VIEWFINDER

In this wordless graphic novel, a young space traveler alights upon a deserted Earth and explores the remnants of our world.

A child points a rocket ship toward an unexplored spot on a map of space. The destination is none other than our own planet, devoid of humans but replete with artifacts. After landing and uncovering a stereoscopic viewfinder in a schoolyard time capsule, the protagonist discovers a map scribbled on one of the picture discs and sets out to investigate. The child traipses through neighborhood streets, traverses a once-bustling train depot, and silently surveys civilization’s great achievements in a shadowy museum and a gorgeous library. The viewfinder’s images offer clues to Earth’s emptiness: Humans chose to leave the planet following an infestation of bioluminescent fungi that descended from the sky. They also subtly suggest the photographer’s identity and their unique viewpoint on the Anthropocene’s end. Although this tale touches upon a trope that may be familiar to older readers—the eerie beauty of post-apocalyptic decay—it employs a softer lens to ponder the striving, ephemeral nature of existence. Emphatically cute yet deliberately informative panels in purple, blue, and golden-green hues are inviting and economical. The explorer is tan-skinned, the viewfinder photographer is Black, and the people seen in the images are diverse.

Beautiful and precisely depicted, a gentle, generous reflection on civilization and community life.