Bountiful Garden

Bountiful Garden #1-5

by Ivy Noelle Weir (Writer), Kelly Williams (Artist), Giorgio Spalletta (Colorist )

In the year 2200, a team of teenage scientists are sent on a terraforming mission to a distant planet. Selected as the best and brightest of their generation, architect Jonas, botanist Marnie, biologist Jane, engineers Anya and Kamari, and security detail Kurt are all put into cryostasis expected to wake up when it is time to prepare to land on their assigned planet. When they are awakened abruptly, ten years early, halted above a strange planet, the teens are tasked with trying to figure out why they're stalled - or what stalled them. As they break into two teams, one tasked with fixing the ship, the other with exploring the unknown planet below, they're faced with an increasingly nightmarish scenario as they encounter a cosmic horror that seems to not only have attacked their ship, but also their minds.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Science Fiction, Horror, Comics Manga

120 pages, Paperback

First published April 12, 2022

About the author

Ivy Noelle Weir is a writer of comics and prose. She is the co-creator of the Dwayne McDuffie Award-winning graphic novel Archival Quality (Oni Press), the upcoming The Secret Garden on 81st Street (Little, Brown for Young Readers), and her writing has appeared in anthologies such as Princeless: Girls Rock (Action Lab Entertainment) and Dead Beats (A Wave Blue World). She lives in the greater Boston area with her husband and their two tiny, weird dogs.

Reviews

[mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s the year 2200. A team of teenage scientists is sent on a mission to inhabit a new distant planet. They should wake up from cryostasis just before they land. But they wake up much earlier and discover that they don’t have enough food for the journey.

Bountiful Garden has an excellent story and concept, but it bothered me that all the characters were pretty much unlikeable. All of their childish quarrels annoyed me to the extent that I had difficulty keeping my focus on the story. I had one question: why would someone send immature teens on such a mission?

The art is very good. It creates the creepy atmosphere. A dark sci-fi/horror story. For fans of Alien and similar stories. This edition includes volumes 1-5.

Thanks to Mad Cave (Diamond Book Distributors) for the ARC and this opportunity! This is a voluntary review and all opinions are my own.

[Michael J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't think a story that appears to be aimed at a young-adult audience would hold my attention as much as this did, but it worked for me. BOUNTIFUL GARDEN is a fast-paced read with elements of familiar sci-fi and horror tropes (including tentacles, and a dash of Lovecraftian cosmic horror) but put together in a way that entertains and makes you forget that you've read something like this before.
One Goodreads reviewer compared it to ALIENS meets THE RUINS, and that's a pretty good elevator pitch. I enjoyed the creeping suspense and the overall idea that a source of much-needed nutrition for a dying planet could turn out to be even more of a threat, one that is not noticed while it sustains until it's too late.
The art style is not for everyone, a bit simplistic, that reminds me of the work of Matt Kindt and Tyler Boss, but as I read on it became effective.
A quick, entertaining read.

[Cassie Daley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for an early copy of this trade paperback, which includes issues 1 - 5 of BOUNTIFUL GARDEN.

The watercolor-y art in this is SO GOOD, I loved it! Super creepy sci-fi horror featuring a cast that's younger than you normally see in these, which was neat! Despite the ages, they dialogue and story don't feel juvenile - certain parts were honestly horrifying in theme, space always gets me.

I will say that the main part of the plot hinges on something mostly unbelievable - a group of kids is sent into space in a hypersleep sort of state so that they'll be 10 years older once they arrive & can work to research the planet. It seems like it'd be very jarring to wake up in my 20s after falling asleep as a pre-teen/teen, which is... an odd choice, haha. But overall, if you can ignore that, it's really cool!

If you need more: TENTACLES.

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Bountiful Garden' by Ivy Noelle Weir with art by Kelly Williams is a graphic novel about a deep space exploration with a team of teenage scientists.

A group of deep space explorers, referred to by their job title, is suddenly awakened out of deep sleep by their ship stopping near a planet. The crew has to fix their stalled ship, but also they want to explore the nearby planet. As seems to be the way in these stories, things don't go well.

I liked this creepy story of space exploration. The characters are decent, but not deeply explored and serve their roles fairly stereotypically. The art has a quality that is not my favorite but does work fine for the story at hand.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors, Mad Cave, and NetGalley. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

[Anastasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly enjoyed this science fiction horror that reads like Alien meets The Ruins.

There was an instant creep factor and the characters were diverse and compelling. The illustration style with dramatic hashmarks and dark panels gives it a wonderfully creepy vibe. Since this story is written for young adult readers, at times there were heavy exposition dumps in dialogue form and character back stories were laid out in repetitive ways. But all in all, my favorite character is Anya for how instantly in control, resourceful, and active she is as a leader.

I honestly wanted this book to be twice as long to build the ambiance and heighten the tension; this should definitely be a movie! I can't wait to read more from these creators!

[Ian_Baut · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading this book, I felt the fear of the unknown rack through my body. The tense atmosphere the novel develops over the span of five issues is immense, one that you can feel invade your personal space, putting pressure on your chest as you read on. I love the art style and the aesthetic, gritty and realistic while still maintaining a sort of sordid charm.

My only issue with this is how some characters don't get much of a backstory before getting axed. I like the ending and the hints of the final horrors our characters will face. A must read for anyone intrigued in knowing things man was never meant to know.

Note: All views expressed are my own, and I have recieved an ARC from NetGalley

[Jammin Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this graphic novel about teenagers sent on a terraforming mission in the future. They end up 10 years beyond where they were supposed to be, and above a strange planet. I liked how the teenagers reacted and handled the situation. It was a very clever story. I want to thank the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for giving me an e-copy of this book, in return for an honest review.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s 2200. Six teenagers are awakened fr9m their cryostasis to discover that the ship has stopped. Their awakening is ten years early. They were sent on a terraforming message on a distant planet — not this planet. They are orbiting around. The teenagers decide to break into two groups. One group is to repair the ship and the other group will explore the planet. All their training may not be enough for what they discover. Why? What will they do?

The authors have written a story that kept me interested. The concept of it is where the villain or monster is never seen but its presence is felt. The artist has done a great job that matches the story well. This story does leave questions at the end of it. Their is a nightmarish tone to this story. It’s quite creepy. It’s an excellent story.

Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review or any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.

[Stephanie Dyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Six teens wake from cryostasis years early and try to determine what is going wrong with their ship. They are orbiting an unknown planet that is not on their maps. Faced with the reality that, even if they fix the ship, waking two years early means shortages in their food supply three take the shuttle down to the planet surface to search for food sources. What follows is a creepy descent into horror as one by one the teens succumb to a malevolent power.

Pros - the artwork is wonderful, it sets the mood very well. The story, while somewhat predictable, was well executed.

Cons- the NetGalley ARC is a protected PDF which presented several issues the first being that I could only read it on my laptop as it refused to open on my tablet. Reading it on the laptop made for an uncomfortable experience and detracted from being able to really immerse myself in the story.

NOTE TO PUBLISHER - A further issue I find with ARCs presented as protected PDFs is that they expire and disappear from my device, in this case on what would be well before the actual release date which is when my reviews go live on our newszine web site. I usually skim through a book and then go over my reviews prior to public posting after release date but I will be unable to do so for this graphic novel as it will expire at least 6 weeks prior to release.

[Theediscerning · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Passengers" meets "Alien" meets "Solaris", when a mission out of Earth, populated by six hot-housed teenagers, has its progress and cryogenics disturbed years early. Three stay on board to find out why the heck everything is in a hiatus, when nothing errant seems to be affecting the ship, and three go down to the planet below them that shouldn't even exist. And get to hear voices...

That clearly is where the majority of readers think this is derivative and all been done before, and no, those three titles aren't the only ones I could have pointed out, for this riffs off several more. Luckily for the book then, I am one of those who appreciates no end of the derivative if it is done well enough and combines things I've not seen together before. And by that I don't mean things not seen before because they don't need to ever be combined (a zombie hoard killed off by a peanut allergy, perhaps) but things that can serve to make a sensible, rounded story. Like "Passengers" meets "Alien" meets "Solaris". I didn't love the art – it made some set pieces look fine, but didn't exactly generate much love for the characters, even the one trying to grow a La Roux hairdo. But what I did like was the story – yes it felt a touch rushed towards the end and didn't fully surprise, but it's the kind of effortless entertainment I enjoy.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and Mad Cave for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

The upcoming physical release of Bountiful Garden is pretty great for fans of sci-fi and horror. I appreciated the homage to Lovecraft in the form of ancient, rotten temples dedicated to tentacled horrors. I loved the feeling of futility, a throwback to The Thing. The art is beautiful, and some of the characters were able to hit the reader's heartstrings just enough to care about their fates. It was also a SUPER quick read - I didn't expect to be done over a lunch break, but here we are.

While there is a lot of diverse representation, it is only surface level. It honestly doesn't matter what any particular character's background was except for two characters who are given something of a backstory. Bountiful Garden (or at least this volume) doesn't tread any new ground in the genre either, but it definitely has the potential to down the line. That isn't to say it's not worth reading - if you care enough to look at reviews on NetGalley, Goodreads, or LibraryThing then this is a book you should pick up. You won't regret the time you spend on it.

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A group of teenagers have been trained to terraform a distant planet, but their spaceship stalls and they are awakened out of cryostasis ten years too early. They explore a nearby planet looking for supplies, and a mysterious presence begins to make itself known.

This graphic novel was a little too scary for me. There is some gore and blood that was gross.

I liked the characters, but they didn't have a lot of depth. They mostly spend their time freaking out about all the things that are going wrong on their mission. They are cranky and mean to each other. These people are not friends. They have been assigned to this terraforming mission, but do not exactly work well together. I wish there had been a character arc of the teens learning to work together and forming closer relationships, but most of them die before that can happen.

The art style is good, but everything is so dark. It made it difficult to see what was going on in the panels. I wish the coloring were brighter, but the darkness definitely fits the mood of the story.

I liked the mystery of the weird planet they explore. They find some weird ruins with strange markings, and there is an arcane history to be uncovered. Everything they discover makes them more afraid.

This was not my style of story because I don't like scary stuff, but I think someone else would really enjoy this graphic novel.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

[Keegan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This contains 5 volumes of Bountiful Garden, a sci-fi/cosmic horror graphic novel. I enjoyed this, it was very quickly paced in the sense that a lot of minor dialogued was skipped, but it was still easy to tell what was going on and what the plot was. Essentially, 5 teens were sent to colonize a planet, but they were woken up too early in their trip. They must find another source of food/supplies, since theirs will run out soon. It's a bit YA (the main characters are all teens of an unknown age, could be like 13-18?) but the plot does not ease up on them just because they're kids, which I liked. I think the plot really hinges on the fact that they're kids with bad decision making skills, which leads you to wonder why kids were chosen for this kind of mission? It also kinda felt like their jobs were useless, so I'm not sure why the jobs were so specialized.

I liked the art a lot, the watercolor was a nice touch and some of the panels were super sick and foreboding. The color choice felt very intentional as well. Overall just a nice quick cosmic horror read, would be interested in more volumes that further the lore in some way.

Thanks to Diamond Book Distributors and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy to review!

[Ingrid Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the year 2200, a team of teenage scientists is sent on a terraforming mission to a distant planet. Selected as the best and brightest of their generation, architect Jonas, botanist Marnie, biologist Jane, engineers Anya and Kamari, and security detail Kurt are all put into cryostasis expected to wake up when it is time to prepare to land on their assigned planet.

As expected in any sci-fi comic or movie, the ship wakes them early for no reason that they can find. With the early awakening, they know they do not have the supplies to finish the trip alive.

It's a YA graphic novel so all the characters are in their teens it seems. They have been chosen, for their intelligence and I suppose their ability to colonize another planet. That part took a little suspense of belief but it worked.

Just creepy enough and spooky enough to work for me. I enjoyed it immensely and the art was beautiful

Thanks to @netgalley Mad Cave, Diamond Book Distributors, Ivy Noelle Weir, Kelly Williams, and Giorgio Spalletta for the opportunity to read this eArc in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

[Carolina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to reread Bountiful Garden. Not because I loved it so much…but because the first time I read it last week, I read it at night and the art was soooo hard to see in the dimmer lighting. And the story was hard to follow too since I could barely see the pages.

I can confirm that this graphic novel should be read in full, bright light! I appreciated this book a lot more the second readthrough since I could see the beautiful but dark art and had a better idea of who the characters were and what the story was.

TLDR: It’s a fun, quick space horror read but doesn’t go super deep.

I think the story is trying to be a little deeper than it actually is. In making The Garden so obscured and vague, a little depth is lost, perhaps. The story felt a little incomplete in some aspects—I was wanting to know more about The Garden and the previous ships that had been lost on the planet. I wanted lore, history, more architectural ruins. It ended so quickly! I don’t really get the ending, either. And I do still wish the art had more contrast and was easier to see—even with good lighting, some of the details on the page are lost because the colors are all so dark.

[Leighton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Bountiful Garden by Ivy Noelle Weir, Kelly Williams, and Giorgio Spalletta is a YA sci-fi and horror graphic novel that will appeal to fans of Ender's Game. The story revolves around a team of teenage scientists who are sent to a distant planet in the year 2200. According to the description, when the crew is "awakened abruptly, ten years early, halted above a strange planet, the teens are tasked with trying to figure out why they're stalled - or what stalled them."

Overall, Bountiful Garden is a YA sci-fi and horror graphic novel that will give you chills up and down your spine. Unfortunately, it was just a bit too creepy for me. I'm not a fan of horror in general. In addition, the art complemented the spooky storyline, but as a result, it didn't really appeal to me. I'm sure it will appeal to fans of horror though. If you're intrigued by the description, or if you're a fan of sci-fi and horror, you can check out this book when it comes out in April!

[Abigail Pankau · Rating 3 out of 5]

A team of teenage scientists on a deep-space terraforming mission are woken early from cryostasis. Something has stopped their ship in orbit around a strange planet. Concerned about supplies, half of the team goes down to the planet’s surface to investigate. Soon, all members of the crew both on the ship and on the planet find themselves facing down an invasive species that is trying to take over their minds and their ship, a horrifying invasive species with greater aspirations than just their ship.

This was a fun little horror graphic novel, that’s very reminiscent of Alien but with cosmic horror plants. One has to suspend disbelief over some things (like, why are there only six of them for a planet-scale terraforming project? and why are they sending teenagers?), but the uber-creepy botany is quite scary and there is a lot of great foreboding going on. I also appreciated the ending. It was an interesting spin on this familiar story.

[Larkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume contains 5 issues of a YA space horror graphic novel. In it, six teenagers are woken years early in their journey to a newly terraformed world, only to find their ship powered down over a strange, seemingly-lifeless planet.

First off, I loved the art by Kelly Williams! There is lots of detail, and the colorist Giorgio Spalleta used a watercolor effect to turn panels into lonely, creepy alien landscapes, space, and ship-bound spaces that I loved exploring. The characters themselves? Well, they were recognizably kids, which was nice. However, I was a little thrown out of the story by their lack of training and cohesion. If they're on this mission by themselves, I would have assumed a bit more prep work on chain of command and crisis control.

On the whole, this is a cohesive cosmic horror story with excellent artwork. My thanks to Netgalley, Mad Cave, Ivy Noelle Weir, Kelly Williams, Giorgio Spalleta, and Justic Birch for a copy of this e-arc to review.

[Diane Hernandez · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Bountiful Garden, six teenage scientists awaken ten years early from their cryostasis. They have been selected by Earth to begin a new civilization on a planet far away. Their ship is trapped above an unknown planet. The team splits up with three exploring the planet and three attempting to fix the ship.

I feel like I’ve read this plot, especially its conclusion, many times before. Unfortunately, there is nothing to recommend this particular version. 3 stars.

Thanks to Mad Cave and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Someone else mentioned Alien meets The Ruins and I thought that was very appropriate. It's about a group of kids who wake up 10 years early from cryosleep on a spaceship. (Hence why they are still children instead of adults I guess.) They are to be the leaders of a new colony. They aren't sure why they have woken up but they are 10 years from their destination with only two years worth of food and an unknown planet below. I thought it was a great setup and executed well. If you like sci-fi/horror, you are likely to dig this.

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first glance at the creepy cover hooked me; the storytelling within its pages won me over. BOUNTIFUL GARDEN presents an engaging team of teenage scientists, the best and brightest of their generation, on a mission to terraform a distant planet that goes terribly long. The writers and artists do a great job of evoking a compelling and terrifying antagonist that remains mysterious and largely unknown throughout, and gives us a great cast of characters who respond in interesting ways. Not to be missed.

[Zay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent read

I will have to agree with another reviewer that in this volume it seems your just dropped into this story without an intro/beginning.

6 teenagers in space on a dangerous/suicidal mission but don’t know that till is too late.

None of these kids deserved what happened to them ( especially Jane and Jonas) but expect for Kurt ( fucking asshole )

I hope the other volumes are better

[Melissa Overby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I'm more picky about the quality of the graphic novels I read than regular novels. I expect the art to be top notch, as well as the story. This didn't let me down. This is something I want to buy a physical copy of for my home library.

[Estibaliz · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review got deleted and I don't really feel like redoing the whole thing, but this was basically a fun mix of sci-fi, horror and teenage angst.

It just felt a bit too short, and the ending was quite abrupt. There was much more that could have been done with those interesting characters...

[Daria Yogacoon · Rating 2 out of 5]

What an idiot planned this mission?! These kids are competitive in a bad way when they should be working together. I don't see them using their extensive knowledge or being cautious with the unknown. It's a scary story but if these were adult characters I'd say they deserved the ending.

[Erica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Recycled crap. Also, if you want to actually see anything in the dark illustrations get a bright lamp and a magnifying glass.

[Liz H {Redd's Reads} · Rating 2 out of 5]

The art was so dark it was hard to see any details, including the unspoken cues and story elements. The story also felt like a middle that was missing a beginning and an ending.

[Haruka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad read. The plot is very interesting. Hope we can know more about the plant. The mission. But overall it is just a simple read. Nothing complicated. Good book.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

This futuristic novel tackles some real issues that are placed in a fictional setting. Cryogenics. Brrr. Lack of food. Competition. Which one of us is the valuable one. Yes, it does take a village.