'The Underfoot Vol. 1: The Might Deep' by Ben Fisher with art by Emily S. Whitten is a graphic novel about intelligent animals surviving in a world vacated by humans.

A groups of hamsters and other small animals go on a mission to save the badgers from flooding. There are grizzled and scarred old hands and some fresh recruits. The different team members bring their own specialties and talents. There are dangers all around and lots of strange relics left behind by the Giants-That-Were.

I felt like the story started out weak but got better as it went along. I did end up liking what I read. The art is not the strongest, but I think it could develop as the series progresses. I think this would be a good series for a younger reader.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Oni Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

The story follows an adventurous Badger so I fully expected this to be a childish like read. I loved the art style in this its very vibrant and will definitely catch the eye of middle grade readers. As an adult I obviously didn't enjoy it as much as a child would. I will say though I loved the heroic battles mixed with a scifi surprise.

The characters are pretty well placed and well done and towards the end, it felt rushed; I didn't quite feel like it was fleshed out enough. The beginning of the novel had a very nice flow to it. Since the voice is already prose and written in a childlike format, this might be an aspect that doesn't appeal to adults reading it. I did enjoy the beginning of the novel, I thought towards the end it started to lose its focus. Nonetheless, I would use this simplistic plot as something that can open a lot of conversations with the age-group. Numerous things do happen in this story.

The illustrations are something that is subjective to the reader. As I stated before in the narrative, this is a younger-audience novel, the illustrations reflect that. Throughout Ignite, the artwork is going to be lighter in tone as well as coloring and lettering. With that being said, it works for this story. While, I, an adult for all intents and purposes, it didn't work for me; I believe it would work for the intended demographic one-hundred-percent. I did enjoy how wholesome it was drawn and colored.

"It has been untold years since the Giants-That-Were disappeared, leaving behind the animals forever changed by their strange science. Now, granted the gifts of intelligence and self-awareness, the valiant Hamster Aquatic Mercenaries struggle to keep their horde alive in the dangerous new world."

-Marvelous book, with funny plot points. Unexpectedly cute. Cute little story about hamsters, had great adventure and was funnier than I anticipated!

This was an interesting post-apocalyptic book with a very clever story but, unfortunately, I struggled to stay invested in its detail. I liked that each of the hamsters had their own personality. Rating 4 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Diamond Book Distributors for the complimentary ARC. This is my honest and totally voluntary opinion.

Anthropomorphic animal fantasy seems to be a burgeoning genre in comics right now. There are a number of examples of it out there right now, and I sometimes struggle to see how these titles set themselves apart in the genre, and how they navigate the rationale for anthropomorphic animal characters. The Underfoot doesn’t have fully humanoid animals, but it definitely features human-like animals, so I wondered if I would be enjoying this graphic novel or setting it aside in frustration.
The first volume of The Underfoot features a colony of hamsters, especially their group of highly-trained mission operatives. When beavers block up a river and the rising water threatens the badger homeland, the hamsters set out to stop the threat. But as they continue on their mission, they begin to realize that there could be a much greater plan in place behind the scenes.
I was surprised at how much I ended up loving this title. The characterization was well done, and the art was fantastic. What really took this from pretty good to great was the complex and well-considered backstory behind this world, which quickly reveals this to be far from a standard animal fantasy. The introduction of new twists later in the volume dramatically broaden the scope of this story, as well.
This story is highly recommended for fans of fantasy adventure, as well as stories of science gone amok. I had a blast, and I cannot wait for the second graphic novel in this series to be released.
Review will be available at the provided link on May 23, 2019.

Because this is a book about hamsters, I was expecting something very different. It was a fun adventure, but with more death and explosions than I had anticipated.

<i>The Secret of NIMH</i> with some <i>Rescuers</i> built in. A wonderfully inventive tale about hamsters living in a world after humans have long ago disappeared. They have now become mercenaries working for other animals in the area. Badgers hire them to destroy a beaver dam before their homes are flooded. There's lots of fun and excitement with alludes to a larger backstory going on. I never knew there were so many different breeds of hamsters. They are all drawn in glorious detail. The art and coloring is reminiscent of 80's era Don Bluth animation.

A book I really never took to, this features some hamsters who are training young hamsters to be ninjas in time to demolish a beaver dam before it floods out some badgers. Yup. It's an amalgam of animal adventure and interminable training montage, where every joke falls flat, every page is filled with unnecessary arguing for the sake of character and action, and – well, I don't know. I immediately grew a dislike to it and never found any opposing emotion.

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. *


This is a post-apocalyptic book set in the distant future where humans (the giants that were) have been wiped out. We following a team of hamsters that are ready to do any job and save the world. We follow our characters as they try to adapt to a world without humans and how they start to test their limits. I think that this is an interesting and fun story concept. I loved the characters and the idea of survivalist hamsters. I really thought this was a fun adventure to go on and a good read overall.

Never thought I'll have tears seeing dying hermit crab.
This was a really nice and clever anthropomorphic story, I had fun reading this, each of the characters (hamsters) has its personality. There are different breeds of them, old and young, brave and fearful. There's a really hairy one who has a lisping problem. Going on the mission to accomplish, they have to defeat snakes and lizards, fish and eagles (some of the parts were bloody, I did not expect that in the book like this). The artwork is lovely and fits the story perfectly. It surprised me pleasantly and I will definitely read the second volume.

In a big world, this team of little hamsters is prepared to save the day. The story of this community, built on the ruins of human culture, is both intriguing and adorable. Full of adventure and dynamic relationships, I was very pleasantly surprised by The Underfoot. Not to mention the exceptional art on every page!

A very interesting story that was not able to sustain my attention for the totality of the narrative. An admirable attempt.

Two words: hamster mercenaries.

THE UNDERFOOT is set in the (not-so-?) distant future, in which humans – known to the surviving land mammals as the Giants-That-Were – have been wiped out: either by mass floods, or by earthquakes, or perhaps even by avalanches, depending on who you ask. In our wake, we left behind the results of our scientific cruelty (or generosity, again relative to the teller of the tale): a variety of nonhuman animal species, imbued with superior (again, perspective!) intelligence, capable of using tools and communicating with advanced verbal language. They’re like us, but tiny and furrier!

They’re also like us, for better or worse: they engage in spying, sabotage, and warfare. Which brings us to the “underfoot” (“underfeet”?), i.e., hamsters. The hamster community at the heart of this story lives in a fungus-powered bubble under the water. Believing that the great floods will some day return, they train their pups to swim, (dis)assemble dams, and keep the underwater colony running. They also maintain an elite para-military group called the Hamster Aquatic Mercenaries (H.A.M.), which performs ops for other animal colonies in exchange for IOUs, unspecified favors to be cashed in at a later date.

When we first meet them, the HAMs have just been hired to destroy a damn for … a bunch of skunks? I wasn’t clear on that. Anyway, the structure is threatening to flood their home. Normally this wouldn’t be a problem for the HAMs, but their expert traps-hamster recently passed away. It’s time to graduate a young pup early – but are any of them up to the job?

The story is kind of cute, I guess – I mean, who doesn’t love a furry round hamster butt? – though I think it’s probably best suited for younger readers. The animal experimentation angle piqued my interest, but isn’t really explored in depth. Certainly not any intellectual depth, such as the ethics of vivisection. The hamsters idolize humans, even though we left them to rot in cages, so…yeah.

I mean, does Gunther the lobster have any idea what we used to do to his people? And here he is, collecting and guarding our junk in eager anticipation of our return? Yuck.
The ending does hint at more to come, but the story didn’t hold my interest enough to continue.

Beyond this, I just didn’t find the plot (or many subplots) all that compelling. It can be difficult to keep all the hamsters straight (though the artists do an admirable job, for example, through accessorizing and mixing the species up), and many of the action panels are confusing as heck. idk, it just wasn’t what I was gunning for.

Ruby and Mac are adorable though, and I love how the hamsters rescued the cats from the research facility. Interspecies cooperation ftw!

"The Underfoot" is an interesting anthropomorphic graphic novel. The art style was a little too cartoonish for me though.

Ben Fisher is a new comic book/graphic novel talent for me, but one I am likely to revisit again. The Underfoot is a likeable, enjoyable visual feast that is just the right amount of human and otherworldly. It's fantasy and engaging concept fiction in graphic novel form. Liked it!

I loved everything about The Underfoot series. The concept of hamster mercenaries is incredibly intriguing, and the story is so much more. There’s a real depth to the writing, showing us the struggles of surviving in a big world when you’re so small. Everything feels epic, from the dialogue to the battles to the consequences of each action. It’s a great mix of action-adventure, science fiction, and fantasy. We have the thrill of the chase as the squad tries to save the homes of their fellow creatures. There’s the deeply scientific origin story, filled in by supporting materials scattered between issues. Finally, the villains of the story fit that fantasy expectation. True, the dragons are eagles and sea monsters are fish, but it feels epic nonetheless.

I was impressed by the complexity of the art style. It would be easy to write off the hamster design, making every creature the same and focusing instead on their natural surroundings. These artists have done a fabulous job incorporating the many breeds of hamsters, creating scenes filled with brilliantly minute details. The physique and style of each hamster mirrors their persona, helping the reader connect with these marvels of human science. It would be easy to laugh away hamsters as silly characters, but the art, paired with strong writing, makes that impossible. The comic book styling of the fight scenes also brought up a nostalgia that connected well with the action.

Overall, The Underfoot series combines a compelling story with intricate artwork to present a band of warriors who are as varied as they are unified. Emotions run the gamut from adrenaline-fueled excitement to tender moments of sadness but, in the end, the badass brigade of hamsters triumphs.

This review will be published on April 10, 2019.

The plot takes a while to pick up here, though to be fair there is much to be covered in order to lay the foundations of this world for the reader . Overall it's an admittedly creative setting, an intriguing plot that leaves one wanting to read vol.. 2, and just a very fun read.

I have to hand it to Ben Fisher and Emily S. Whitten, <i>The Underfoot</i> was a damn clever story with beautiful illustrations that kept me captivated the entire way through. A graphic novel featuring various hamsters as they navigate a newfound intelligence as a result of scientific testing after the disappearance of all humans within the world. Perhaps the most fascinating piece of all this is the fact that they regularly refer to humans as "the gods that were" and speak of the supposed promise that they will soon return--this plot point was just about the most amusing piece of the entire graphic novel, clever in an absolutely wonderful and hilarious way (but no spoilers!)--someday in the future.

I had a lot of fun reading this book and very much wish that it had been around when I was a kid. It's definitely the sort of book I'd get for a young teen or someone perhaps just slightly younger. They might not get all of the jokes, but they'll definitely enjoy the experience of reading it. The subplot for volume one is a fun and interesting one, but not too dense. You're met with characters you really grow to adore and there are certainly moments where you feel a strong emotional connection to what is going on.

While this is by no means the best graphic novel I've stumbled upon and it definitely misses an opportunity to leave a social commentary within its readers regarding scientific research and the treatment of animals--though I suppose we have Nimh for that--it was an enjoyable read that I imagine I'll return to one day if I ever have kids of my own.

<i>I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. </i>