FAMILY TREE #2 Provides Only Vague Backstory

The first issue of Family Tree gave us a family drama with relatable characters which focused mainly on those characters’ interactions with each other. Family Tree #2 takes a much different approach– the bulk of the second issue is a flashback to a motel gunfight, and while the book still maintains a few of those great characters moments from before, there’s a lot less on display here.

Family Tree #2 spends a lot of time delving into the fate of Loretta’s husband. There are a couple of touching character moments here between Darcy (Loretta’s husband) and Judd (his father), the former having succumbed to the tree-based affliction which Meg has developed. However, the bulk of the flashback is an action sequence in which some sort of vigilante gang assaults the motel which the duo are hiding in. The action scenes are more than competent, but they feel like they take up just a bit too much space in a book that otherwise doesn’t do much to advance the main plot. The fighting feels like padding rather than context, and by the end of the issue we’re left with just as many questions as before, if not more due to a strange reveal in the last panel which doesn’t land as powerfully as it should.

Ultimately, I’d blame the problems I had with this entry on the nature of comics in general– when this sequence is printed in a collected volume it won’t stick out or feel like padding, but as is it seems like a diversion from the things that made the first issue stand out. There just isn’t enough happening here which contributes to the overall story arc beyond laying the groundwork for future revelations. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the series alternate between these tones, interspersing solid action sequences with character development and intrigue, but when the two are separated the book suffers a bit.

Visually, Family Tree #2 continues to impress. Very stylized characters leave an impression and the art goes a long way to provide depth for those designs. This is especially true of Judd and his afflicted hand, which stands out a lot in action sequences and dynamic poses. Plus, the use of heavily dotted sprays for gunshots and other wounds feels very visceral. I expect that the rest of the series will even out the tone and focus the narrative, but this one honestly didn’t do a whole lot for me.

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