Jonathan Djob Nkondo has developed a following as a bit of an international rockstar artist for his work in animation and beyond. He’s perhaps best known for working in the animation department of HBO Max‘s short-lived, widely acclaimed, and visually stunning sci-fi series Scavengers Reign, directing both Episode 2, “The Cure,” and Episode 7, “The Storm,” of the Emmy winner. More recently, he lent his talents to the virtual band Gorillaz for their short film, The Mountain, The Moon Cave, and The Sad God, released back in February as an artistic promotion of their latest album. Now, he’s bringing his style to the page with a much-anticipated graphic novel titled Peaceful Remission, and Collider is excited to offer an exclusive preview courtesy of Magnetic Press and Oni Press of what lies within.
Peaceful Remission inhabits a similar realm to Scavengers Reign, taking place in a dreamlike sci-fi depiction of the future. At the center of it all is an elderly couple living a quiet life in a satellite asteroid home orbiting Earth, but beneath their peaceful existence lies a long-simmering frustration. Things finally boil over when, on one evening, they hear an ominous rumble in the night, spurring Marlène to finally express her annoyance with her husband Jerry’s passivity. The cracks in their relationship widen when Jerry spirals into obsession over a discovery, leaving his wife in charge of his health and well-being, and their ordinary everyday tasks, like driving and shopping, are pulled through a surreal new perspective. It’s a futuristic relationship drama, both written and illustrated by Nkondo, that grapples with the “emotional weight of routine,” the unspoken love between two people who have been together for so long, the fatigue they feel together, and the illusion of tranquility in the seeming isolation of space.
Our preview is a showcase of Nkondo’s style, using purposefully simple, clean artwork to illustrate the calm of space. It follows Jerry during a walk outside his and Marlène’s home, seemingly as he’s about to head back to his wife. He’s accompanied by lines of broken dialogue, only highlighting singular words out of a jumble of letters to create some ambiguity about the conversation being had. The only clear words come from Marlène, who is busy telling Jerry about an extreme frustration she has with something at the store, something that feels surreal given the setting. As he’s opening and shutting the door and floating through low-gravity, there’s a quiet exhaustion to Jerry that illustrates how this never-ending routine has worn on them both.
Collider Exclusive · Sci-Fi Survival Quiz Which Sci-Fi World Would You Survive? The Matrix · Mad Max · Blade Runner · Dune · Star Wars
Five universes. Five completely different ways the future went wrong — or sideways, or up in flames. Only one of them is the world your instincts were built for. Eight questions will figure out which dystopia, galaxy, or desert wasteland you’d actually make it out of alive.
💊The Matrix
🔥Mad Max
🌧️Blade Runner
🏜️Dune
🚀Star Wars
01
You sense something is deeply wrong with the world around you. What do you do? The first instinct is often the truest one.
02
In a world of scarcity, what resource do you guard most fiercely? What we protect reveals what we believe survival actually requires.
03
What kind of threat keeps you up at night? Fear is useful data — if you’re honest about what you’re actually afraid of.
04
How do you deal with authority you don’t trust? Every dystopia has a power structure. Your approach to it determines everything.
05
Which environment could you actually endure long-term? Survival isn’t just tactical — it’s physical, psychological, and very much about where you are.
06
Who do you want in your corner when things fall apart? The company you keep is the clearest signal of who you actually are.
07
Where do you draw the line — if you draw one at all? Every survivor eventually faces a moment that tests what they’re actually made of.
08
What would actually make survival worth it? Staying alive is one thing. Having a reason to is another.
Your Fate Has Been Calculated You’d Survive In…
Your answers point to the world your instincts were built for. This is the universe your temperament, your survival instincts, and your particular brand of stubbornness were made for.
The Resistance, Zion
The Matrix
You took the red pill a long time ago — probably before anyone offered it to you. You’re a systems thinker who can’t help but notice the seams in things.
You’re drawn to understanding how the system works before figuring out how to break it.
You’d find the Resistance, or it would find you — your instinct for spotting constructed realities is the machines’ worst nightmare.
You function best when you have access to information and the freedom to act on it.
The Matrix built an airtight prison. You’d be the one probing the walls for the door.
The Wasteland
Mad Max
The wasteland doesn’t reward the clever or the well-connected — it rewards those who are hard to kill and harder to break. That’s you.
You don’t need comfort, community, or a cause larger than the next horizon.
You need a vehicle, a clear threat, and enough fuel to outrun it — and you’re good at all three.
You are unsentimental enough to survive that world, and decent enough — just barely — to be something more than another raider.
In the wasteland, that distinction is everything.
Los Angeles, 2049
Blade Runner
You’d survive here because you know how to exist in moral grey areas without losing yourself completely.
You read people accurately, keep your circle small, and ask the questions others prefer not to answer.
In a city where humanity is a legal designation rather than a feeling, you hold onto something that keeps you functional.
You’re not a hero. But you’re not lost, either.
In Blade Runner’s world, that distinction is everything.
Arrakis
Dune
Arrakis is the most hostile environment in the known universe — and you are precisely the kind of person it rewards.
Patience, discipline, and political awareness are your core strengths — and on Arrakis, they’re survival tools.
You understand that the long game matters more than any single victory.
Others come to Dune and are consumed by it. You’d learn its logic and earn its respect.
In time, you wouldn’t just survive Arrakis — you’d begin to reshape it.
A Galaxy Far, Far Away
Star Wars
The galaxy far, far away is vast, loud, and in a constant state of violent political upheaval — and you wouldn’t have it any other way.
You find meaning in being part of something larger than yourself — a cause, a crew, a rebellion.
You’d gravitate toward the Rebellion, or the fringes, or whatever pocket of the galaxy still believes the Empire’s grip can be broken.
You fight — not because you have to, but because standing aside isn’t something you’re capable of.
In Star Wars, that willingness is what makes all the difference.
‘Peaceful Remission’ Captures Nkondo’s Personal, Deeply Human Style
While Scavengers Reignnever got a second season at HBO Max or Netflix despite the love there was for the story being told, Nkondo clearly made an impression. Also counting Love, Death + Robots and League of Legends among the titles he’s worked on, the French-Congolese artist saw his graphic novel explode on its official Kickstarter hosted by Magnetic and Oni Press, with over 3,000 fans backing the sci-fi project. His work appears to be a perfect fit for Magnetic, which has played host to the works of dozens of other internationally recognized talents and earned 37 Eisner Award nominations. The company’s Director of Publishing, Mike Kennedy, hailed Nkondo’s new story as a perfect encapsulation of the type of deeply personal and human work that has garnered him such a loyal following.
“Jonathan Djob Nkondo’s work as an animator, storyboard artist, and director has earned him a broad community of fans and respect around the world, and these personal graphic novels highlight his keen eye for world-building and pacing. Peaceful Remission is a heartfelt and haunting look at what the future might have in store and the timeless joys and struggles of relationships.”
Peaceful Remission will span 260 pages and will be available in book stores and comic shops starting on September 16. Check out our exclusive preview in the gallery above.
