If you’re a fan of the “used future” aesthetic of Star Wars: Andor or the desperate, grit-under-the-fingernails survival of Fallout, you’ll want to put Bridge Planet Nine on your radar. Coming from Top Shelf Productions, this 208-page graphic novel marks the major debut of writer/artist Jared Throne, and it promises a visceral blend of high-tension robbery and post-apocalyptic suspense.
The Job: One Last Score in Deep Space
The premise is a classic “heist gone wrong” set against the haunting backdrop of a deserted colony. Bridge Planet Nine was once a bustling hub, but it has since been abandoned to automated corporate extraction. For a small, motley crew of four down-and-out thieves, an unmanned freighter refueling at this ghost outpost looks like the ultimate easy payday.
But in the cold vacuum of space, there is no such thing as “easy.” As the masks come off and the planet’s dark history begins to bleed into the present, the crew finds themselves in a bloody fight for survival. This isn’t just a robbery anymore—it’s a collision between a gang of loners and a cult-like survivalist community that has claimed the ruins of the outpost.
Artistic Panache and Pandemic Paranoia
Throne, a Richmond-based designer and long-time indie creator (known for Heavy Kill), brings a “clean-but-grotesque” visual style to the book. The black-and-white, inky artwork perfectly captures a world left to rot. Beyond the action, the story carries a heavy atmospheric weight, touching on themes of pandemic paranoia and the thin line between hope and desperation.
Clocking in at over 200 pages with elegant French flaps, this is an intimate, character-driven sci-fi story that feels like Ocean’s 11 crashed into Station Eleven.
Don’t miss the debut of the year; grab your copy of Bridge Planet Nine now and see if the crew survives the night.
