Comic Review: The White Trees #1

The White Trees #1

Image Comics

Writer: Chip Zdarsky

Artists: Kris Anka and Matt Wilson

Going into The White Trees #1, despite the all-star creative team, I was skeptical. There’s a seemingly endless supply of high-fantasy creator-owned comics these days, and so rarely do they stand out among that crowd. Even more than that, I tend to find the process of learning the jargon and rules of all these different worlds tiresome. When I can’t easily find my bearings in fantasy worlds, my interest quickly peters out. This is what makes The White Trees stand out. This book’s focus is not on convincing you that its world is interesting and unique. Rather, it’s on a small cast of complex characters, and through their eyes, the reader can engage in this world. It’s not shoving history lessons in my face and expecting me to care, it only reveals what it needs to in order to tell this short story.

While I love this issue, I do have an issue with it. Towards the end of the book, there’s a fairly explicit scene that comes completely out of nowhere and is gone just as fast. The explicit nature of it isn’t a problem, but despite reading the issue twice I still don’t understand it’s purpose. It seems so out-of-left-field and inconsequential that I can’t help but wonder if it’s only there to justify a “mature readers” tag. With that said, it’s still beautifully drawn by Kris Anka, as is the rest of the issue.

With Kris Anka on pencils and Matt Wilson on colors, it’s no surprise that the book is a visual feast. From the very first page, the art team demonstrates an incredible storytelling ability. In the first page alone we meet the protagonist, understand his mindset, and learn what interrupts his peace. It’s all done without dialogue, and upon re-reading it becomes clear just how integral Anka and Wilson are to the story beyond just making it look pretty. Additionally, I appreciate that when the location changes, there’s no caption box in the corner telling the reader where they are. It’s all done through effective establishing shots that serve a more meaningful purpose anyway. Knowing the name of these locations hardly matters, what matters is what the art tells us.

On top of the quality artwork, Zdarsky’s writing is some of the strongest I’ve seen from him yet. When establishing a new fantasy world such as this, inexperienced writers often fall for the trap of overdoing the dialogue. Zdarsky, however, manages to hit the perfect balance, no doubt due to his own experience as an interior artist. He doesn’t bog the story down with long-winded monologues and exposition dumps. He says exactly as much as he needs to pique the reader’s interest and make them want to know more. It creates the illusion of complexity in the world and characters without running the risk of overwhelming the reader. There are no caption boxes telling us the thoughts of the characters. Instead, Zdarsky allows the combination of context clues and the artwork to fill in the blanks.

The White Trees #1 is genuinely wonderful. In a short time, Zdarsky, Anka, and Wilson manage to not only engage the reader in its characters but in its world as well. This book’s not just impressive in terms of telling a captivating story, it’s fantastic from a craft standpoint. It’s the way comics like this should be done.

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