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Trees (Single Issues)
Trees #3
Eligia, girlfriend and decoration to the local fascist gang leader, hunts the streets of Cefalu for the old man who pulled the knife on her. What she finds will either kill her dead or cure her heart...or both.
23 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 23, 2014
48 people want to read
About the author
Warren Ellis
1,971 books5,765 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 - 16 of 16 reviews
August 20, 2014
Based on the issues so far, Trees isn’t so much about the giant alien pillars (“trees”) that’ve popped up around the world or the aliens who created them, so much as it’s about what would happen to societies around the world in the wake of such an incident. Which is unexpected and has (pun attack!) acres of potential – but then clever and unexpected is what Warren Ellis delivers, so, having read a ton of his books, I shouldn’t be that surprised.
This issue takes us back to Cefalu, Italy, where the young woman we saw earlier in the series, Eligia, is tracking down the weird old man who was sketching a tree and then suddenly disappeared. Also, we’re back in the Chinese cultural city that’s (pun attack 2!) sprouted up around the tree as Chenglei, a young artist, meets a young woman called Zhen who encourages him to leave his room and sketch the rest of the city.
Trees #3 is a more enjoyable read than the last issue because of the great dialogue between Eligia and Luca. Nobody writes fiery female characters quite like Warren Ellis and Eligia’s a lively and witty person with Ellis’ biting brand of humour. She and Luca Biongorno (the weird old man she’s tracking) have a delightful back and forth when they finally meet at the end. Ellis weaves in more world-building as through Eligia we discover more about the gang culture that’s arisen in Italy since their tree arrived and how people survive there now. There’s also a hint of a fight back against the trees if that final panel is anything to go by.
One of the series’ accomplishments so far is the way Ellis has told a global story, switching from one location to another effortlessly, and managed to tie all of the various stories together into one coherent whole. That said, some of the stories are more interesting than others and that’s where the series loses its footing. The Cefalu and Brazil stories are compelling, the Norway and China ones less so.
Nevertheless, Jason Howard’s art is consistently strong and this issue sees his best yet, drawing beautiful Italian architecture amidst the gorgeous coastline. I also really like how the credits page merges onto the first page, as it’s done in all of the issues so far. Ellis’ script has helped establish a realistic world post-trees but Howard’s art has brought that realism to the page in a big way.
I’m curious to see the aliens and want to see humanity fight back against the trees but I’d also find it funny if Ellis simply disregarded them at this point. They were the setup, they’re not the story – you’ll never see the aliens! The real story is how humanity manages to make life happen around these inconveniences. That might even be more interesting. So far though, Trees is an uneven series but definitely one of the most original being published at the moment.
3.5 stars
This issue takes us back to Cefalu, Italy, where the young woman we saw earlier in the series, Eligia, is tracking down the weird old man who was sketching a tree and then suddenly disappeared. Also, we’re back in the Chinese cultural city that’s (pun attack 2!) sprouted up around the tree as Chenglei, a young artist, meets a young woman called Zhen who encourages him to leave his room and sketch the rest of the city.
Trees #3 is a more enjoyable read than the last issue because of the great dialogue between Eligia and Luca. Nobody writes fiery female characters quite like Warren Ellis and Eligia’s a lively and witty person with Ellis’ biting brand of humour. She and Luca Biongorno (the weird old man she’s tracking) have a delightful back and forth when they finally meet at the end. Ellis weaves in more world-building as through Eligia we discover more about the gang culture that’s arisen in Italy since their tree arrived and how people survive there now. There’s also a hint of a fight back against the trees if that final panel is anything to go by.
One of the series’ accomplishments so far is the way Ellis has told a global story, switching from one location to another effortlessly, and managed to tie all of the various stories together into one coherent whole. That said, some of the stories are more interesting than others and that’s where the series loses its footing. The Cefalu and Brazil stories are compelling, the Norway and China ones less so.
Nevertheless, Jason Howard’s art is consistently strong and this issue sees his best yet, drawing beautiful Italian architecture amidst the gorgeous coastline. I also really like how the credits page merges onto the first page, as it’s done in all of the issues so far. Ellis’ script has helped establish a realistic world post-trees but Howard’s art has brought that realism to the page in a big way.
I’m curious to see the aliens and want to see humanity fight back against the trees but I’d also find it funny if Ellis simply disregarded them at this point. They were the setup, they’re not the story – you’ll never see the aliens! The real story is how humanity manages to make life happen around these inconveniences. That might even be more interesting. So far though, Trees is an uneven series but definitely one of the most original being published at the moment.
3.5 stars
August 7, 2014
And the story trudges on with Issue #3, which follows two stories and helps develop them further.
We see Elgia a little bit closer and find out that there’s more to her than just being a thug’s toy. She teams up with Professor Luca Bongiorno, and he’s going to be taking her on as an apprentice of sorts. He’ll teach her how to disappear, and teach her a whole lot more.
We are also brought back to Chenglei’s story, and his fear of leaving his home. The Special Cultural Zone does not seem to be a place filled with moral, upstanding citizens, and I think Chenglei’s fears are somewhat justified. Zhen, a neighbor of his, will be trying to get Chenglei out into the world he’s come to and out of his shell.
Overall, I think I’m more interested in Elgia’s story and still the research team in the arctic’s versus anyone else I’ve met so far. I’m going to have to wait and see in Issue #4 if that changes or stays the same.
We see Elgia a little bit closer and find out that there’s more to her than just being a thug’s toy. She teams up with Professor Luca Bongiorno, and he’s going to be taking her on as an apprentice of sorts. He’ll teach her how to disappear, and teach her a whole lot more.
We are also brought back to Chenglei’s story, and his fear of leaving his home. The Special Cultural Zone does not seem to be a place filled with moral, upstanding citizens, and I think Chenglei’s fears are somewhat justified. Zhen, a neighbor of his, will be trying to get Chenglei out into the world he’s come to and out of his shell.
Overall, I think I’m more interested in Elgia’s story and still the research team in the arctic’s versus anyone else I’ve met so far. I’m going to have to wait and see in Issue #4 if that changes or stays the same.
August 14, 2014
Am I missing something?
This was boring and there was no mention of what I thought was going to be the main narrative, the scientists in the arctic. There wasn't even mention of the fricken trees.
Instead it featured two characters that I barely remembered and didn't care about at all.
I think I'm going to have to drop this one and read it in trade format.
This was boring and there was no mention of what I thought was going to be the main narrative, the scientists in the arctic. There wasn't even mention of the fricken trees.
Instead it featured two characters that I barely remembered and didn't care about at all.
I think I'm going to have to drop this one and read it in trade format.
March 5, 2020
This one rolls back the transmisogyny a BIT, though with the most baseline, inaccurate understanding of trans definitions, but it still definitely has issues (using a trans woman’s body as a sign of how “wild” the special cultural area is) and I’m still salty about it.
January 6, 2016
This issue focuses on a woman you see shortly in issue #2 and shows a little more about who she is.
We also go back to a teenager/young man who appeared in the first book. He travelled to a bigger city in Asia to view and draw the Tree there.
Again there's no discernible plot going on. The series seems more about the people living their lives in the shadow of the Trees and very little if at all about the Trees themselves. At least so far.
We also go back to a teenager/young man who appeared in the first book. He travelled to a bigger city in Asia to view and draw the Tree there.
Again there's no discernible plot going on. The series seems more about the people living their lives in the shadow of the Trees and very little if at all about the Trees themselves. At least so far.
January 11, 2015
I read all eight of the comics in one sitting. Partly as I have not read a comic for far too long but also because the story is interesting. Now I am excited in which direction this will go. I have to admit that this can go awry in a number of ways. But so far I enjoyed everything by Ellis very much. I have confidence.
November 14, 2016
Excelente tercer tomo de la saga. Cada vez se revelan más detalles sobre lo ocurrido, y los personajes adquieren cada vez más importancia. Pero todo lo citado viene a cuentagotas. De todas maneras, es eso mismo lo que mantiene las ganas de seguir leyendo.
Voy por el tomo 4.
Voy por el tomo 4.
January 20, 2017
Really enjoy the character develoment in this issue.
Its not about how the trees got there, but about how they affect peoplee around it. Though I don't see Eligia as directly affected by them as everyone else, we see a very inquisitive side of hers.
Chenglei's fears come out.
Its not about how the trees got there, but about how they affect peoplee around it. Though I don't see Eligia as directly affected by them as everyone else, we see a very inquisitive side of hers.
Chenglei's fears come out.
July 27, 2014
Disappointed that we are not learning more about the trees, it's too early for me to care about any of the characters yet.
August 7, 2014
THIS is what great comics do: get you hooked.
Read Warren Ellis, I dare you.
There is some great comics art and storytelling getting going here.
Highly recommended.
Read Warren Ellis, I dare you.
There is some great comics art and storytelling getting going here.
Highly recommended.
August 8, 2014
Trees #3 begins with a little bit of cat and mouse as Eligia stalks the Professor, who evaded her random assault. Read more at http://boundingintocomics.blogspot.co...
June 3, 2015
Hard to say anything more, right now, than that I'm loving it, and still so excited to see where this story is going to go.
October 16, 2014
Finding itself a bit slowly but keeping me intrigued enough to crave more. A big part of that is bc I believe this is not unintentional. Ellis is onto something here and I'm definitely biting.
November 16, 2014
So not going anywhere that interesting so far ...
December 9, 2014
El mundo que vendrá
October 27, 2015
The art work was pretty good, but the story was kind of all over the place.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews