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Trees (Collected Editions)
Trees, Vol. 3: Three Fates
"Clever, funny, romantic, sad and absolutely essential" - Kirkus
The acclaimed TREES series, currently being adapted for television, returns with a brand new story of murder and ghosts.
In the remote Russian village of Toska, there's a dead body by the leg of the Tree that landed eleven years ago. Police sergeant Klara Voranova, still haunted by that day, has no idea how this murder will change everything, nor what awaits her in the Tree's shadow.
Collects TREES: THREE FATES 1 - 5
The acclaimed TREES series, currently being adapted for television, returns with a brand new story of murder and ghosts.
In the remote Russian village of Toska, there's a dead body by the leg of the Tree that landed eleven years ago. Police sergeant Klara Voranova, still haunted by that day, has no idea how this murder will change everything, nor what awaits her in the Tree's shadow.
Collects TREES: THREE FATES 1 - 5
128 pages, Paperback
First published March 24, 2020
9 people are currently reading
363 people want to read
About the author
Warren Ellis
1,910 books5,767 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 101 reviews
March 20, 2020
“How can there be despair? When everything and everyone we ever knew is here with us?”
Some of these comics series not only go on and on, but some of them also take a long time to get done. I reviewed the first volume on October 28, 2015! The second came two years later, and now this third volume arrives three years after that!
The tale is a dystopian sci-fi series. Trees, Volume 1, sets up the situation; it's in the pretty near future ten years after aliens have come to Earth and set up posts people name "Trees." Not much happens in this volume in various city scenes like Cefalu and Shu or barren regions such as Spitzbergen and Mogadishu. We shift back and forth mainly between three basic sites. One group of young people seems to be researching some kind of black flower that is spreading. A collection of people seem to be forming some kind of resistance, but after the first volume you just have this sense of mystery, not much happening, no answers to any of your questions.
In this third volume the tone gets dark and the pace picks up quickly. The action—and there’s a lot of it—takes place in the small Russian village remote Russian village of Toska. A Tree landed there eleven years ago, when those black flowers began to bloom; now there's a dead body by that Tree. Police sergeant Klara Voranova leads an investigation into that murder, and in this bleak landscape all Hell breaks loose. It really has this horror feel, obviously connected to these alien Trees, but again, it is all happening so slowly I can only hope the series might be completed in my life time.
Still, this is my favorite work from Warren Ellis, and the art is always great from Jason Howard. Reminds me of another alien invasion story written by a Brit, the (once acclaimed children’s science fiction series) The White Mountains by John Christopher. 3.5, my favorite of the three volumes so far, though it is still mostly just mysterious and vague, really. See ya in three to five years Warren! I’ll round down to 3 stars until I see how this all makes sense.
Some of these comics series not only go on and on, but some of them also take a long time to get done. I reviewed the first volume on October 28, 2015! The second came two years later, and now this third volume arrives three years after that!
The tale is a dystopian sci-fi series. Trees, Volume 1, sets up the situation; it's in the pretty near future ten years after aliens have come to Earth and set up posts people name "Trees." Not much happens in this volume in various city scenes like Cefalu and Shu or barren regions such as Spitzbergen and Mogadishu. We shift back and forth mainly between three basic sites. One group of young people seems to be researching some kind of black flower that is spreading. A collection of people seem to be forming some kind of resistance, but after the first volume you just have this sense of mystery, not much happening, no answers to any of your questions.
In this third volume the tone gets dark and the pace picks up quickly. The action—and there’s a lot of it—takes place in the small Russian village remote Russian village of Toska. A Tree landed there eleven years ago, when those black flowers began to bloom; now there's a dead body by that Tree. Police sergeant Klara Voranova leads an investigation into that murder, and in this bleak landscape all Hell breaks loose. It really has this horror feel, obviously connected to these alien Trees, but again, it is all happening so slowly I can only hope the series might be completed in my life time.
Still, this is my favorite work from Warren Ellis, and the art is always great from Jason Howard. Reminds me of another alien invasion story written by a Brit, the (once acclaimed children’s science fiction series) The White Mountains by John Christopher. 3.5, my favorite of the three volumes so far, though it is still mostly just mysterious and vague, really. See ya in three to five years Warren! I’ll round down to 3 stars until I see how this all makes sense.
January 18, 2020
Warren Ellis and Jason Howard return for their third Trees book, Three Fates. For a series that’s always been focused on the global picture with multiple storylines happening concurrently across the planet, Three Fates instead takes place in just one location: the small Russian town of Toska, which is an interesting and unexpected new direction.
A dead body is found at the base of one of the trees and it’s down to the local police sergeant, Klara Voranova, to find out whodunit. Except she’s recently begun being haunted by her deceased former lover, Sasha - are they connected? And over it all stand the giant alien trees…
Trees: Three Fates was ok. Ellis reveals whodunit at the end of the first issue so the mystery is really about who the corpse is and why he was killed. And that storyline plays out just fine, though the reveal is kinda weak. It’s a small town so it was always going to be a small town reason.
I was more intrigued by the “ghost” of Sasha and its connection to the trees though Ellis unfortunately remained vague about what it all meant, which was unsatisfying. Also no clue as to what the subtitle “Three Fates” means.
Jason Howard’s art is fine, Ellis’ story is fine, the whole book is just… eh, fine. It’s nothing outstanding but it’s a decent self-contained story that never totally bored but also similarly never totally gripped me either - Trees: Three Fates is a distinctly average addition to the series. I’d like to see Ellis return to the bigger storyline of the trees in future books rather than have any more of these small, inconsequential stories.
A dead body is found at the base of one of the trees and it’s down to the local police sergeant, Klara Voranova, to find out whodunit. Except she’s recently begun being haunted by her deceased former lover, Sasha - are they connected? And over it all stand the giant alien trees…
Trees: Three Fates was ok. Ellis reveals whodunit at the end of the first issue so the mystery is really about who the corpse is and why he was killed. And that storyline plays out just fine, though the reveal is kinda weak. It’s a small town so it was always going to be a small town reason.
I was more intrigued by the “ghost” of Sasha and its connection to the trees though Ellis unfortunately remained vague about what it all meant, which was unsatisfying. Also no clue as to what the subtitle “Three Fates” means.
Jason Howard’s art is fine, Ellis’ story is fine, the whole book is just… eh, fine. It’s nothing outstanding but it’s a decent self-contained story that never totally bored but also similarly never totally gripped me either - Trees: Three Fates is a distinctly average addition to the series. I’d like to see Ellis return to the bigger storyline of the trees in future books rather than have any more of these small, inconsequential stories.
January 9, 2020
Warren Ellis is one of the few western writers who can convincingly write Russia (rural Russia, at that!) and not botch everything up with vile stereotyping and lack of research. This is a story about pain, misery and anger that is so unmistakably russian, I can easily forgive him the small details that don't feel quite right (like names that sound a bit wrong or silly). Jason Howard is absolutely at the top of his game here too, rendering a typical russian village in all its sad, depressing detail, as well as handling the usual Ellis-ian ultraviolence with mastery and grace. Overall, Trees: Three Fates is another worthy addition to the Trees canon that was absolutely worth the wait, and I really hope it won't be the last one from this fascinating world.
May 26, 2025
The most satisfying tale on the Trees universe simply because it actually has an ending!
This done-in-one tale does very little to progress the story of Trees but is an entertaining tale.
This done-in-one tale does very little to progress the story of Trees but is an entertaining tale.
April 3, 2020
I started reading this series because the premise of giant "trees" coming to Earth from outer space intrigued me. I haven't seen anything in three volumes relevant to the Trees other than they are new sources of natural disasters and they either repel or attract groups of people.
In addition to that, i couldn't care much less about the characters who have been little more than daytime television stereotypes. This latest volume might be the soapiest so far.
I have seen nothing to convince me Ellis et al can bring it all together in a way that wouldn't elicit scorn. And the back cover copy, "currently being adapted for television," convinces me they will only hope to drag it out as long as possible: mo' episodes, mo' money.
To which i say, mo' episodes, mo' problems so i ain't gonna read no mo'.
In addition to that, i couldn't care much less about the characters who have been little more than daytime television stereotypes. This latest volume might be the soapiest so far.
I have seen nothing to convince me Ellis et al can bring it all together in a way that wouldn't elicit scorn. And the back cover copy, "currently being adapted for television," convinces me they will only hope to drag it out as long as possible: mo' episodes, mo' money.
To which i say, mo' episodes, mo' problems so i ain't gonna read no mo'.
April 4, 2020
I dunno why I was expecting closure, since I think this is the last volume, but saying that this is still highly entertaining.
Ellis writes a story of a woman who lost a lot thanks to these damn aliens. After they came down she lost someone she cared for. Even if they weren't always together or seeing things eye to eye, she still loved him. Not she is haunted by him. But this town is hiding things, covering up events, and she begins to discover it all.
This is a fast paced thriller with lots of actions and some heartfelt moments. Overall, pretty good. I think I enjoyed volume 2 a tad bit more but Trees ends well enough and you can actually read it without reading any other titles. A 3.5 out of 5.
Ellis writes a story of a woman who lost a lot thanks to these damn aliens. After they came down she lost someone she cared for. Even if they weren't always together or seeing things eye to eye, she still loved him. Not she is haunted by him. But this town is hiding things, covering up events, and she begins to discover it all.
This is a fast paced thriller with lots of actions and some heartfelt moments. Overall, pretty good. I think I enjoyed volume 2 a tad bit more but Trees ends well enough and you can actually read it without reading any other titles. A 3.5 out of 5.
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
December 5, 2020
Wait, is that it!? I need more!!
Edit: okay, recent googling revealed some awful stuff about this author so I guess I'll be skipping his books in future in favor of those not guilty of sexual coercion.
Edit: okay, recent googling revealed some awful stuff about this author so I guess I'll be skipping his books in future in favor of those not guilty of sexual coercion.
January 20, 2026
The third (so far as I cannot find out if this project has been finished or not) installment takes a different approach.
You have now a different story that plays out in the shadow of a different tree with characters have now been introduced to before - however we quickly see how the tree has had such a profound impact on everything invovled.
This story I think is a lot bleaker than the earlier installments and I cannot help but feel will have a more significate role to play if we see further stories in this world. As it is there are plenty of hints of what the bigger picture is but nothing concrete - rather this is prelude to something far bigger - or at least that is my feeling.
Even so a lot of fun and I think the artwork style really lends itself to the subject matter
You have now a different story that plays out in the shadow of a different tree with characters have now been introduced to before - however we quickly see how the tree has had such a profound impact on everything invovled.
This story I think is a lot bleaker than the earlier installments and I cannot help but feel will have a more significate role to play if we see further stories in this world. As it is there are plenty of hints of what the bigger picture is but nothing concrete - rather this is prelude to something far bigger - or at least that is my feeling.
Even so a lot of fun and I think the artwork style really lends itself to the subject matter
March 30, 2020
If you're looking for any insight into the what and why of the trees, you're in the wrong place. But if you want a vintage Ellis crime drama, taking place in a tiny town at the end of the line in Russia, this will work. The tree does figure into the plot, setting up the 'romantic' part of the story and being the location for the 'crime' part of the story. It's a small story, but that doesn't mean it's not an intense one. The art has grown on me, and works really well here, in this sparse corner of Russia. Most of the story's dozen or so characters or developed a bit, and Klara makes for a good, no-nonsense protagonist.
This still feels like a set-up for something larger in the future, but I think it stands on its own pretty well too.
This still feels like a set-up for something larger in the future, but I think it stands on its own pretty well too.
March 27, 2021
Simpatizo con la forma que Ellis le ha dado a Trees. Frente a lo que había hecho en Planetary, o intentado en Injection, se ha centrado en las pequeñas historias al pie de Un Gran Suceso para desarrollarlo a partir de ahí. El tema es que en esta tercera entrega se excede en esa idea: ciento y pico páginas alrededor de una historia criminal menor en la Rusia profunda saben a poco, incluso cuando su motivación pueda estar vinculada con la razón de ser de los árboles; una especulación encerrada detrás de la somera explicación del existencialismo Sartriano y su vinculación con la física de la inmortalidad. Puede parecer mucho, pero estas ideas terminan tan arrinconadas que su posible contundencia se consume en la ligereza general.
April 22, 2023
(Zero spoiler review) 4.5/5
I started reading comics three years ago, almost to the day. Trees was one of the first series I read, picking it up from my local library. I've only now just finished it. Quite why it took so long for me to finish, I can't say. One or two gripes aside, I really enjoyed this series, with the final volume here being my favourite by far. Ditching the multiple character spanning storyline for a single, more focused noir story that is barely focused on the trees at all. I wouldn't be surprised if this was a completely separate noir concept that Ellis had in his back pocket, tweaking it slightly and publishing it in this universe. Regardless of where it came from or why, it was great. It's not at all an end to the series, offering no answers or an ending of any sort. This only frustrates me further as there was so much more mileage within this world, that for whatever reason, Ellis and Howard didn't continue with. With all of Ellis' woes these last couple of years, it looks doubtful he would ever return to it again, despite it's ongoing potential. Maybe dwindling readership played a role, with the first volume receiving ten times as many reviews on this site as volume three.
Locked solely in this rustic, rural Russian setting, Howard's artwork shines like it never had before. His blocky characters had never quite been to my liking, but his stellar backdrops, his excellent inking and the colours adding the final touches to an impressively looking book, elevated a very good story to greatness, or something very close to it. There are still Ellis stories I like more, although given the amount of duds I've read from him lately, finding another winner was the breath of fresh air I really needed. I kinda felt like I'd read every good thing he'd ever done and all that was left was the dregs.
If you started this series and didn't finish it, I would definitely recommend doing so, as long as you are Ok without getting a resolution, should this be all we ever get. Sometimes no ending can be a pretty good ending anyway, even if it always leaves you longing for more. Don't let the low score the book currently has turn you off. I really think it's better than that. 4.5/5
OmniBen.
I started reading comics three years ago, almost to the day. Trees was one of the first series I read, picking it up from my local library. I've only now just finished it. Quite why it took so long for me to finish, I can't say. One or two gripes aside, I really enjoyed this series, with the final volume here being my favourite by far. Ditching the multiple character spanning storyline for a single, more focused noir story that is barely focused on the trees at all. I wouldn't be surprised if this was a completely separate noir concept that Ellis had in his back pocket, tweaking it slightly and publishing it in this universe. Regardless of where it came from or why, it was great. It's not at all an end to the series, offering no answers or an ending of any sort. This only frustrates me further as there was so much more mileage within this world, that for whatever reason, Ellis and Howard didn't continue with. With all of Ellis' woes these last couple of years, it looks doubtful he would ever return to it again, despite it's ongoing potential. Maybe dwindling readership played a role, with the first volume receiving ten times as many reviews on this site as volume three.
Locked solely in this rustic, rural Russian setting, Howard's artwork shines like it never had before. His blocky characters had never quite been to my liking, but his stellar backdrops, his excellent inking and the colours adding the final touches to an impressively looking book, elevated a very good story to greatness, or something very close to it. There are still Ellis stories I like more, although given the amount of duds I've read from him lately, finding another winner was the breath of fresh air I really needed. I kinda felt like I'd read every good thing he'd ever done and all that was left was the dregs.
If you started this series and didn't finish it, I would definitely recommend doing so, as long as you are Ok without getting a resolution, should this be all we ever get. Sometimes no ending can be a pretty good ending anyway, even if it always leaves you longing for more. Don't let the low score the book currently has turn you off. I really think it's better than that. 4.5/5
OmniBen.
October 27, 2020
(3,8 of 5 for interesting side-story in sci-fi series about "alien visit" in forms of massive columns which takes too long to finish)
I like decent mystery sci-fi stories. And this one is really great that field. I
needed to re-read the second volume before this. It's still enjoyable even in the second read, but it ends with a cliffhanger and without satisfactory end (at least for that volume). And then Ellis took four years to continue (yeah, this is not finished either). That's sucks.
Anyway, is it worth the wait?
No.
Because this is not even following the second book story. This is just some side story. Which is actually good, I enjoyed it, a crime story with very faint sci-fi touch (bit influence of the Trees on the story) and OK art.
Thinking about starting reading Trees? Better wait for possible TV series. The second volume came out four years ago and still waiting for a follow-up.
I like decent mystery sci-fi stories. And this one is really great that field. I
needed to re-read the second volume before this. It's still enjoyable even in the second read, but it ends with a cliffhanger and without satisfactory end (at least for that volume). And then Ellis took four years to continue (yeah, this is not finished either). That's sucks.
Anyway, is it worth the wait?
No.
Because this is not even following the second book story. This is just some side story. Which is actually good, I enjoyed it, a crime story with very faint sci-fi touch (bit influence of the Trees on the story) and OK art.
Thinking about starting reading Trees? Better wait for possible TV series. The second volume came out four years ago and still waiting for a follow-up.
February 8, 2021
I was a little concerned going into this with a giant time gap between Vol.2 and 3 but apparently it's a contained story in the Trees universe and I'm still left wondering what's going on with the other previously established characters. Quick read with loads of action and intriguing Ellis dialogue to top things off.
November 8, 2023
Well, that was a bit of a letdown. I was hoping for an interesting culmination to this series but they narrowed the scope severely and also offered no resolution whatsoever.
I guess if the series isn't officially finished this isn't exactly the final nail in the coffin...
I guess if the series isn't officially finished this isn't exactly the final nail in the coffin...
May 4, 2020
It was actually a pretty story. Not sure what it's all about still but I liked it. Murder mystery.
September 3, 2021
What can I say ? 👀 I was anticipating more information about the mysterious alien trees and eerily beautiful black flowers that decided to occupy different parts of the earth, instead I was faced with navigating a poorly developed love story, an elderly gangster type desperately wanting to hold onto power, and murder... a lot of senseless murder... Warren, why did you do this to us? I was rooting for you and this series. Now I must eat an obnoxiously large rice crispy treat with a strong cup of Earl Grey hot just to feel better about this thing called life.... 😶🥺😶
November 28, 2023
Noziegums krievzemes ciemā Toska, diezgan vienkāršs un tikpat vienkārša ir Trees būtība.
August 20, 2020
Ellis deja de lado los personajes de los dos primeros volúmenes en favor de una historia autoconclusiva en un pequeño pueblo de Rusia. Una vez superada esta pequeña decepción nos encontramos con una trama policíaca interesante y, como en los anteriores volúmenes, bien respaldada por la excelentes ilustraciones de Jason Howard.
November 11, 2023
The story is smaller, still engaging, action packed with solid artwork.
Read
June 10, 2021Even if Ellis hadn't blotted his copybook so spectacularly, it's entirely possible this would have been the last we'd see of Trees; his record on finishing series had been spotty for a long time. Nor is it free of some of his other tics: here are a cast of badass women and drunken men, plus a plot revolving around borrowed weird science – this time Russian transhumanism suggesting he'd recently read The Immortalization Commission (or maybe just an article drawing on it). Despite which, context has rendered the story more powerful than I think it could have been on initial release. Yeah, Trees was already one of his better recent offerings, Jason Howard's art doing great work in lending a sense of solidity. But this is a series about life-forms on an entirely different scale to ours, which disrupt our world by their arrival without ever recognising us as alive or showing any apparent acknowledgment that we exist. And within that, a volume whose collected edition was published in March 2020, in which at one stage a pissed thinker quotes half-remembered Sartre: "To be free is to constantly be in a state of despair, because those things we use to create ourselves could go away at any time." This in service of a story which, while it first appears to be a simple whodunnit set in a remote Russian town at the end of the line (in all senses), soon reveals itself as more a meditation on the desperate human desire to preserve a moment. Something with which most of us will be associating March 2020 for a long time, and how much more so if on top of everything else, your reputation crumbled in lockdown like Ellis'?
September 28, 2023
...aaannd nope; Ellis did NOT stick the landing.
While the first book contained four stories, and the second reduced that down to two, this final (I'm assuming third, as it came out three years ago and there's no indication online that Ellis has any more volumes in mind) book consists of just one story, an end-of-the-line series of murders in the remote Russian countryside. So an okay trip into Martin Cruz Smith territory, but it did NOTHING to continue much less explain the tale of the trees; I'm only listing on my "science fiction" shelf because that's where the first two went.
Still, graphically this is a beautiful book, with illustrator Howard taking more liberties with overall page layout and leveraging his overall muted color palette to maximum effect. So I'll give this book and the overall series a nice average 3 stars - some really nice ideas and work here, but also some major opportunities totally overlooked.
While the first book contained four stories, and the second reduced that down to two, this final (I'm assuming third, as it came out three years ago and there's no indication online that Ellis has any more volumes in mind) book consists of just one story, an end-of-the-line series of murders in the remote Russian countryside. So an okay trip into Martin Cruz Smith territory, but it did NOTHING to continue much less explain the tale of the trees; I'm only listing on my "science fiction" shelf because that's where the first two went.
Still, graphically this is a beautiful book, with illustrator Howard taking more liberties with overall page layout and leveraging his overall muted color palette to maximum effect. So I'll give this book and the overall series a nice average 3 stars - some really nice ideas and work here, but also some major opportunities totally overlooked.
March 22, 2020
5☆ Extremely enjoyable
October 3, 2020
Easily the weakest of the three volumes of Trees. The trees themselves seem almost irrelevant to the plot, the art is unimaginative, and it mostly just involves a series of gory murders.
August 3, 2023
More pointless plot, more pointless gore.
I genuinely don't understand why this volume exists. We don't get the answers to the questions set in the first volume, the previous plotlines are completely abounded in favor of some generic mystery in a small village, the Trees couldn't be more irrelevant to the story and the art regressed.
This comic series is such a waste of a good idea.
I genuinely don't understand why this volume exists. We don't get the answers to the questions set in the first volume, the previous plotlines are completely abounded in favor of some generic mystery in a small village, the Trees couldn't be more irrelevant to the story and the art regressed.
This comic series is such a waste of a good idea.
June 11, 2020
Art was just ok, plot was just ok. Just ok overall
December 1, 2021
3.5 Stars. This one's mostly a small town murder mystery without many of the sci-fi elements seen earlier, so I was a bit disappointed. Nice art and atmosphere though.
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May 27, 2024If this series had continued, this would have been an interesting little side quest, where mostly we follow a murder mystery at the end of the line, in the shadow of a Tree. But it's not. Idk why they never continued slash finished this series, but it's all pretty disappointing.
February 17, 2026
I love Warren Ellis's writing but this seems so formless and aimless. It's still entertaining, but I always expect more from him.
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