"BENEATH" Is A Tense Tale Of Monsters And Mayhem At The US-Mexico Border (REVIEW)
Most horror fans would agree that what happens in the real world is far more frightening than what happens on the pages of our favorite novels and comics. When issues from the real world collide with the imagined monsters the stories are often more poignant and compelling than they are apart, and that is the case for the newest Comixology Original, “Beneath”—written by filmmaker Steven S. DeKnight with art by Michael Gaydos, “Beneath” mixes some familiar genre trappings with the realities of life living on the border.
Combining elements of The Descent, Assault on Precinct 13, and Tremors, “Beneath” begins with a group of immigrants and border patrolling militia members getting ambushed by something unknown in the ground. The sole survivor, young Mirella, is picked up and kept at a soon to be closed border patrol station in Texas. With less than 24 hours before the doors close for good, Mirella, the officers, and the detainees must survive the night as the same attackers who came for the immigrants come for them.
“Beneath” takes a familiar formula, the siege film, and tacks on some monstrous references to ancient Aztec mythology. Given how condensed the timeline is for the events in the graphic novel, DeKnight does a good job offering slivers of characterization through conversation while avoiding being too exposition heavy. Take our lead character Jess, she is half-Mexican and her compassion for immigrants is juxtaposed with her job and the characters around her who are less inclined to have sympathy for anyone trying to cross the border illegally. DeKnight wisely avoids making any firm statements on the politics of the situation, but uses the characters and their motivations to portray the differences of opinion and perspective. Furthermore, it makes the reluctance of the characters cooperation more engaging since they have to overcome their biases to survive, even though not all of them do.
The art from Gaydos is not just fitting for the story, but it provides a gritty realism that pairs perfectly with the Southwest landscape. The illustrations use earthy tones to mimic the desolate landscape of the desert, but on occasion vivid and bright colors are used when we change locations for a mythological flashback. One of the most engaging aspects of “Beneath” is the art and it had us zooming in to see the finer details. The only critique of “Beneath” is the somewhat lackluster and rushed feeling ending. Granted, for 124 pages things move at a brisk pace throughout, but by the time we get to the climax it feels as if we could’ve spent more time reaching that point. Nevertheless, this is a small gripe for what is overall a really fun, and bloody story.
“Beneath” in may ways feels like it was written to be adapted for the screen at some point, which would make sense given DeKnight’s background. It also leaves opportunities for further exploration of these creatures if there is a desire to return to this story and world at some point, as we only get a surface-level understanding of what they are and their motivations. All of this to say, “Beneath” is a high recommend from us and we hope to see DeKnight continue creating content for graphic novels while we wait for his next feature or series!
“BENEATH” will be available August 6, 2024, from Amazon’s Comixology Originals exclusive digital content line.
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