Comic author Mathieu Bablet is an internationally acclaimed creator, and it’s no surprise as to why. Bablet’s renderings and imaginings of worlds that feel at once feel far-flung and all-too-present show a meticulous care for his craft and a thoughtfulness that puts him in an upper echelon of comic titans. This talent is at the forefront of his latest graphic novel Silent Jenny, coming soon to Kickstarter from Oni Press and Magnetic Press. In Silent Jenny, Jenny, a researcher trying to navigate a world marred by our hubris and damage to the environment, is attempting to use her know-how to restore the planet in the not-too-distant future, only to have to come to grips that maybe the best way forward is to create something new.
Cover to Mathieu Bablet’s SILENT JENNY
Bablet has made a name for himself in crafting highly detailed and intricate new environs through his art and words. Following up his work on Carbon & Silicon and Shangri-La with a book like Silent Jenny feels a natural fit for the many ideas that Bablet seems to want to explore.
We’re great fans of Bablet’s work which is why we’re excited to offer an exclusive reveal of a resin model of one of the mobile cities, or monads, that are featured in the book. A limited number of these exclusive models will be available through the campaign. Check out the the model below and be sure to sign up to be notified at launch of the Kickstarter!
The Kickstarter for Mathieu Bablet’s Silent Jenny is launching soon from Oni Press and Magnetic Press.
From the official press release for the Kickstarter:
A MASTERCLASS IN WORLD-BUILDING AND A BREATHTAKING VISION OF THE FUTURE FROM AN INTERNATIONAL SUPERSTAR! Oni Press and Magnetic Press – the Eisner Award-winning publisher celebrating prestige graphic novels from around the globe since 2013 – are proud to announce the Kickstarter campaign for SILENT JENNY, by internationally acclaimed comic author Mathieu Bablet (Shangri La, Carbon & Silicon). Fans can sign up now to get notified when the Kickstarter campaign launches in the coming weeks.
SILENT JENNY explores a not-too-distant future, where climate change continues to ravage the planet, and the disappearance of insects has led to the end of pollination, rendering vast areas of land infertile. A survival dynamic has emerged—mobile cities called “monads” have formed, and people strive to help each other; each group with its own customs, traditions, and ways of life.
Jenny is a rather solitary researcher trying to restore the world as it once was. She seeks to recover bee DNA to clone and re-create pollinating insects. However, she will come to realize that this is impossible—the old world no longer exists, and a new one must be built. She will have to make peace with the notion that all things come to an end, no matter how much you may fight the inevitable..
“I’m thrilled that after Shangri-La and Carbon & Silicon, the American public will finally discover the end of my science fiction trilogy!” Says Mathieu Bablet. “I hope you enjoy this plunge into the underworld, exploring the wastelands, and traveling aboard the monads!”
“SILENT JENNY asks, ‘What remains of our humanity when our tools are gone?’ Through a blend of desert punk aesthetics and dystopic nightmare, the story is about environmental reclamation and the search for meaning in a world that has moved on from us,” Says Magnetic Press’ Director of Publishing, Mike Kennedy. “The book explores how we communicate through action, gesture, and presence — and how meaning survives even when language fails. Like Mathieu’s previous books Shangri-La and Carbon & Silicon, this book packs a powerful punch that really makes you think about where we, as a species, might be heading. If you loved the atmospheric mystery of The Arrival, the haunting wastelands of Nausicaä, or the architectural grandeur of Moebius, SILENT JENNY belongs on your shelf.”
Known for his intricate art and his imaginative world-building, artist and co-director of the renowned Label 619 studio Mathieu Bablet is one of the most thoughtful sci-fi creators working today. In CARBON & SILICON, he explores 300 years of humanity’s collapse from the perspective of two melancholy androids who witnessed the many changes that brought mankind to its knees. In SHIN ZERO, Bablet takes on the modern gig economy in a thrilling, humorous love letter to Kaiju and Super-sentai stories. SHANGRI-LA is a millennia-spanning epic of space exploration, evolution, and what it means to be human. And now the prolific creator is setting his sights on a more grounded tale of science, climate change, and corporate greed in SILENT JENNY.
Here’s what people are saying about Mathieu Bablet:
“Bablet is a master of scale. He captures the crushing weight of dystopia while finding the microscopic beauty in its cracks.” — Le Monde
“One of the most significant voices in modern European comics. His world-building is second to none.” — Comics Beat
“A visionary talent redefining the graphic novel.” — BD Gest’
“Bablet’s worlds feel lived‑in, mournful, and breathtakingly human.” — ActuaBD
“A master of atmosphere and scale.” — ComicsBlog
In addition to the deluxe hardcover edition of SILENT JENNY, the Kickstarter campaign will feature a limited boxed edition and an exclusive 24-page 6×9 CODEX ART BOOK, featuring a look at the world of SILENT JENNY. Other exciting exclusives will be revealed before launch. Fans can sign up on the Kickstarter prelaunch page for Mathieu Bablet’s SILENT JENNY to receive an email when the campaign launches.
For more updates on Magnetic Press, visit them on X, Bluesky, Facebook, and Instagram