Even when our own planet can no longer sustain us, humanity clings to life in this thoughtful dystopia where a single breath of "fresh" air can kill. Follow the lives of a small cast of survivors as they struggle to keep going in a world where the air carries a fatal virus. A detective must battle his own demons; a pair of siblings question the supposed apocalypse when the impossible happens; a mother and daughter fight tooth and nail to stay together; and a traveling salesman peddles breathing masks, trying to do some good to make up for the sins of his past. In the wake of a growing movement that questions whether the virus in the air is real, they are all survivors—they are all Breathers. Created, written, and illustrated by Justin Madson, the full nine-issue series and bonus issue #0 are now collected together for the first time, with an afterword by the creator and an extensive cover gallery featuring the Breathers #1 variant cover by Jeff Lemire and Matt Kindt.
Justin Madson Book order
Justin Madson explores the human condition through unique stories that blend the mundane with science fiction elements. His work, informed by a background in psychology, delves into the intricacies of human experience with a distinctive perspective. Madson's narrative approach is characterized by sharp insight and an ability to craft worlds that resonate deeply with readers. His creations offer a compelling exploration of reality, tinged with imaginative flair.


- 2023
- 2022
Tin Man
- 208 pages
- 8 hours of reading
A debut YA graphic novel about unlikely friends, Justin Madson’s Tin Man is the story of the title character seeking a heart and a high schooler trying to come to terms with the death of her grandmother.Solar is in her last year of high school and is reeling from the recent death of her grandmother. She has abandoned her plans for the future and fallen in with a bad crowd. Her little brother, Fenn, doesn’t understand why she’s changed—she doesn’t even want to help him build their rocket in the garage anymore.Campbell is a tin woodsman—a clunky metal man whose sole purpose in life is to chop down trees. He longs for more, however, and decides to seek out a heart, believing that, with one, he will be able to feel things he has never felt before and, therefore, change his life.Equal parts The Iron Giant , The Wizard of Oz , Edward Scissorhands , and Freaks and Geeks , Tin Man is a story about finding friendship in the unlikeliest of places.“Creatively explores growing up, loneliness, and loss . . . The bright, angular illustrations emphasize the isolation and yearning felt by the three protagonists as they weather small-town life.” — Horn Book