In early 2009, NASA launched the Kepler space telescope whose mission was to scan the Milky Way galaxy in search of earth-sized planets orbiting stars.
That mission was successful.
During Kepler’s near ten-year mission (the telescope was deactivated in late 2018), it found 2,662 confirmed exoplanets from a pool of over 5,000 candidates. Even if we’re effectively looking back in time, thousands of years, while viewing these numerous samples, imagine if just one of those planets contained life!
Now, combine that science with the classic science fiction of Planet of the Apes, Contact and Arrival.
Under the pen of one of pop culture’s most recognizable names in David Duchovny, famous for his role as Agent Fox Mulder in the X-Files television series and films, you get a story that is both familiar and new, far-flung and close to home.
Named after the famed telescope, the story is likewise importantly exciting.
The 112-page Kepler H/C graphic novel is co-written by David Duchovny (X-Files, Californication, Twin Peaks) in his comic book debut, joined by writer/artist Phillip Sevy (Tomb Raider, The House, Triage) and published by Dark Horse Comics. It tells the story of the planet Kepler, a place where, unlike our earth, homosapiens went extinct and all the other hominid species thrived. But now, the Benadem, a benevolent god-like species have returned to Kepler, threatening to plunge the world into chaos. But there are secrets to the Benedem themselves – secrets regarding their motivations, ambitions and even their true identity. Secrets that are about to be revealed by a sixteen year-old mixed-hominid girl – all in an effort to stave off the complete extinction of Kepler’s indigenous life!
Kepler is an allegorical tale about colonization, the rights of sentient life and evolution that, through the lens of science fiction, shines a bright light on our own existence, past, present and future. This is especially true as we are now just beginning to search for life elsewhere in the universe.
Make the run to your local comic book shop or bookstore today and pick up your copy of the Kepler H/C graphic novel. It makes for perfect contemplative – and exciting – reading by the illumination of your bedside light…or the multitude of shining stars that completely surround our planet earth.
You can catch a preview of Kepler right here.
