DEEP BEYOND #1 – What Lies Beneath (Andolfo, Goy, Broccardo, Nosenzo, Amelia) Image Comics

• Writers: Mirka Andolfo, and David Goy
• Artist: Andrea Broccardo
• Colorist: Barbara Nosenzo
• Letterer: Fabio Amelia
• Designer: Fabrizio Verrocchi
• Editor: Rossano Bruno
• Associate Editor: Antonio Solinas
• Color Editor: Andrea Meloni
• Editor Assistant: Damiano Tessarolo

Thanks to Image Comics for the review copy!

DEEP BEYOND reminds me a lot of the excellent series, LOW from Image Comics. Both involve a dystopian future with an emphasis on underwater elements. DEEP BEYOND is more grounded and the world it spins is easier to relate to. The book opens using the ‘glimpse of something bad happening that poses a lot of questions before jumping to the main story’ technique.

As is often the case, after an action packed opening, the story slows down a bit to introduce the main characters and establish the world they live in. The characters thus far seem more like plot devices than fleshed out individuals, but that is to be expected given the ground the book has to cover in its first issue. There is one major plot beat near the end that might have been enhanced with a bit more investment in the characters, but it was still effective. The book ends on a cliffhanger, so plan on picking up issue 2.

The art is arresting. Brightly colored and full of details, the effects of the calamity that has messed up the world are pretty gross and yet hard to stop staring at. The character are drawn realistically, which enhances the sci-fi elements of the story.

DEEP BEYOND manages to tell a mature story without using curse words. There is some bloody violence, so parental discretion is advised on that front. I really enjoyed this book and am excited to see where it goes with more time to spend on its characters and world-building.

DEEP BEYOND #1 is set for release on February 3rd, 2021.

Check back in a few weeks for my thoughts on issue #2 of the series.

Are you going to pick up the title? Feel free to chat with me on Twitter or leave a comment below!