by Chip Zdarsky, Kris Anka and Matt Wilson
issue one
White Trees, a fantasy story following three men in search of their abducted children, focuses on the meaning of fatherhood and masculinity. At least, I think that’s what the focus is.
Our three protagonists, Krylos, Scotiar and Dahvlan, are legendary heroes who must cross enemy lines to find their kids, with plenty of baggage and unresolved tension in tow. It’s an intriguing story but the premise is still pretty simple; the characters and monsters were pretty much standard fantasy, including only one woman in the book, who left a greater impression despite her brief appearance.
The art was the highlight of the book, because artist Kris Anka and colorist Matt Wilson can do no wrong. Anka draws men really well, regardless of body shape which is really quite fantastic, and his light kinetic style really works in the fantasy genre. I love the costuming and the character designs feel very modern even though it takes place in a fantasy world. Wilson uses a rich and mostly warm color palette, and he uses all black backgrounds with Kyros often to show his mental state.
Some reviews on Goodreads complain about “smut” which is misguided criticism. Yes, there are explicit sex scenes, pretty much a given with Zdarsky and Anka. But I would imagine most of the discomfort is due to the male nudity and queer sex (I’ve never seen a man call a comic with tons of T&A “smutty”). Like I said, Anka draws men *really* well. But more importantly, the scene does give us some character development, but not quite enough that it seemed necessary. At least, not yet – the same could have been said in early volumes of Saga. (It’s also amusing that the “mature readers” warning is on the back.)
I hope we see more scenes and dialogue that forms a cohesive message about masculinity and being a father, particularly since Kyros has become a pacifist, and Scotiar and Dahvlan are a couple.
With all the table setting I don’t feel fully invested just yet. It certainly doesn’t feel like the story is halfway done, and hopefully this will become an ongoing series – a big reason why I bought the single issue instead of waiting for the trade!
Reading Art 