES and INJECTION at Image Comics, and the serialised graphic novel THE BATMAN’S GRAVE for DC Comics, while working as a Consulting Producer on another television series.
A documentary about his work, CAPTURED GHOSTS, was released in 2012.
Recognitions include the NUIG Literary and Debating Society’s President’s Medal for service to freedom of speech, the EAGLE AWARDS Roll Of Honour for lifetime achievement in the field of comics & graphic novels, the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire 2010, the Sidewise Award for Alternate History and the International Horror Guild Award for illustrated narrative. He is a Patron of Humanists UK. He holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Essex.
Warren Ellis lives outside London, on the south-east coast of England, in case he needs to make a quick getaway.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 233 reviews
August 12, 2016
18 months, guys - 18 TREELESS MONTHS!!! That’s how long I’ve been hankering for more Tree-y goodness since the first book dropped into me grubby reading mitts! So now that the second arc is complete is Two Forests as grand as the first? Nope - but it’s still good!
Dr Joanne Creasy survived the Blindhail Event when the Norwegian Tree (by the way, for those unfamiliar with this title, the “Trees” are these massive alien tubes randomly strewn upright across the planet) suddenly detonated - but her colleagues weren’t as fortunate. The Home Office has plans and sends her off to the Orkney Islands to survey the only British Tree and see if any black flowers have begun to seed (the warning sign for another Blindhail). Across the pond, the new mayor of New York is plotting against those who swept him into office and who had a hand in what happened the day the New York Tree arrived.
Did you watch Breaking Bad and now follow Better Call Saul? No? This is a book site? Up yours buddy, go slobber over Herman Melville some more! The rest of you: of course you watch those shows or can pretend to. But Better Call Saul? Nowhere near as exciting as BB - BB was B-Ass, amirite?! (What’ve I been drinking…)
Anyways: very, very little happens in Better Call Saul, especially in comparison to Breaking Bad, and yet it’s compelling, well put-together, and damned good in a lo-fi way. And now we’re back to the comix. Because Trees is like that. Very little happens in Two Forests, especially with Creasy who loiters around the gorgeous Orkney Islands not doing much of anything, while the Noo Yawk mayor is basically making Machiavellian plans in the shadows for most of the book, sipping the whiskey so you knows he’s evil.
But I still really liked it. I was hooked the whole way through because this book is well-written and drawn so it doesn’t matter that not a whole lot seems to be going on - the experience itself is more enjoyable than the summary lets on.
That’s not to say there’s no excitement either. There’s a big guns-blazing action finale and the flashbacks were really cool too. We get to see Creasy’s breathless escape from Blindhail as it was blowing up (linking directly to the final pages of the last volume), and the day the New York Tree landed was eerie and mesmerising. Ellis also sets up some tantalising future storylines with characters from the first book, Eligia and Zhen, who only get one-page cameos here.
But I can definitely see some people reading this and wondering when the aliens are gonna show (they still don’t in this book and I hope they never do!). We’re focusing on a scientist in the middle of nowhere and a wannabe mob boss? Git to the ‘splosions and fight for humanity super-dramatic stuff!
That’s my favourite aspect of this series: how these Trees are the catalyst for everything that happens despite the reader never being told exactly what they are or ever seeing the aliens who made them! The unconventional and unexpected approach to a generic story is inspired, choosing to focus instead on the characters living in the shadow of the Trees and how their presence affects their actions - and Ellis’ way works!
Jason Howard’s art is consistently fantastic in all areas from the covers to the credits splash page design to the bloody battle and the gorgeous panoramic views of the Orkneys. Little things like new phone and car designs, and self-driving buses effectively indicate this is the near-future subtly and convincingly too. I liked it all very much.
Two Forests continues the fascinating unfolding story of this strange dystopian world that fans of the first book will certainly enjoy, though I wish Volume 2 was a bit more Breaking Bad than Better Call Saul. Anyway, here’s hoping we don’t have to wait as long for the third book - become a Tree-hugger today and check out this awesome title!
Dr Joanne Creasy survived the Blindhail Event when the Norwegian Tree (by the way, for those unfamiliar with this title, the “Trees” are these massive alien tubes randomly strewn upright across the planet) suddenly detonated - but her colleagues weren’t as fortunate. The Home Office has plans and sends her off to the Orkney Islands to survey the only British Tree and see if any black flowers have begun to seed (the warning sign for another Blindhail). Across the pond, the new mayor of New York is plotting against those who swept him into office and who had a hand in what happened the day the New York Tree arrived.
Did you watch Breaking Bad and now follow Better Call Saul? No? This is a book site? Up yours buddy, go slobber over Herman Melville some more! The rest of you: of course you watch those shows or can pretend to. But Better Call Saul? Nowhere near as exciting as BB - BB was B-Ass, amirite?! (What’ve I been drinking…)
Anyways: very, very little happens in Better Call Saul, especially in comparison to Breaking Bad, and yet it’s compelling, well put-together, and damned good in a lo-fi way. And now we’re back to the comix. Because Trees is like that. Very little happens in Two Forests, especially with Creasy who loiters around the gorgeous Orkney Islands not doing much of anything, while the Noo Yawk mayor is basically making Machiavellian plans in the shadows for most of the book, sipping the whiskey so you knows he’s evil.
But I still really liked it. I was hooked the whole way through because this book is well-written and drawn so it doesn’t matter that not a whole lot seems to be going on - the experience itself is more enjoyable than the summary lets on.
That’s not to say there’s no excitement either. There’s a big guns-blazing action finale and the flashbacks were really cool too. We get to see Creasy’s breathless escape from Blindhail as it was blowing up (linking directly to the final pages of the last volume), and the day the New York Tree landed was eerie and mesmerising. Ellis also sets up some tantalising future storylines with characters from the first book, Eligia and Zhen, who only get one-page cameos here.
But I can definitely see some people reading this and wondering when the aliens are gonna show (they still don’t in this book and I hope they never do!). We’re focusing on a scientist in the middle of nowhere and a wannabe mob boss? Git to the ‘splosions and fight for humanity super-dramatic stuff!
That’s my favourite aspect of this series: how these Trees are the catalyst for everything that happens despite the reader never being told exactly what they are or ever seeing the aliens who made them! The unconventional and unexpected approach to a generic story is inspired, choosing to focus instead on the characters living in the shadow of the Trees and how their presence affects their actions - and Ellis’ way works!
Jason Howard’s art is consistently fantastic in all areas from the covers to the credits splash page design to the bloody battle and the gorgeous panoramic views of the Orkneys. Little things like new phone and car designs, and self-driving buses effectively indicate this is the near-future subtly and convincingly too. I liked it all very much.
Two Forests continues the fascinating unfolding story of this strange dystopian world that fans of the first book will certainly enjoy, though I wish Volume 2 was a bit more Breaking Bad than Better Call Saul. Anyway, here’s hoping we don’t have to wait as long for the third book - become a Tree-hugger today and check out this awesome title!
October 22, 2016
After more than a year waiting for the second volume to be released (don't some of us have a lot of patience for and commitment to these comics?! Crazy!), a more focused and somewhat different comic emerges from the clearly sci-fi focus of the first volume, something more focused on political maneuvering/struggles. In the first volume we looked at five different places on the planet where aliens had dropped cylindrical "trees" more than a decade ago; in this one the focus is on fewer characters and two locations, Britain's Orkney Islands and Manhattan. After the initial damage the dropping of trees did in urban places like NYC that we saw in volume 1, not much happened, th trees were pretty dormant, though there is an ominous proliferation of black flowers. Most people seem pretty passive about this, though some folks are researching the trees, including a Dr. Creasy who gets to be the focal character of the second volume. In the first volume she is a survivor of the dropping of the Blindhail Tree on Svalbard.
In this volume Dr Creasy is hired to investigate the flowers in the Orkneys, which becomes interesting. We tack back and forth between her in Britain and a group of people struggling for power in Manhattan, which remains flooded and damaged from the tree's being dropped there. That part of the story is more crime comic--and not all that engaging to me--than the sci-fi comic focus of Creasy in Britain, though not much real progress takes place in either world, frankly. Though why the Orkneys? What do the trees have to do with ancient stone circles and similar configurations? What does a scar one one man have to do with such configurations? We have no idea yet, but the questions slowly get raised.
Who knows what will happen. But I think Howard's art is even better than it was in the first volume, and I am intrigued enough to keep reading. To another year of waiting for volume 3!
In this volume Dr Creasy is hired to investigate the flowers in the Orkneys, which becomes interesting. We tack back and forth between her in Britain and a group of people struggling for power in Manhattan, which remains flooded and damaged from the tree's being dropped there. That part of the story is more crime comic--and not all that engaging to me--than the sci-fi comic focus of Creasy in Britain, though not much real progress takes place in either world, frankly. Though why the Orkneys? What do the trees have to do with ancient stone circles and similar configurations? What does a scar one one man have to do with such configurations? We have no idea yet, but the questions slowly get raised.
Who knows what will happen. But I think Howard's art is even better than it was in the first volume, and I am intrigued enough to keep reading. To another year of waiting for volume 3!
May 26, 2025
2025: This does a great job of continuing one of the tales from Trees 1 and starts yet another intriguing tale. Ellis is so good at creating story ideas... but man does he abandon a lot of good books.
2017:Can't believe it took me this long to get around to reading this book. I should have re-read the first one too. I feel like this book is going to end up being more of a transitional section in the whole series - and just like the first 8 issues were better read together, I think the whole series will work better as one long story. That being said, there was lots to love in this book. I can't wait to go back and re-read this entire series once its concluded.
2017:Can't believe it took me this long to get around to reading this book. I should have re-read the first one too. I feel like this book is going to end up being more of a transitional section in the whole series - and just like the first 8 issues were better read together, I think the whole series will work better as one long story. That being said, there was lots to love in this book. I can't wait to go back and re-read this entire series once its concluded.
September 25, 2017
OK, now we're getting back on track, we've whittled 5 mostly boring stories down to 2 more interesting ones for this volume. We float back and forth between the Orkney Islands (northern Great Britain) and New York City. Dr. Joanne Creasy survived the Blindhail event and has been hired to inspect the lone tree in Great Britain. Meanwhile, in Manhattan we have some kind of Machiavellian crime story with the mayor elect pitting the NYPD and the crime syndicate who supported his candidacy at odds with one another. I found Dr. Creasy's story much more enthralling than the story in Manhattan and overall the story much more coherent now that Ellis has focused on just the 2 stories.
April 17, 2017
Ellis loves to tell a far out mystery. This isn't his best, but it's definitely still intriguing enough to keep me reading.
I just want to know, what are the bloody trees!?!
I just want to know, what are the bloody trees!?!
January 11, 2020
This feels a lot like a setup book...but the best kind. The type that makes you excited as hell for the final volume.
So this focuses on the new mayor and Jo. jo is from the first volume and somehow, someway, she survived the events of the first volume. But not without some heavy PDST to come along with it. This of course makes her unstable at times but her focus is to prevent this from happening again. So she heads north to try just that. At the same time we have the Mayor of New York with his sneaky ass plans to controlling the entire city and police officers in that town.
I really enjoyed this fast moving chapter in the crazy Trees world. While it always feel dirty, sad, and broken the world, the art is amazing and gives life to every area. I also loved the focus on two characters, very different situations, but can tell it's all leading to something major soon. The Mayor stuff was a tad boring at first but quickly changed to something super engaging and the ending shocking. Jo's story only grows deeper into the mystery, and the hope she might able to stop the outcome of what is to come is scary and exciting. A easy 4 out of 5.
So this focuses on the new mayor and Jo. jo is from the first volume and somehow, someway, she survived the events of the first volume. But not without some heavy PDST to come along with it. This of course makes her unstable at times but her focus is to prevent this from happening again. So she heads north to try just that. At the same time we have the Mayor of New York with his sneaky ass plans to controlling the entire city and police officers in that town.
I really enjoyed this fast moving chapter in the crazy Trees world. While it always feel dirty, sad, and broken the world, the art is amazing and gives life to every area. I also loved the focus on two characters, very different situations, but can tell it's all leading to something major soon. The Mayor stuff was a tad boring at first but quickly changed to something super engaging and the ending shocking. Jo's story only grows deeper into the mystery, and the hope she might able to stop the outcome of what is to come is scary and exciting. A easy 4 out of 5.
February 6, 2017
Trees remains one of the most intriguing series around. I wish there were more comics doing complex science fiction like this. It's the rare creator who has the guts to keep the aliens truly alien and unknown, allowing the humans to operate in a knowledge vacuum that breeds suspicion, dubious conclusions, and sometimes, flashes of insight. Jason Howard's art and Warren Ellis' story work to create a lived-in yet still beautiful world, and Howard does an amazing job of bring Dr. Creasy, especially, to life. Her ability to side-eye without saying a word is worth the price of admission all by itself.
January 30, 2020
I was not at all interested by the politico-criminal shenanigans of the New York story, which focused on the (nameless?) Mayor-Elect. Was there a reason for this stuff other than as an excuse to show lots of explosions and gunshots? Maybe it was all for the awkwardly forced exposure of one scar?!
And was the other half of the volume, the Orkney Islands story focusing on Dr Creasy, really all just to show us There was no development.
My tepid 3-star rating is really only a sign of my optimism that future vols might be worth reading.
^^^
The preceding text was my review from 2016. Upon rereading in early 2020 as a refresher before the collected vol 3 is published...
Upon rereading, i liked this volume even less and have downgraded to 2 stars. The first few pages of issue #1 (ie, the first pages of vol 1) are a synopsis of everything that happens throughout the 14 issues collected in vols 1&2: People stand around talking about what they're going to do in a nebulous way while tinkering with machines and as drones fly "ominously" overhead or droids skulk "ominously" nearby and then shit gets blown up. I understand that people in power can be horrible and they'll do horrible things but i don't see any motivation other than the flimsiest of surface explanations. It feels like yet another comix "exploration" of the Unseen Hand that secretly manipulates all of existence. In this case, i suspect we're meant to infer that the Trees are controlling things. I really don't care.
Still, i ordered vol 3 and i'll read it within a day of receiving it in the mail but i'm fairly certain i'll gladly donate it to my local library and not feel a single pang of letting it go.
And was the other half of the volume, the Orkney Islands story focusing on Dr Creasy, really all just to show us There was no development.
My tepid 3-star rating is really only a sign of my optimism that future vols might be worth reading.
^^^
The preceding text was my review from 2016. Upon rereading in early 2020 as a refresher before the collected vol 3 is published...
Upon rereading, i liked this volume even less and have downgraded to 2 stars. The first few pages of issue #1 (ie, the first pages of vol 1) are a synopsis of everything that happens throughout the 14 issues collected in vols 1&2: People stand around talking about what they're going to do in a nebulous way while tinkering with machines and as drones fly "ominously" overhead or droids skulk "ominously" nearby and then shit gets blown up. I understand that people in power can be horrible and they'll do horrible things but i don't see any motivation other than the flimsiest of surface explanations. It feels like yet another comix "exploration" of the Unseen Hand that secretly manipulates all of existence. In this case, i suspect we're meant to infer that the Trees are controlling things. I really don't care.
Still, i ordered vol 3 and i'll read it within a day of receiving it in the mail but i'm fairly certain i'll gladly donate it to my local library and not feel a single pang of letting it go.
April 21, 2020
Dear Mr. Ellis,
MORE. TREES. NOW.
Sincerely,
Eric
-----------------------------------
Plot points:
--
MORE. TREES. NOW.
Sincerely,
Eric
-----------------------------------
Plot points:
--
March 3, 2017
Yay for forgetting to mark things read. Full review to come, but I loved this, and I'm still hoping for more to this story.
March 14, 2021
Review pre 1-3.volume
Trees je fakt skvelé sci-fi, ktoré vám da poriadnu dávku mysteriózna, dobre napísaných postáv a parádnu kresbu. Dej nezvyknem písať, nakoľko si je každý schopný prečítať popis, a tak len poviem, že je to fajn rozdelené do oblastí po svete, kam stromy dopadli, a vždy sa príbeh pohybuje okolo inej skupiny ľudí a ako ich životy stromy ovplyvnili za tých desať rokov, odkedy sa zjavili. Tretí book je sklamaním, nie po príbehovej (fajn vyšetrovanie vraždy v ruskej dedinke spojené s love story) stránke, ale že to vôbec nenadviazalo na druhý book, je to taký pomimo príbeh a má spojitosť len tým, že jeden zo stromov je v tej dedinke. Bolo by skvelé, keby sa toho Ellis znova chytil, lebo nápad je fakt originálny a prevedenie skvelé. Neostáva nič iné, len čakať.. 1: 4,5 / 2: 4 / 3: 4
Trees je fakt skvelé sci-fi, ktoré vám da poriadnu dávku mysteriózna, dobre napísaných postáv a parádnu kresbu. Dej nezvyknem písať, nakoľko si je každý schopný prečítať popis, a tak len poviem, že je to fajn rozdelené do oblastí po svete, kam stromy dopadli, a vždy sa príbeh pohybuje okolo inej skupiny ľudí a ako ich životy stromy ovplyvnili za tých desať rokov, odkedy sa zjavili. Tretí book je sklamaním, nie po príbehovej (fajn vyšetrovanie vraždy v ruskej dedinke spojené s love story) stránke, ale že to vôbec nenadviazalo na druhý book, je to taký pomimo príbeh a má spojitosť len tým, že jeden zo stromov je v tej dedinke. Bolo by skvelé, keby sa toho Ellis znova chytil, lebo nápad je fakt originálny a prevedenie skvelé. Neostáva nič iné, len čakať.. 1: 4,5 / 2: 4 / 3: 4
November 16, 2018
Warren Ellis - writer
Jason Howard - illustrator
Same deal as volume 1. Great writing & concept + mediocre, hasty art = a pretty good book!
I hate to poop on Mr. Howard, but with how infrequently this book is published you would think the art could look more finished? Still, it's easy to criticize and I sure couldn't do any better. But that's just, like, my opinion, man.
4/5 (writing *****, art ***) Recommended.
Jason Howard - illustrator
Same deal as volume 1. Great writing & concept + mediocre, hasty art = a pretty good book!
I hate to poop on Mr. Howard, but with how infrequently this book is published you would think the art could look more finished? Still, it's easy to criticize and I sure couldn't do any better. But that's just, like, my opinion, man.
4/5 (writing *****, art ***) Recommended.
August 22, 2025
...interesting continuation of the first book, with that volume's four stories here being reduced to just two - one a Gotham City-style tale of political corruption, and the other a more tree-related (but ultimately unresolved) story where the sole survivor of the first volume goes to investigate the alien trees in the Orkney islands. Still too early to tell if this will ultimately be frustrating or brilliant...
October 9, 2016
AMAZING. When I read the first volume of Trees I thought this might become one of my favorite comic books. Now that I've read the second volume it is one of my favorite comic books. Truly amazing. An intelligent story that digs deep into your heart and rummages around in your emotions and then connects something from deep within you to the pages you are reading.
April 4, 2019
I’m intrigued by where this is all going! The black flowers and the Trees. The Mayor and the police. Will the humans destroy themselves before the real threat even appears?
November 28, 2023
Nedaudz tika attīstīta sižeta līnija, bet vairāk par jauno pasauli trees ēnā.
July 14, 2020
Continuing with the Trees story. The first book seemingly terminated so many storylines, but turns out it isn’t so, some characters have more survival aptitude than others. This story, once again thoroughly international, continues the political intrigue with NYC (the one I seem to be least interested in) and the scientific research in the Orkney Islands (the one I seem to be most interested in) with a few things in between. It appears that the Trees might be ready to speak, but people might not like what they have to say or how they have to say it. So the apocalyptic themes definitely get ratcheted up. I’m definitely excited to find out how it all ends, only one more book to go.
October 18, 2016
2.5 stars
Instead of delving into the mysterious origin and nature of the mammoth alien Trees, the bulk of Vol. 2's story centered around a couple of extremely boring and played out power grabs-- one, a re-"organization" of crime in an Italian city (seriously? is it 1969 again?); two, the rise of a crime boss cum mayor elect of NYC in league with the NYPD (no, it's actually 1974 again). Yawn. Vol. 1 was disappointing, but I still eagerly awaited Vol. 2 hoping that we'd finally get more focused on the sci fi components of this story. And that was not to be. Potential? Wasted.
Instead of delving into the mysterious origin and nature of the mammoth alien Trees, the bulk of Vol. 2's story centered around a couple of extremely boring and played out power grabs-- one, a re-"organization" of crime in an Italian city (seriously? is it 1969 again?); two, the rise of a crime boss cum mayor elect of NYC in league with the NYPD (no, it's actually 1974 again). Yawn. Vol. 1 was disappointing, but I still eagerly awaited Vol. 2 hoping that we'd finally get more focused on the sci fi components of this story. And that was not to be. Potential? Wasted.
October 20, 2016
Not as engaging as the first volume. Let's see if the 3rd one gets better...
April 15, 2017
I like this book, but there is so much going on that I think it would be a much better experience to read it all at once when it is concluded rather dipping into a slim volume every year or so.
August 21, 2017
This wasn't as interesting as the first volume but the ambition and world building is still present. The arrival of trees is briefly explained as the incoming mayor of NYC plans some type of revenge against the police force that turned on the civilians during the arrival. This volume explains a lot but the character driven storytelling is missing here and while it is still building with a great final third, the rest of the book gets loss in exposition. The series has long legs and I think the next volume will cover a lot but volumes are often stuck in the middle of the mythology and this isn't bad, just a slight pacing letdown compared to the larger 1st volume. You only do the page count to understand why this arc feels a little short.
November 24, 2017
Me lo he leído al día siguiente que Normal y mucho mejor. Algunas ideas son muy parecidas (muchísimos drones ahí volando y asesinando gente), pero a) tiene dibujos muy guays de las Orcadas, b) hay árboles del espacio y c) se ve que a este hombre le apetece más esto que escribir novelas. O sea, que palante.
September 10, 2017
Bless the local library and my gf for picking out good comics.
October 31, 2023
Less storylines makes for a better reading experience for this second collection. Also appreciate the clear compositions in the art, which is excellent and beautiful.
November 8, 2023
I want answers to all these questions we've spun out of the fibers of world events.
October 13, 2016
The highly anticipated the sequel to
Trees, Vol. 1
, again drawn by Jason Howard, arrives with a narrower focus than the premiere volume which showed five different socio-cultural reactions across the world to the phenomenon of massive alien "trees" slamming down onto Earth and then lying dormant for 10 years.
This volume restricts its world view to Manhattan and Britain. The urban landscape of Manhattan remains flooded and decimated from the introduction of its tree. A man raised in its wake with a bone to pick with the police force's handling of the original event has just been named Mayor-Elect. He leans into his ties to the lower Manhattan Underworld to achieve revenge . . .
Meanwhile, Dr. Joanne Creary barely survived the awakening of the Blindhail Tree on Svalbard. She witnessed the interaction between the alien black "Blindhail Poppies" and the tree and is reassigned to the only tree in Britain. It sits in the desolate Orkneys and her job is to be vigilant, and report what she sees.
Despite the vast differences between the two focal locations, the parallels arise quickly between the disparate scenes aided by Howard's able art where the scar from a bullet wound may mirror a neolithic stone circle . . .
The development is fascinating, even as the endgame remains a mystery.
This volume restricts its world view to Manhattan and Britain. The urban landscape of Manhattan remains flooded and decimated from the introduction of its tree. A man raised in its wake with a bone to pick with the police force's handling of the original event has just been named Mayor-Elect. He leans into his ties to the lower Manhattan Underworld to achieve revenge . . .
Meanwhile, Dr. Joanne Creary barely survived the awakening of the Blindhail Tree on Svalbard. She witnessed the interaction between the alien black "Blindhail Poppies" and the tree and is reassigned to the only tree in Britain. It sits in the desolate Orkneys and her job is to be vigilant, and report what she sees.
Despite the vast differences between the two focal locations, the parallels arise quickly between the disparate scenes aided by Howard's able art where the scar from a bullet wound may mirror a neolithic stone circle . . .
The development is fascinating, even as the endgame remains a mystery.
October 27, 2020
(RE-READ EDIT: 4 of 5 for nice sci-fi, but I'm taking onestar down because it is still nto finished. Shame on you, Ellis)
Sonofabitch!
I got hooked on Trees. I love sci-fi, and these alien close encounters are one of the most interesting for me. And Ellis made it interesting. And I read and read and then there was the end of the book. But not the end of the story. And I believe there may never will. It is a year since there was a word about the third volume, something about two issues were already written and waiting to get a slot at Image. The slot which may never come. I can only wish because with the second book it got more interesting and started to escalate. A great part of the storylines crystalized, concluded or moved to another and it's more coherent and more thrilling, not mentioning that so far dormant Trees stop being that dormant. This is well written very nice part sci-fi part social probe/polemic story. And I want the rest of it.
Sonofabitch!
I got hooked on Trees. I love sci-fi, and these alien close encounters are one of the most interesting for me. And Ellis made it interesting. And I read and read and then there was the end of the book. But not the end of the story. And I believe there may never will. It is a year since there was a word about the third volume, something about two issues were already written and waiting to get a slot at Image. The slot which may never come. I can only wish because with the second book it got more interesting and started to escalate. A great part of the storylines crystalized, concluded or moved to another and it's more coherent and more thrilling, not mentioning that so far dormant Trees stop being that dormant. This is well written very nice part sci-fi part social probe/polemic story. And I want the rest of it.
June 26, 2017
Its not that this isn't a good science fiction story, I'm enjoying the series enough to come back for volume 3, but I think for some readers (such as I), might read might be a bit challenging as there is no real central character to latch onto.
The government leaders, especially in London and New York? Nope, I don't think so. These characters are not badly written, just not particularly engaging. The same goes for the scientists.
This isn't a story so much about the trees, but how humanity reacts to the trees. Hmm...is Ellis channeling a little bit of Clarke's Childhood's End here? Because humanity sure as hell doesn't come off as deserving to continue along based of its leader's in actions in this series second volume.
The government leaders, especially in London and New York? Nope, I don't think so. These characters are not badly written, just not particularly engaging. The same goes for the scientists.
This isn't a story so much about the trees, but how humanity reacts to the trees. Hmm...is Ellis channeling a little bit of Clarke's Childhood's End here? Because humanity sure as hell doesn't come off as deserving to continue along based of its leader's in actions in this series second volume.
January 20, 2018
What I like about this graphic novel series is the sci-fi aspect of it and giants trees around! So unique story line. What I don't like is the confusing, unclear narrative style. I still don't really know the background of this world. Sometimes, I can't tell something like if there is a tree in the site people are looking at because it's neither explained visually or by text. So it can be a frustrating reading process but I like the uniqueness of this sci-fi to keep going.
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