Hedra

by Jesse Lonergan

A wordless space fantasy beginning with the end of the world.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Comic Book, Fiction, Comix

54 pages, staple binding

First published July 29, 2020

About the author

I grew up in Saudi Arabia and Vermont, attended Hampshire College, was a Peace Corps volunteer, and have always been an only child. I'll never be a real uncle, but I'll be a pretend to be one to my friends' children. I like Star Wars, Elvis, and black coffee. I don't like waiting in line, whistling, or writing biographies about myself. I'm worried about the state of modern America and the individualism and self-importance that has become the norm. There seems to be a lot of loneliness out there and a lot of anger too, but then again, maybe I just like to worry.

Reviews

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

A textless science fiction odyssey. Comics like this really show what you can do with the medium. It’s wonderful

[Roman Zarichnyi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Назвати мальопис «Гедра» («Hedra») Джессі Лонерґана дивним, це, мабуть, нічого не сказати. Бо те, як художник працює із панелями є справді незвичним й цікавим, хоча не завжди все зчитується із першого разу, а деякі сцени узагалі мені були незрозумілими.

«Гедра» — це досить таки неортодоксальна історія якщо говорити про візуальну частину, яка розповідає про екологічні наслідки ядерної зброї та космічні подорожі. І взагалі, тут ми можемо говорити тільки про малюнок і, як Лонерґан веде оповідь, адже вона узагалі позбавлена діалогів. А кількість панелей та, як він майстерно працює з ними — приголомшує.

Думаю автор мальопису свідомо вибрав таку назву, адже «гедра» — це грецьке слово, яке описує сторону чи ребро геометричного тіла. Враховуючи цей факт, можна зайти багато паралелей його значення із стилем малюнку.

Але, якщо візуальна сторона тут справді незвична й сильна, то сама історія мені не дуже сподобалася, хоча й підіймає важливі питання сьогодення. Та усе ж, я б радив ознайомитися зі цим мальописом, як мінімум через малюнок та стиль оповіді, бо це те, що може вас зацікавити.

[Maksym Karpovets · Rating 3 out of 5]

Уявімо собі, якби Кріс Вейр і Мьобіус вирішили разом написати екологічну наукову фантастику. Останній це вже робив, але в своїй медитативній манері. Коли ж сюди додати експерименти з 35 панелями на одній сторінці, то вийде незвичний і дивний проєкт, який можливий тільки в рамках дев'ятого мистецтва, адже максимально використовує його потенціал.

З одного боку, це все виглядає вкрай цікаво, деколи навіть на межі з геніальністю. Мені особливо запам'ятались експерименти з ракетами, які своїми траєкторіями утворюють абстрактні узори на панелях, що водночас є своєрідними вказівниками. Тому маємо суто візуальну оповідь, де варто долучити уяву для розуміння усього, що відбувається. З іншого ж, історія мене взагалі не зачепила попри її гостру актуальність і цікаву реалізацію. Здавалося, що Джессі Лонерган ось-ось і зайде на територію Алехандро Ходоровські, але психоделічні акценти швидше шкодять наративу, аніж збагачують його. Попри це, голос Лонергана прозвучав достатньо резонансно, тому його однозначно варто закинути в чекліст, щоб не проґавити в майбутньому.

[Matěj Komiksumec · Rating 4 out of 5]

Naproto nádhernej kraťas který ukazuje, že komiks nepotřebuje ani jeden dialog aby fungoval. Příběh je hodně příjemný sci-fi ale samozřejmě ten je až na vedlejší koleji, primárně jde o vizuál. A ten je boží. Je tu práce s panely jakou jsem snad nikdy nikde neviděl a žeru to, možná je místama až moc meta ale líbí se mi to. To samý kresba a barvičky, vše je strašně nádherné.

[Venus Maneater · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hey hello I've read this somewhere in 2020 (it's all a blur) and I can't stop thinking about it.

Earth is dying, worlds get explored. Someone almost dies and another one gets granted the gift of life. All presented without text and in beautiful, beautiful panels that play with time and space.

It makes me want to see more comics done this way.

[Alex E · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know what to expect from this book. I skimmed through it and saw the 40 panel grids and the creative art that was melded into such a grid and decided to give it a shot. And Im very glad I did.

So first thing, this is a silent comic. There are no words, only images conveying plot and tone. And while sometimes this can make a story too obtuse, it works very well in this book. In essence, it's a superhero origin story. It's the story of a person who left a decaying planet in search for another hospitable one, and ends up being found by beings who give this person powers. Upon receiving these powers, which allows them to fly through space at unimaginable speeds, they return to their planet of origin only to find it is too late. This person leaves a touching remembrance for their race, and leaves forever.

What really makes this story shine is the art. The creativity that is used in order to show us things like flight patterns, constellations, and even thoughts was really a treat to see. Jesse Lonergan has a geometric style that is visually stunning, and kind of illustrates the visual medium of comic books themselves. This is the kind of story that can only really be done in comics. Any other genre would need to sacrifice something in order to tell the same story.

Really well done and imaginative, I highly recommended for fans of the medium itself.

[Matt Graupman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wordless and vaguely Chris Ware-ian in its formalist precision, you’d expect Jesse Lonergan’s “Hedra” to be a pretty static, emotionless affair but you’d be very, very wrong. Part sci-fi adventure, part dramatic space opera, and part philosophical meditation, it follows the lead of Dave Chisholm’s magnificent Scout Comics miniseries, “Canopus,” as a high concept, imaginative, and affecting book that employs space iconography as a stand-in for emotional catharsis. Alright, that’s a lot of big words. Simply put, “Hedra,” like “Canopus,” takes the standard premise of an astronaut seeking out hospitable new worlds and uses it as the foundation for a stunning parable about self-acceptance and self-actualization, but with nuclear missiles, gruesome alien sword fights, and geometric alternate dimensions thrown into the mix. Lonergan’s art is breathtaking, combining the elasticity of Moebius with the expressiveness of Craig Thompson and the elegant intergalactic simplicity of Tom Gauld. In any other year, it would - hands down - be my favorite space-based comic book. However, because it’s 2020 and nothing makes sense anymore, it’s going to have to fight “Canopus” for that honor. On the bright side, whichever book prevails, the reader is the ultimate winner.

[Babs · Rating 3 out of 5]

No words, but powerful stuff. Self destructive nature of man.

[Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Update: It's been five years since Image published Lonergan's Hedra. I was scared that my initial reaction to it was just because if its novelty (although I did read it twice that year). Well now Humano put out a nice and large hardcover edition (seriously, the book is huge), and it shines just as much as the first time I read it. I genuinely think this is the most visually creative book I've ever read. Lonergan's storytelling is just absolutely off the charts. He starts with a simple 5x7 grid, and plays around with it in all the ways he possible can. The layouts, the action lines.. Everything is just utterly masterful and flows so seamlessly.

Original review: I just finished reading it and it blew my goddamn mind. It's got the same kind of energy as the late 70s/early 80s scifi wave the BD went through. Think the likes of Moebius and Druillet, etc. The story's somehow both very straightforward yet really psychedelic. And most importantly, the visual storytelling is off the charts. It dances around, plays with and absolutely shatters comic book norms at every turn. Honestly one of the most exciting books I've read in a while and I absolutely can't wait to see what Jesse Lonergan comes up with next!

[Jakub Kvíz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Zhruba padesatistrankovy komiks beze slov, ktery urcite nese hluboke poselstvi o tom, jak destruktivni clovek je, ale asi si ho nedokazu interpretovat tak, aby me to nejak oslovilo.

Co se musi nechat je originalni prace s panelama. Autor bude urcite zatizenej na geometrii, ktera caka z kazdy stranky.

Radim do kategorie komiksu, u kterejch si reknu “Hm, zajimavy...” a za hodinu ani nevim, o cem to vlastne bylo.

[Timothy Bakita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boarder line avant garde, textless, and self contained space story. The unique use of grids and panels make a pretty straightforward story more interesting. It almost feels it would be part of the kid’s Saturday morning version of HEAVY METAL story.

[Marcelo · Rating 3 out of 5]

HQ sem balões que tem, em muitas partes, sequências experimentais de transição entre os quadros.
Interessante ...

[Alex Memus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mesmerizing art, feels almost like a free jazz song. Like Kirby met Escher and they jammed together.
The story is simple, no words, universal dilemmas. All-in-all: a nice and cute short read.

[Alex Sarll]

I thought Lonergan's Planet Paradise felt more like an Avery Hill book than Image, but it has nothing on this earlier and even more distilled work. Wordless, and designed as much as drawn, it tells the story of a space mission sent out by a dying planet, but the explorer's adventures are told in arcs (as in lines on the page, not in the screenwriting sense) as much as pictures per se. The design-led storytelling reminded me a little of Rian Hughes, though when there are drawings they're much more indie comic in sensibility than his; there's even a hint of Longshot Comics' ultra-minimalism at times, although here there's a fabulous ambivalence in how the grids are used, which I really don't have the technical vocabulary to explain. Yet at the same time, this is a story which doesn't need any language whatsoever to follow. Remarkable work.

[Artur Coelho · Rating 5 out of 5]

Um comic intrigante, curto mas a seguir uma estética muito experimentalista que é raríssima no contexto dos comics. A história conta-se apenas por imagens, não há qualquer texto. É banda desenhada pura, com um sentido estético apurado e um intrigante uso de recursos estilísticos para guiar o olhar do leitor. A história é FC pura, com toques de homenagem à FC mais psicadélica dos anos 60 e 70. algumas vénias diretas a Mobebius (há uma piada visual fabulosa com a sequência do intestino da Garagem Hermética). Acompanhamos um astronauta vindo de uma Terra devastada, em busca de novos planetas para viver. Mas o seu percurso será curiosamente cíclico. Mas é a estética que faz este livro.

[Judah Radd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very very cool.

No words. It’s sequential storytelling in it’s purest form. I’m definitely reminded of Flash Gordon, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and of course the more psychedelically cosmic Moebius stuff.

It was a fast read, but I loved it. The prestige format definitely suits these stunning and highly irregular pages. This is a special comic book, and I think it deserves your undivided attention.

[Ryan Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're making comics, you absolutely need to read this.
If you dig comics, you absolutely deserve to read this.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much fun!
Will revisit for sure.

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

A wordless adventure is a nice change of pace in a regular series, but as the entirety of a stand-alone work it demands much (too much?) from the reader.

[Alexander Lisovsky · Rating 2 out of 5]

Короткое космическое приключение без слов, сюжет которого отсылает к серебряному веку, а главное украшение произведения — геометрически выверенный рисунок, использующий панельную сетку не 3х3, а 5х5, 5х7 и даже более экзотичные, уже артиллерийские и геодезические масштабы. Собственно, только ради него книгу и можно на досуге пролистать (но сравнения с Крисом Уэйром в других отзывах считаю чрезмерным; у Криса совсем иной иллюстративный и нарративный уровень). Вот небольшое превью.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The breathtaking artwork more than makes up for the minimal storyline.

[Miss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well done picture story. It is, for me, a little unusual to read a comic that has no words, but it really works here. How much conversation & exposition are really needed if you're sent off to explore another world? The imagery in this definitely conveys a few thousand words.

[Daniel Vlasaty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a good "silent" comic.

Great artwork, beautiful layouts, a compelling story.

I really thought this was a great, quick read.

Will revisit often.

[Larissa Cezana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gosto muito das HQ's visuais assim, dá uma liberdade para seu lado de leitor trabalhar nos detalhes e na forma como conseguimos nos expressar. Em Hedra tudo é muito bem trabalhado, nos guiando pela história, sem precisar de um só texto. Para os amantes de ficção científica vale muito a pena a experiencia.

[Carlos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Belo exercício de narrativa gráfica em quadrinhos, mas uma história simples e sem brilho.

[Brendan · Rating 5 out of 5]

🅡🅔🅥🅘🅔🅦

Hedra
2020
Comics
Rating: 4.5/5

Hedra is an extraordinary comic book that stands out for its stunning artistry and innovative storytelling. Written and illustrated by Jesse Lonergan, this graphic novel is a visual masterpiece that blends science fiction with deep emotional resonance. The book tells the story of a lone astronaut’s journey through space and time, grappling with themes of isolation, loss, and the weight of exploration.

One of the most remarkable aspects of Hedra is its lack of dialogue. Instead, the narrative unfolds entirely through imagery, using the strength of Lonergan’s intricate and evocative artwork to convey complex emotions and plot developments. This wordless approach creates a strong reading experience, where every page feels like a slow, deliberate moment in the astronaut’s journey, mirroring the solitude and vastness of space itself.

The pacing of the book is deliberate, allowing readers to immerse themselves fully in the astronaut’s journey. Every turn of the page feels like a thoughtful moment, and the sense of isolation and wonder that’s explored throughout each panel lingers long after you’ve finished reading.

Hedra is not just a comic book; it’s a cosmic experience set against the backdrop of the human condition, exploring existential questions through the lens of speculative fantasy. It’s a testament to the power of visual storytelling and a must-read for fans of innovative, thought-provoking comics. It’s a cerebral experience and a strong companion pice to 2001: A Space Odyssey.

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[Gustavo Vilar de Farias · Rating 4 out of 5]

Experimental

Acompanhamos, com páginas bastante inventivas e sem diálogos, uma história sci-fi de uma astronauta. Onde a trama não pode ser ao certo definida, já que temos uma HQ bastante interpretativa, mas ela provavelmente gira em torno de bombas nucleares, do fim da humanidade, da busca por vida, etc.

Por fim, o layout das páginas é o que confere toda a genialidade e originalidade do quadrinho, já que a trama é simples e não nos entrega nada de novo e inventivo, além dos questionamentos e previsões clichês para o futuro da humanidade. Porém é uma leitura rápida e que vale a pena por toda a dinamicidade e unicidade da narrativa visual.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was blown away by Larnegan’s 2025 comic, Drome. Now I’m going backwards and reading some of his previous comics. That leads me to Hedra.

Whereas Drome is mostly wordless, Hedra is totally wordless. Therefore, you have to piece the narrative together yourself. What seems to be happening is that a character’s home planet is dying, that person is sent away to another planet, that person finds life, and is bestowed special abilities.

While the story is fascinating, it’s really the art here that deserves special attention. Larnegan does odd things with grids. There are dozens of little grids per page. Sometimes there’s a picture in each grid and other times they work as a mosaic.

[drown_like_its_1999 · Rating 3 out of 5]

A silent comic about an astronaut who leaves earth in search of resources that will help rebuild the flora and fauna back home after a nuclear fallout. She becomes followed by a strange alien presence before they both land on a hostile planet and have to fight their way out.

This was largely a formalist exercise in visual compartmentalisation, and one that succeeded brilliantly in that effort. Panels are not just used as containers for individual moments, but as ways to discretize the setting and movement within a scene. This structural complexity, alongside a pleasant aesthetic of sketchy linework and subdued colors, frames intriguing alien worlds and spacey settings. Outside of the art, the narrative is very simple but effectively told. Though, as with most formalist works, I found myself wanting for either greater narrative scope or complexity.

[Kahraman Eskidemir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hedra uses it's art and panel transition very stunning and fluent where it is void of speech balloons. It's about a space travel after an event that left earth uninhabitable. It contains similar elements from science finction models but still the void of dialogue pushes reader thinking, especially storytelling through space travel parts. This is an another comic book that shines with its storytelling by using panels and art. Story is simple but it's full of small details and lots of layers for a comic book where complexity shows itself.