Wednesday, June 11, 2014

I Reads You Review: TREES #1

TREES #1
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

WRITER: Warren Ellis
ARTIST: Jason Howard
LETTERS: Fonografiks
28pp, Color, $2.99 U.S. (May 2014)

Rated M / Mature

Trees is a new science fiction comic book miniseries from writer Warren Ellis and artist Jason Howard.  The series is set on Earth, ten years after an alien invasion of the planet.  The aliens, which resemble giant trees, essentially plant themselves at different places around the globe.  Their arrival is mostly a “silent invasion,” as they basically do almost nothing else after arriving.

Trees #1 opens in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where street people battle high-tech police weaponry.  It moves to New York City where a mayoral candidate plots a strategy to use the “Trees” to his advantage.  In China, Tian Chenglei, a young artist, arrives in the city of Chu from his rural village, looking for inspiration.  At the Blindhail Station in North West Spitzbergen, a researcher discover a strange new flowering plant near the Trees.

There is not enough in Trees #1 to render judgment, on the series as a whole (obviously) or even on the first issue.  [It does not help that there are only 20 pages of story in this first issue.]  From what I’ve read at my usual comic book reference source (Comic Book Resources), Warren Ellis is exploring how the presence of the Trees shapes and forms the lives of the humans living near them.  In that way, I guess that Trees is speculative science fiction that examines a specific kind of alien arrival/invasion and its aftermath.

Jason Howard offers some beautiful art that recalls Heavy Metal magazine (circa the 1970s and early 1980s) and even the Heavy Metal-inspired Epic Magazine from Marvel Comics.  Howard’s art and storytelling is futuristic, but remains grounded and earthy, visually and graphically.  At this point, I would say that Jason Howard, more so than Warren Ellis, is the star or, at least, the stronger presence in Trees.  I must also admit that Trees #1 intrigues me enough to make me come back for the second issue.

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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Tuesday, June 10, 2014

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for June 11 2014

DC COMICS

APR140290 ASTRO CITY #13 $3.99
APR140221 BATGIRL #32 $2.99
APR140206 BATMAN ETERNAL #10 $2.99
APR140227 BIRDS OF PREY #32 $2.99
APR140294 COFFIN HILL #8 (MR) $2.99
APR140182 CONSTANTINE #15 $2.99
APR140213 DETECTIVE COMICS #32 $3.99
APR140216 DETECTIVE COMICS #32 COMBO PACK $4.99
FEB140291 DMZ DELUXE EDITION HC BOOK 02 (MR) $29.99
APR140297 FBP FEDERAL BUREAU OF PHYSICS #11 (MR) $2.99
APR140235 GREEN LANTERN CORPS #32 (UPRISING) $2.99
MAR140255 GREEN LANTERN CORPS TP VOL 03 WILLPOWER (N52) $16.99
APR140156 INFINITY MAN AND THE FOREVER PEOPLE #1 $2.99
MAR140266 JLA TP VOL 05 $24.99
APR140166 JUSTICE LEAGUE UNITED #2 $3.99
APR140169 JUSTICE LEAGUE UNITED #2 COMBO PACK $4.99
APR140251 LEGENDS DARK KNIGHT 100 PAGE SUPER SPECTACULAR #3 $9.99
APR140163 NEW 52 FUTURES END #6 (WEEKLY) $2.99
MAR140256 RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS TP VOL 04 (N52) $16.99
APR140300 ROYALS MASTERS OF WAR #5 (MR) $2.99
APR140284 SCOOBY DOO WHERE ARE YOU #46 $2.99
APR140249 SMALLVILLE SEASON 11 LANTERN #3 $3.99
APR140199 SUPERBOY #32 $2.99
APR140194 SUPERMAN WONDER WOMAN #9 (DOOMED) $3.99
APR140196 SUPERMAN WONDER WOMAN #9 COMBO PACK (DOOMED) $4.99
APR140185 WORLDS FINEST #24 $2.99
MAR140261 WORLDS FINEST TP VOL 03 CONTROL ISSUES (N52) $14.99

DC COMICS/DC COLLECTIBLES

JAN140400 BATMAN ARKHAM CITY RABBIT HOLE BATMAN AF $24.95
JAN140398 SUPERMAN THE MAN OF STEEL STATUE BY ED MCGUINNES $79.95


Marvel Comics from Diamond Distributors for June 11 2014

MARVEL COMICS

APR140635 ALL NEW INVADERS #6 SIN $3.99
APR140670 ALL NEW ULTIMATES #3 $3.99
APR140725 ALL NEW X-MEN #28 $3.99
APR140681 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1.2 ANMN $3.99
APR140793 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1.2 BY ROSS POSTER $8.99
MAR140778 AVENGERS TP LEGACY OF THANOS $34.99
MAR140764 AVENGERS TP VOL 03 PRELUDE TO INFINITY $19.99
APR140665 AVENGERS UNDERCOVER #5 ANMN $2.99
APR140710 CAPTAIN MARVEL #4 $3.99
APR140696 DEADLY HANDS OF KUNG FU #2 $3.99
APR140647 DEADPOOL #30 SIN $3.99
APR140657 FIGMENT #1 $3.99
APR140791 FIGMENT POSTER $8.99
MAR148372 GUARDIANS OF GALAXY #14 2ND PTG BRADSHAW VAR ANMN $4.99
MAR148373 HULK #2 2ND PTG OPENA VAR ANMN $3.99
APR140712 HULK #4 $3.99
MAR140783 INVADERS CLASSIC TP COMPLETE COLLECTION VOL 01 $39.99
APR140716 MARVEL UNIVERSE AVENGERS ASSEMBLE #9 SYU $2.99
APR140646 MIGHTY AVENGERS #11 SIN $3.99
JAN140788 MMW CAPTAIN MARVEL HC VOL 05 $69.99
MAR148374 MS MARVEL #1 4TH PTG PICHELLI VAR ANMN $2.99
APR140663 NEW AVENGERS #19 ANMN $3.99
MAR140768 NIGHT OF LIVING DEADPOOL TP $16.99
MAR148375 NIGHTCRAWLER #1 2ND PTG SAMNEE VAR ANMN $3.99
APR140735 NIGHTCRAWLER #3 $3.99
APR140638 ORIGINAL SINS #1 $3.99
APR140790 OZ OMNIBUS BY YOUNG POSTER $8.99
APR140792 SAVAGE HULK BY ROSS POSTER $8.99
APR140733 SAVAGE WOLVERINE #20 $3.99
APR140667 SECRET AVENGERS #4 ANMN $3.99
APR140703 SHE-HULK #5 $2.99
MAR140763 THOR GOD OF THUNDER TP VOL 02 GODBOMB $19.99
APR140718 UNCANNY X-MEN SPECIAL #1 $4.99
APR140740 UNITED STATES OF MURDER INC #2 (MR) $3.99
APR140729 WOLVERINE #8 $3.99


IDW Publishing from Diamond Distributors for June 11 2014

IDW PUBLISHING

APR140334 ANGRY BIRDS COMICS #1 $3.99
APR140447 CHICACABRA TP $17.99
APR140422 CROW PESTILENCE #4 $3.99
JAN148246 DANGER GIRL GI JOE LTD DLX HC PI
APR140348 DEXTERS LABORATORY #3 $3.99
MAR140442 GODZILLA IDW ERA $3.99
APR140438 HAUNTED HORROR #11 $3.99
JAN148247 MARS ATTACKS ATTACK FROM SPACE LTD DLX HC PI
FEB140402 POPEYE CLASSICS HC VOL 04 $29.99
APR140340 ROCKY & BULLWINKLE #4 $3.99
APR140386 ROGUE TROOPER CLASSICS #2 $3.99
APR140388 SINISTER DEXTER #7 $3.99
APR140440 STAR MAGE #3 $3.99
APR140343 STAR TREK ONGOING #34 $3.99
MAR148308 TMNT 30TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL 2ND PTG $7.99
APR140406 TRANSFORMERS DARK CYBERTRON TP VOL 02 $19.99
APR140396 TRANSFORMERS ROBOTS IN DISGUISE #30 DAWN O/T AUTOBOTS $3.99
MAR140361 WRAITH WELCOME TO CHRISTMASLAND #7 $3.99


Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for June 11 2014

DARK HORSE COMICS

APR140013 ABE SAPIEN #13 $3.50
FEB140076 BALTIMORE HC VOL 04 CHAPEL OF BONES $24.99
MAR140045 BLACKOUT #3 $2.99
FEB140091 CREEPY ARCHIVES HC VOL 19 $49.99
FEB140101 CRIME DOES NOT PAY CITY OF ROSES HC $19.99
APR140022 EDGAR ALLEN POE MORELLA MURDERS RUE MORGUE ONE SHOT $3.99
FEB140044 EVE TRUE STORIES HC $12.99
FEB140015 MICHAEL AVON OEMINGS VICTORIES TP VOL 03 POSTHUMAN $17.99
FEB140103 NEW LONE WOLF AND CUB TP VOL 01 (MR) $13.99
APR140056 STAR WARS #18 2013 ONGOING $2.99
FEB140062 STAR WARS DAWN O/T JEDI TP VOL 03 FORCE WAR $19.99
FEB140020 TWO PAST MIDNIGHT TP $9.99
APR140045 X #14 (MR) $2.99


Image Comics from Diamond Distributors for June 11 2014

IMAGE COMICS

APR140515 GHOSTED TP VOL 02 (MR) $12.99
APR140517 GODLAND TP VOL 06 GOODBYE DIVINE $19.99
APR140508 LIQUID CITY GN VOL 03 $29.99
APR140575 MANIFEST DESTINY #7 $2.99
MAR140590 REAL HEROES #3 $3.99
APR140490 RED CITY #1 $2.99
MAR140591 REVENGE #4 (MR) $2.99
APR140597 SHUTTER #3 (MR) $3.50
APR140603 STARLIGHT #4 CVR A CHAREST (MR) $2.99
APR140604 STARLIGHT #4 CVR B FERRY (MR) $2.99
APR140605 STARLIGHT #4 CVR C PARLOV (MR) $2.99
MAR140607 TALES OF HONOR #3 CVR A JEONG $2.99
MAR140608 TALES OF HONOR #3 CVR B SEJIC $2.99
APR140504 THATS BECAUSE YOURE A ROBOT ONE SHOT $3.99
APR148156 WALKING DEAD #127 2ND PTG (MR) $2.99
APR140615 WALKING DEAD #128 (MR) $2.99
APR140544 WHISPERS TP (MR) $14.99
APR140497 WILDFIRE #1 CVR A LINDA SEJIC $3.99
APR140498 WILDFIRE #1 CVR B STJEPAN SEJIC $3.99