Reviews

Under-Earth by Chris Gooch

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sarah0_0's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

sizrobe's review against another edition

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5.0

Great graphic novel set in a tremendous prison in an underground cavern. This book has some of the most graphic violence I've seen in a while. The kind of book with multiple scenes where people get the shit kicked out of the to the point where they're spitting dislodged teeth. I do have to admit that I had some difficulty telling the characters apart in the beginning, as they're mostly fucked-up looking dudes in identical prison uniforms.

shrug_emoji's review against another edition

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4.0

3.5 stars

Under-Earth tells a small short. While the world is never completely fleshed out, and we are never truly clued in to the backgrounds and motivations of the characters, Gooch taunts us with picturesque images that give us brief glimpses of the complete picture. It's a story about revenge, about human nature, and about survival, as characters determine what it truly means to be free.

jkenna90's review against another edition

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4.0

This was a great start to my reading year! Very bloody and violent with interesting characters and a fantastic story.

shawcrit's review against another edition

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4.0

The world depicted in Under-Earth is a very bleak one, and there isn't much hope to be found here upon first glance. However, the friendships demonstrated here are the real heart and core of the volume. Although there is a lot of violence and hopelessness in this world, the story is punctuated with wryly funny points and moments of true connection between the characters, suggesting the only way to push back against this system is by finding and cherishing those moments of pleasure and genuine connection. For these reasons, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.

There are two interwoven narratives, both set in the underground prison city of Delforge, where criminals are sent as labourers. One of the narratives follows Zoe and Ele, professional thieves. The other mainly follows Malcolm, a tall, quiet man who collects garbage to sell. Zoe and Ele and Malcolm get involved with Mr. Optone, a fellow inmate but one with a lot of power: he seems to control the criminal underbelly of Delforge. Both narratives occasionally intersect but truly come together at the conclusion of the narrative.

What was most interesting to me about the story is the logistics of Delforge; it is a brutal and harsh world. The inmates sleep in dilapidated buildings and box-like cubicles that are difficult to afford, they only have access to food that tastes like sand, and they are subject to violence from the guards but also the other inmates pushed to desperation. I was intrigued by the setting and I wanted to know more about it.

Sometimes, I think the narrative could have been tightened up and the setting integrated into the plot more often. There are some details that are never really explained, but that could have been used to interesting effect. Ultimately, however, the core of the story is in the relationships between Ele and Zoe, Malcolm and his friend Reese. The moments of intimacy are lovely, bright spots in an otherwise dark story, and I think that the creator did a great job developing the characters and their relationships.

The art style suits the topic and themes: the only colours used are black, yellow, and white, with some pops of red. The art is a little rough and simple, but also very kinetic; there are some pages where it feels more like you are watching a film than reading. A particularly excellent sequence in chapter five epitomizes this, as the escalating tension in both narratives leads to violent altercations and the panels jump between the two story lines in a really effective way. In short, dialogue is secondary to capturing the gritty feel and motion of the environment and the subtle reactions of the characters.

Recommended if you like:
Dystopian narratives/themes
Gritty and unique settings and atmosphere
Character- and friendship-driven stories
Simple, high-contrast and eye-catching art

Content warnings: Physical violence/murder - lots of it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Top Shelf Productions for an ARC of this volume in exchange for an honest review.