"...Trillium."

Trillium #2

Written/illustrated by Jeff Lemire

September 2013
Vertigo Comics

"Chapter 2: Binary Systems"

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This series has me on board for the long haul. The debut issue was a strong first issue and there was lots to love about it, however there was quite a lot of set-up and exposition which was difficult to take in upon the first read. However, Trillium #2 jumps right into the story and continues where the cliffhangers of Chapters 1 and 1.2 left off. 

Nika and William are two strangers from different millenia (the second millenium and the fourth millenium, respectively) who discover each other by accident after each character experiences a separate life altering encounter. It's neat to see their relationship unfold without the reliance of language; it's also interesting how Lemire develops this notion. The first page has William speaking coherent English for the reader's sake, with Nika not understanding any of it. Then the scenario switches on the second page: Nika is speaking coherently (whatever language it is, it's translated to English) and William is the one confused. The two characters do their best to communicate sans-language and it's a joy to watch them. There is a moment when they discover there is a word they both understand (which further sets up mystique about this comic's title and what exactly the flower represents):

"...--------."

Plot wise, there's not a lot of movement with this issue. This episode serves the exploration of the two lead characters and the building of their relationship, which in my humble opinion, is a nice change of pace from the expansive and epic opening chapter from last month. The choice to zone in on developing Nika and William's relationship was a smart move and is highly commendable of Lemire. An example of Lemire's brilliance occurs just after Nika punches the temple door. William makes a remark that Nika has quite the temper, and a few panels later she apologizes to him for losing her temper. It's the little things like that that Lemire handles extremely well. There's also a panel shortly after where the two future lovers (does that even make sense in this story - "future" lovers?) begin flirting and smile at one another in a romantic way, serving to set up what will likely come of their interaction together. Another plus on the writing side is that this issue isn't bombarded by lengthy expositional text-bubbles; Lemire balances the dialogue between the characters and the use of the imagery to tell the story, and does so effectively given the circumstance that the two protagonists have found themselves in.

On the art side, I can't express properly how much I love Lemire's style. He is by far my favourite artist. In this issue he draws faces exceptionally well; even in panels where the characters' faces are small, the amount of expression they exude is impressive. Again, Lemire has a knack for the little things and he puts the time in to make sure these minute details are executed with precision.

I was a bit uneasy with the cleaner look to the art in issue #1, but this time around the slight change is sitting well with me. There is the familiarity of Jeff's style in the art obviously, except compared to his older works it has a cleaner finish to it. His inking has become tighter this time around and colourist Jose Villarrubia seems to be experimenting here as well. I was a bit slow to accept this last month, but after finishing Trillium #2 I can't get enough. Luckily issue #3 is in my possession so I'll be reading that soon!

Overall, I'm impressed with this new series from Jeff Lemire & co. It's a shame it's only eight issues long. On the bright side, at least it's eight issues of  Lemire greatness! I shall conclude with this fantastic double-splash page. Hopefully this image entices you to pick this book up: