Oni Press and Magnetic Press have launched a Kickstarter campaign for Silent Jenny, the latest graphic novel from acclaimed creator Mathieu Bablet. The Eisner Award-winning publishers, known for prestige international titles since 2013, are now inviting fans to support the project.
Bablet, known for Shangri-La and Carbon & Silicon, brings his science fiction trilogy to a close with this new release.
A World Shaped by Collapse
Silent Jenny is set in a near future shaped by environmental collapse. Climate change has devastated the planet. The disappearance of insects has ended pollination, leaving large regions infertile.
In response, humanity has adapted. Mobile cities known as monads now roam the landscape. Communities survive together, each with its own customs and way of life.
A Mission That Challenges Reality
At the center of the story is Jenny, a solitary researcher determined to restore what was lost. She searches for bee DNA in hopes of cloning pollinators and reviving ecosystems.
Her journey leads to a difficult realization. The old world cannot be rebuilt. A new one must take its place. Jenny must confront the limits of restoration and accept that some losses cannot be reversed.
Creator and Publisher Perspectives
“I’m thrilled that after Shangri-La and Carbon & Silicon, the American public will finally discover the end of my science fiction trilogy,” said Mathieu Bablet. “I hope you enjoy this plunge into the underworld, exploring the wastelands, and traveling aboard the monads.”
Magnetic Press Director of Publishing Mike Kennedy highlighted the book’s themes and visual tone.
“Silent Jenny asks, ‘What remains of our humanity when our tools are gone?’” Kennedy said. “Through a blend of desert punk aesthetics and dystopic nightmare, the story explores environmental reclamation and the search for meaning in a world that has moved on from us.”
He added that the book examines how people communicate beyond language. “It looks at action, gesture, and presence, and how meaning survives even when language fails.”
Kennedy also pointed to the work’s artistic influences. He compared its tone to The Arrival, Nausicaä, and the visual legacy of Moebius. “Like Mathieu’s previous books, this one delivers a powerful message about where we may be heading as a species.”
Bablet’s Expanding Sci-Fi Vision
Bablet has built a reputation for detailed artwork and ambitious world-building. His earlier work spans sweeping and thought-provoking narratives.
In Carbon & Silicon, he tracks 300 years of human decline through the eyes of two androids. In Shin Zero, he explores the gig economy with a mix of humor and kaiju-inspired action. Shangri-La delivers a long-range story of space exploration, evolution, and identity.
With Silent Jenny, Bablet turns to a more grounded story. The book focuses on science, climate change, and corporate influence, while maintaining the scale and depth that define his work.
