The White Trees Comic Isn’t Just Queer as Hell, It’s Superb Fantasy

Publisher: Image Comics

Format: 2-issue series

Where to get it: In print, you can get Issue 1 in print here, Issue 2 in print here. 

In digital You can read digitially on Kindle and Comixology. Issue 1 is here and issue 2 here. However, I recommend that you buy it instead from your local comic book shop, whenever possible.

By Pablo Greene

There’s great strength in brevity. When a story is told in a very short format, the writer has no other choice but to get to the point. And if it’s executed well, it will illicit emotion from a reader and leave them changed. That kind of brevity seems to be scarce in this decade, as TV shows drag on for multiple seasons, movie universes like Marvel stretch on for decades past our lifetime, and even the continuity of Marvel and DC comics seems to just never stop.

The White Trees, written by veteran writer Chip Sdarsky, drawn by Kris Anka and colored by Marr Wilson, knocked me off my fucking feet. And it did it in just two issues. I haven’t had such a visceral experience with a short comic series like this in years. What’s more, The White Trees raises the stakes for what a great fantasy universe can look like, and without advertising itself as such, it’s a much-needed contribution to the ideas about gender of this current decade.

This is a book that will please many LGBTQ  folks, but if you visit the marketing pages for the comic, those aspects of the story are almost non-existent. They are free to market the book as they wish, but they are missing out on a huge chunk of LGBTQ readers who are absolutely starved for more stories like this. Yes, there are wonderful queer comics out there already like The Young Protectors, The Pride and Wuvable Oaf, but The White Trees dares to carve out a space for itself as a high fantasy with a distinct voice. 

Yes, the comic is this good. And more of us passionate readers should be talking about it.

What’s The White Trees About?

The story structure of The White Trees isn’t new. In fact, it will feel very familiar, if you have consumed books and movies like Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island, Taken starring Liam Neeson, and even Finding Nemo. A group of people must come together to find their kidnapped loves ones: in this story, it’s the children of three illustrious warriors who have been taken. And we follow those three warriors:  Sir Krylos (a human), Sir Windlo (a gigantic were-lion that will send bara fans doing backflips), and Scotiar, an elf-like humanoid whose gender is as fluid as ocean water. These three beings know each other well, and as they set out into the kingdom to find their kidnapped children, they unlock a series of family secrets, political backstabbings, and hidden desires that are not just intriguing, but are steamier than a romance novel. The action is spread out over two issues, and the pacing and structure of this book just gallops along. Just when you have a moment to take in a quiet moment, our heroes are plunging forward into battle scenes and set pieces. 

The artwork by Kris Anka has a solidity that is not easily found in many comics. The characters, settings, and even magical creatures, look as hard as real muscle, bone, wood, and stone. The color of this comic is also exceptional. The warm and rich hues of the world of Blacksand literally jump off the page, even when there are moments of emotional anguish. The artwork of this comic is worth visting and re-visiting in multiple readings.

Sir Krylos Is Unforgettable

What really matters in this comic is the story arc of our main hero, Sir Krylos. He is a character who has aged, but not terribly well (despite his good looks). When the comic begins, he is gardening and farming, roles that have given him new meaning after all the death and violence he has given out over the years. Krylos’ story is one that is soaked in personal pain. And in his minimalist dialogue, his small gestures, and his facial expressions, we see how difficult it can be for him to just exist. He is no nihilist and he is not suicidal, but from the very first panels, we know that Krylos is a man that lives so deep in human misery, that it’s possible that the only other company he can tolerate is that of his own. And although this archetype of the aging hero is quite common in books and film, Zdarsky imbues Krylos with a new take on what it means to have been a sucessful warrior who cannot erase his past. 

Why This Comic Matters for Queer People

This comic approaches queerness and gender fluidity on all levels, and bakes it right into its fictional universe. This review is spoiler free, but believe me when I say that there is a touch of a fantasy utopia in this series when it comes to gender and sexuality. Not only are we treated to hot scenes of romance and sex between these queer characters, but we are not hammered over our heads with words describing their identities. In fact, none of the characters describe their sexual and romantic lives in the ways in which we do now, in the twenty first century. In the world of Blacksand, there’s same-sex sex, opposite-sex sex, interspecies sex, and even magical sex. And no one has to fucking explain it or use a label. Instead, Zdarsjy and Anka fulfill on the principle of show, don’t tell. And that makes this comic way better than many queer comics out there today. Of course, it has the luxury of being set in a fantasy world, where a utopia can happen, but that would belittle the great writing and visual storytelling that was done to accomplish this. The sex scenes are very hot, and also filled with wonderful colors that we don’t always get in sex scenes in comics and cinema. It’s hot, queeroes!

Is There Superhero Fetish In this Comic?

Yes, plenty. Let’s be clear: this is not a superhero comic. But the characters, especially our three main heroes, are drawn like superheroes. And their uniforms and clothing are just as sexy as Superman’s leotard or Catwoman’s stretchy black bodysuit. What’s more, the body types shown in this short series also have a nice range, from lean and supple, to wiry and athletic, to thick and muscularly stout. There’s also a very hot bondage scene that I will not spoil, but which will also appeal to readers who love the genre of superhero fetish. Beyond costuming and bondage  there’s an incredible array of images and scenes that will stimulate fans of homoerotic art, bara, queer and non-binary sex. Are the creators of this comic queer? It doesn’t matter to me. They created a queer world that I could believe in, and that’s what matters when it comes to creating a work of fiction.

My Recommendation


You should pick up the two issues of The White Trees if you can find them in print as soon as possible. This comic is that good. The story of Krylos is going to keep you turning pages, and I warn you, you will fall in love with his muscle daddy looks and his tragic story. But what you’re not prepared for is the rest of the book, which is a visual delight, filled with way more hot sex than I ever expected (I actually didn’t expect any), and a cohesive fantasy universe that I would like to see again. But if the team makes more Blacksand stories, please keep them short and sweet like you did on The White Trees. This is an instance where less is more, and it’s what really made me fall in love with daddy Krylos and the world of Blacksand.

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