This otherworldly graphic novel by Matt Emmons reminds me of Frederik Peeters surrealistic sci-fi.

From the publisher:

A space western about self acceptance and survival on a failed colony planet. Gardener is set centuries after a corporation's failed attempt at colonizing a desert planet. The employees they abandoned have gone to great lengths to survive, with autonomous robots, creatures, and former humans all trying to find their place on an alien planet.

Story & art by Matt Emmons, lettering by Bernardo Brice.

This limited edition deluxe hardcover features a cloth spine and embossed cover, 218 pages of story, 282 pages total, including 40+ pages of bonus concept work and Preserves, a seven page short story that has been out of print since 2019 and the first story set in the Gardener world.

From the artist:

What is GARDENER?

A touch of biopunk, a smattering of body horror, and a whole lot of mystery, this book is my love letter to all of the sci-fi/adventure stories I grew up with. It's a chance for us to spend time with those complicated, weird, monstrous characters that maybe weren't all bad.

Gardener is set centuries after a corporation's failed attempt at colonizing a desert planet. The employees they abandoned have gone to great lengths to survive, with autonomous robots, creatures, and former humans all trying to find their place on an alien planet.

We follow Lars, an ex-Junker, hired by an ancient robot, The Disciple, to investigate the emergence of a strange plague that threatens to destroy all remaining life. But as the mystery unfurls, we find that there's more to Lars than the battered robot lets on.

This is a 282 page hardcover book with signature sewn binding, cloth spine, ribbon bookmark, and an embossed title. Inside this deluxe cover you'll find:

Seven chapters that tell Gardener's complete story. Roughly 200 pages of story and their respective chapter covers.

Plus 40 pages of bonus material:

Early character designs and world building concepts
Process pages
a guest Pin Up illustration gallery artists, including - Liana Kangas, Marie Enger, Artyom Trakhanov, Drew Shields, Alexis Ziritt, and Simon Roy!