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Canopus #1-4
Canopus
Canopus is a psychological sci-fi written and illustrated by Dave Chisholm that, within its tense narrative of an astronaut marooned, explores themes of resentment, forgiveness, memory, and identity.
Helen wakes up marooned on a lifeless alien planet 300 light years from Earth with no memories beyond a hazy sense of extinction-level urgency to return to Earth. Joined by Arther, her strange robot companion, she explores the planet to find materials necessary to repair her ship. However, circumstances are not as straightforward as they seem. Along the way, Helen's most painful memories return as monstrous manifestations hell-bent on her destruction.
In Canopus, author/illustrator Dave Chisholm pushes the storytelling language of the comics medium to stunning new places while retaining its psychological sci-fi beating heart, finding the sweet spot for both fans of formalist graphic novels (Asterios Polyp, Rusty Brown) and fans of trippy, pulpy sci-fi (Annihilation, Black Science, Descender).
Helen wakes up marooned on a lifeless alien planet 300 light years from Earth with no memories beyond a hazy sense of extinction-level urgency to return to Earth. Joined by Arther, her strange robot companion, she explores the planet to find materials necessary to repair her ship. However, circumstances are not as straightforward as they seem. Along the way, Helen's most painful memories return as monstrous manifestations hell-bent on her destruction.
In Canopus, author/illustrator Dave Chisholm pushes the storytelling language of the comics medium to stunning new places while retaining its psychological sci-fi beating heart, finding the sweet spot for both fans of formalist graphic novels (Asterios Polyp, Rusty Brown) and fans of trippy, pulpy sci-fi (Annihilation, Black Science, Descender).
136 pages, Paperback
First published September 21, 2021
58 people want to read
About the author
Dave Chisholm
37 books49 followersDave Chisholm is a graphic novelist and musician currently living in Rochester, NY where he received his doctorate in jazz trumpet from the Eastman School of Music in 2013. His expertise in music as well as his formal inventiveness within the comics medium has resulted in a string of critically-acclaimed music-centric graphic novels including Miles Davis & the Search for the Sound (2023, Z2 Comics), Enter the Blue (2022, Z2 Comics), and Chasin' the Bird: Charlie Parker in California (2020, Z2 Comics). His most recent releases SPECTRUM (Mad Cave Studios)--a trippy exploration of a funhouse-mirror version of 20th-century music history framed by an eternal battle in the realm of music and sound made in collaboration with writer Rick Quinn--and PLAGUE HOUSE (Oni Press)--an inventive rethinking of the haunted house genre made in collaboration with writer Michael W Conrad--demonstrate his breadth.
Hailed by ComicsBeat as "one of the most exciting comic auteurs working in comics today," Chisholm also has a passion for education and teaches comics and music at the Hochstein School and the Rochester Institute of Technology.
In his free time, Dave enjoys spending time with his wife, son, and cats.
Hailed by ComicsBeat as "one of the most exciting comic auteurs working in comics today," Chisholm also has a passion for education and teaches comics and music at the Hochstein School and the Rochester Institute of Technology.
In his free time, Dave enjoys spending time with his wife, son, and cats.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
June 27, 2022
Helen wakes up on the surface of a strange planet with no memory and only a robot for a companion. As she regains her memories, they are all of times she was betrayed and abandoned. It's a very depressing book that ultimately doesn't really go anywhere. The art is very bland too. I was not a fan.
June 28, 2022
"Jesus. Amnesia. Could this be any more cliche?"
I appreciate single story trade paperbacks a lot more these days. Sometimes you just wanna read a self contained story without having to read ten more volumes or worry that actually there is no ending because it got cancelled halfway or some crap.
Helen wakes up on an alien planet with no memory of who she is or how she got there. Her only companion is a small robot-like creature called Arther who refers to her as his mother.
So she needs to regain her memory, refuel the ship and get back to Earth because she keeps getting these flashes of fire in her memory and a sense that time is running out... for something?
Like all great science fiction this is more than a simple person-marooned-on-an-alien-planet story. It's about grief and grappling with your guilt and the painful memories that come along with it.
It really reminds me of some of the better episodes of shows like Star Trek or Doctor Who that are perfectly enjoyable on the surface level but have so much more depth.
The art works perfectly for this story, it's hard to explain but I feel like it allows the story to be told without getting in the way with unnecessary flashy-ness. I realise that sounds a bit like I'm saying it's plain, which it isn't, it's just not the kind of over-the-top, superhero comic art that so often seems like it's trying to overshadow the story.
A really good emotionally dense, psychological mystery.
I appreciate single story trade paperbacks a lot more these days. Sometimes you just wanna read a self contained story without having to read ten more volumes or worry that actually there is no ending because it got cancelled halfway or some crap.
Helen wakes up on an alien planet with no memory of who she is or how she got there. Her only companion is a small robot-like creature called Arther who refers to her as his mother.
So she needs to regain her memory, refuel the ship and get back to Earth because she keeps getting these flashes of fire in her memory and a sense that time is running out... for something?
Like all great science fiction this is more than a simple person-marooned-on-an-alien-planet story. It's about grief and grappling with your guilt and the painful memories that come along with it.
It really reminds me of some of the better episodes of shows like Star Trek or Doctor Who that are perfectly enjoyable on the surface level but have so much more depth.
The art works perfectly for this story, it's hard to explain but I feel like it allows the story to be told without getting in the way with unnecessary flashy-ness. I realise that sounds a bit like I'm saying it's plain, which it isn't, it's just not the kind of over-the-top, superhero comic art that so often seems like it's trying to overshadow the story.
A really good emotionally dense, psychological mystery.
March 7, 2020
Very strange. Reminded me of Southern Cross, with the hallucinations and art style... I have no idea where this is going.
March 27, 2020
Right off the bat, I’ll say that “Canopus” was my Most Anticipated Comic of 2020 and the first issue did NOT disappoint. I absolutely LOVED Dave Chisholm’s last graphic novel, the magical-realistic death jazz fable “Instrumental” (and its accompanying album), so I was practically champing at the bit to see what he’d cook up next. “Canopus” is a surreal space opera about a lone astronaut, Helen, who wakes up on a distant planet and must find her way home while coming to terms with her complicated past. It’s a simple setup that lets Chisholm really cut loose and he takes full advantage of that freedom. “Canopus” is STUNNING! Chisholm is a seriously underrated artist (and an extremely creative alchemist with page layouts), equally adept at depicting sparse intergalactic vistas as he is at finding the subtle emotions in his characters’ expressions; think Nate Powell with a dash of Craig Thompson for flavor and you’re on the right track. If the first few dozen pages are any indication, “Canopus” is shaping up to be a wild, cathartic ride and I am fully on board. DON’T sleep on this series!
October 18, 2021
Great collection of the 4-part comic miniseries, astronaut Dr. Helen Sterling wakes up mysteriously on a faraway world with a robot (ish?) companion Arther. I loved this series, the art is amazing on the written page and it's almost psychological, the full page flashbacks and things. I've re-read it several times. Definitely check it out.
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May 9, 2020I just read the first installment of canopus... I'm hooked and can't wait for the next in the series to arrive.
October 19, 2021
Dave is a master of storytelling through his words and art. Honestly he continues to blow me away. Not only are his stories mariculture laid out but he uses art in unique ways that pull you in more than any other artist can.
He did it with chasin the bird and he’s doing it again here with Canopus. A thrill ride that will keep you wondering. You can’t go wrong
He did it with chasin the bird and he’s doing it again here with Canopus. A thrill ride that will keep you wondering. You can’t go wrong
January 13, 2021
4.5 stars. An outstanding sci-fi adventure with thrills, chills, and gorgeous artwork. HIGHLY recommended!
September 1, 2023
Imagine waking up on a strange planet, your rocket ship crashed, no memories, and a weird robot creature calling you mom... that's how this book starts.
Right away, the premise of the book sucked me in. And while it is comprised of a series of "comic tropes", it helped that Chisholm had the main character acknowledge this fact by saying something like, "how cliché is this?". From there, the mystery of who she is, why she's there, and how (if possible) she can get home - begins. It all leads to a... very weird ending, I'll admit, but in a book that was kind of weird in itself it oddly works. And it has a message along the way. I found the book thoughtful and also heartfelt.
Another big plus for me was the art. It's not the most polished, but it looks really good. I like Chisholm's use of linework and kind of sketchy style - it felt like a really good fit for the "sketchy" plot. I think what Chisholm lacks in "polish" he makes up for in imaginative and creative layouts and panel placement. I think the art really pops and keeps the book looking interesting throughout the entirety of the book.
I really didn't know what to expect from this book, but I'm glad I gave it a shot. Recommended for fans of sci fi mysteries.
Right away, the premise of the book sucked me in. And while it is comprised of a series of "comic tropes", it helped that Chisholm had the main character acknowledge this fact by saying something like, "how cliché is this?". From there, the mystery of who she is, why she's there, and how (if possible) she can get home - begins. It all leads to a... very weird ending, I'll admit, but in a book that was kind of weird in itself it oddly works. And it has a message along the way. I found the book thoughtful and also heartfelt.
Another big plus for me was the art. It's not the most polished, but it looks really good. I like Chisholm's use of linework and kind of sketchy style - it felt like a really good fit for the "sketchy" plot. I think what Chisholm lacks in "polish" he makes up for in imaginative and creative layouts and panel placement. I think the art really pops and keeps the book looking interesting throughout the entirety of the book.
I really didn't know what to expect from this book, but I'm glad I gave it a shot. Recommended for fans of sci fi mysteries.
December 26, 2023
First time I read this it, I don't recall thinking much of it. Second time it made much more impact. I would call it a fantasy wrapped in sci-fi clothes but it's more about how we use our painful memories to create a trap for ourselves. As is said in 12 step meetings - the only way out is through. (Unfortunately, too many of us use artificial means to numb the pain rather than working through it.)
April 16, 2023
2.5 stars really. An earlier work by the artist who wrote Enter The Blue and also Chasing the Bird. perhaps I was spoiled by those 2 5star exceptional works. This one was interior and reflective, but did not have the depth of either of the artists, exceptional ones. Inner world of an astronaut, lost in space or lost in another realm.
January 29, 2026
Compelling as a mystery, and emotionally as well. Such an interesting, psychedelic way to explore trauma. Love the art, too. Not just the way he renders each figure, but the way the drawings are arranged and sequenced really propels the story forward.
November 12, 2021
It should be illegal for writing in any medium to be this cliched.
March 17, 2022
3 plus
The story became better as it went on. Give it a while to get interesting.
The story became better as it went on. Give it a while to get interesting.
May 18, 2022
Amazing art, stunning colors and an interesting and thought provoking story.
July 4, 2022
A nice, short SF story. Leans more into "weird" than serious science. Something like "Solaris" or "Colonel Weird".
February 8, 2024
3.5 ⭐️
I like the message.
I like the message.
January 3, 2026
i mean its alrightxd Arther 10/10 jófej robot arc
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews