FAMILY TREE #2, out this Wednesday from Image Comics continues the horrifying tale of one grandfather trying to save his family from a grisly and disturbing fate. This issue is not to be missed if you’re seeking answers and chills.
***SPOILER WARNING***
Family Tree is a new joint project from the minds of Jeff Lemire, Phil Hester, Eric Gapstur, and Ryan Cody. And so far the series has been doing everything possible to get our attention. If you’ve been on the lookout for a series that blends together family drama with some truly horrifying elements, then this is a series worth checking out.
The first issue of this series introduced us to a world in which a family has been torn apart. And is only facing more trials with each turn. A single mother has been left to raise her family. First, there’s the troubled teenage son. And now by all appearances, her daughter is being affected by some strange disease.
Enter Grandpa Judd, who seems to have all of the answers. Not that this is the sort of situation where one can actually take a few minutes to sit down and explain the said situation. But thanks to the magic of flashbacks, the readers are at a slight advantage in that regard.
The Plot
Family Tree #2 was a blend of the past and the present. Granda Judd is not the villain that his family made him out to be, nor is his son. That twist was unexpectedly heartbreaking. And it is very well suited to the family drama Lemire has worked so hard to create here.
There are still so many questions that need to be answered, and thus there’s still a long way to go in this series. While we may know a bit more about each of the family members now – we know less than ever about what is actually happening to them. Or more accurately, why. At least we’re well and truly invested now, so we’re more inclined to see it through to the end.
The Art
While the plot has raised as many questions as it has answered, the artwork has been all around pleasing. Our artists have gone for a highly stylized look, but it’s one that works to great effect in a horror series such as this. The jagged edges and blocks of shading are as dynamic as they are dramatic, and that serves to enhance the tension of the series.
Family Tree #2 reads like a horror series, through and through. One can tell at a glance the subject within – which is perhaps why the family drama can come as such a surprise. That being said, the artwork is the ideal support structure for this plot.
Horror is frequently at it’s most terrifying when it has an organic edge, and that is exactly what we’re presented with, within the pages of Family Tree #2. The lines between humanity and trees blur and get lost in transition, and that is just terrifying.
In Conclusion
Family Tree #2 was a fascinating continuation of this horrifying family drama. It has raised just as many questions as it has answered. However, we’re left with little doubt that it will all get covered in time. One thing is certain, we’re invested in seeing what happens to this warped family.
