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The Underfoot
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The Underfoot Vol. 1: The Mighty Deep Kindle & comiXology

by Ben Fisher (Author), Emily Whitten (Author), Michelle Nguyen (Illustrator, Artist) Format: Kindle Edition
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 24 ratings
See all formats and editions
Starts fast and keeps running, with a world I could believe, characters I truly cared for, and an adventure full of action and twists that kept me turning the pages!" - Paul Tobin"Underfoot is a fast-paced adventure in the tradition of military action tales like The Dirty Dozen or Where Eagles Dare, with the astonishingly plausible twist that the heroes are a hard-as-nails mercenary team of fluffy hamsters. I thoroughly enjoyed every suspenseful moment reading this book!" - Colleen Coover "The Underfoot is an over-the-top great adventure, a thrill ride with heart. The story pulls you in and the characters keep you cheering them on. Oh yeah, so they're hamsters. Cute little fluffy hamsters, right? Wrong. Do not underestimate them. Great premise, great story, great art, and the only not-so-great part is having to wait for the next volume." - Esther Friesner, author of Princesses of Myth series 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.   In The Underfoot: The Mighty Deep, H.A.M. has been hired to save their badger allies from dangerous flooding, but first they'll need new recruits. Only the best of the best can join the ranks of H.A.M., and the colony's most ambitious young hamster pups compete for their chance at glory and prestige. Those who succeed, however, soon discover that life outside their burrow is not the grand adventure they imagined, but instead find a world of deadly threats and conflicting stories about their species' origins. Combining heroic battles, dark mysteries, and heartfelt friendships, The Underfoot: The Mighty Deep is the beginning of an epic sci-fi trilogy chronicling the animal kingdoms left to rise and fall in the absence of the Giants-That-Were. When the hamsters learn the truth about their past, will they find the strength to overcome the forces aligning against them, or will their tiny horde be wiped from the earth?
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  1. Part of Series
    The Underfoot
  2. Print length
    157 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    Not Enabled
  5. Publisher
    Caracal
  6. Publication date
    April 23, 2019
  7. Reading age
    13 - 16 years
  8. Grade level
    8 - 11
  9. File size
    414250 KB
  10. Page Flip
    Not Enabled
  11. Word Wise
    Not Enabled
  12. Enhanced typesetting
    Not Enabled
  13. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 4–8—In this suspenseful, postapocalyptic tale, humans (Giants-That-Were) have long since vanished. Thanks to scientific experimentation, the remaining creatures are self-aware. The hamsters have become survivalists and mercenaries working for other animals while defending themselves from equally intelligent predators. Their mission is to destroy a beaver dam before the homes of their allies, the badgers, are flooded and destroyed. The world-building in this book is exceptional. Every page brims with subtle verbal and background clues for readers to carefully assemble into a fascinating backstory. The characters are expressive, and many different breeds of hamsters are drawn in loving detail. These rough, tough, but very cute hamsters exude camaraderie and determination, and speech bubbles are placed with great care for maximum impact. Abrupt, vivid color changes highlight dramatic moments, and the heightened tension and action move the narrative along, sometimes at breakneck speed. VERDICT Fans of dystopian tales and animal adventure stories will adore this first in a trilogy, and the cliff-hanger ending will have them demanding the next installment.—Kelley Gile, Cheshire Public Library, CT

Review

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL -- Gr 4-8-In this suspenseful, postapocalyptic tale, humans (Giants-That-Were) have long since vanished. Thanks to scientific experimentation, the remaining creatures are self-aware. The hamsters have become survivalists and mercenaries working for other animals while defending themselves from equally intelligent predators. Their mission is to destroy a beaver dam before the homes of their allies, the badgers, are flooded and destroyed. The world-building in this book is exceptional. Every page brims with subtle verbal and background clues for readers to carefully assemble into a fascinating backstory. The characters are expressive, and many different breeds of hamsters are drawn in loving detail. These rough, tough, but very cute hamsters exude camaraderie and determination, and speech bubbles are placed with great care for maximum impact. Abrupt, vivid color changes highlight dramatic moments, and the heightened tension and action move the narrative along, sometimes at breakneck speed. VERDICT Fans of dystopian tales and animal adventure stories will adore this first in a trilogy, and the cliff-hanger ending will have them demanding the next installment.




"Starts fast and keeps running, with a world I could believe, characters I truly cared for, and an adventure full of action and twists that kept me turning the pages!" - Paul Tobin



"Underfoot is a fast-paced adventure in the tradition of military action tales like The Dirty Dozen or Where Eagles Dare, with the astonishingly plausible twist that the heroes are a hard-as-nails mercenary team of fluffy hamsters. I thoroughly enjoyed every suspenseful moment reading this book!" - Colleen Coover




SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL -- Gr 4-8-In this suspenseful, postapocalyptic tale, humans (Giants-That-Were) have long since vanished. Thanks to scientific experimentation, the remaining creatures are self-aware. The hamsters have become survivalists and mercenaries working for other animals while defending themselves from equally intelligent predators. Their mission is to destroy a beaver dam before the homes of their allies, the badgers, are flooded and destroyed. The world-building in this book is exceptional. Every page brims with subtle verbal and background clues for readers to carefully assemble into a fascinating backstory. The characters are expressive, and many different breeds of hamsters are drawn in loving detail. These rough, tough, but very cute hamsters exude camaraderie and determination, and speech bubbles are placed with great care for maximum impact. Abrupt, vivid color changes highlight dramatic moments, and the heightened tension and action move the narrative along, sometimes at breakneck speed.
VERDICT Fans of dystopian tales and animal adventure stories will adore this first in a trilogy, and the cliff-hanger ending will have them demanding the next installment




PUBLISHERS WEEKLY -- Someone has erected a dam, and the Hamster Aquatic Mercenaries have been called upon to destroy it. Without their recently lost trapsmith, though, breaking up the dam will prove near impossible. Still, they draft a few younger hamsters who may not be entirely ready to make their way into enemy territory. There, they will confront reptiles, birds, and sentient animals who have uncertain motives. Fisher (the Great Divide books) and entertainment journalist Whitten, making her debut, introduce readers to a fascinating world that blends elements of GI Joe stories with Brian Jacques's Redwall books. In between chapters, written artifacts offer a glimpse of a previous time, when humans created sentient animals in labs before freeing and abandoning them. Artist Nguyen excels at depicting realistic, emotive talking animals, and she manages shadowing and foreground well, spotlighting the earthy-toned hamsters. Though the premise of the story is basic (destroy a dam), the complicated threads and well-developed, quirky characters create a compelling adventure that readers will want to explore in future series installments. Ages 13-16. (Apr.)

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07Q1DJFQ3
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Caracal (April 23, 2019)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 23, 2019
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 414250 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Not enabled
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 157 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 24 ratings

About the authors

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  1. Ben Fisher

    Ben Fisher

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    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Ben Fisher is an award-winning author of comic books and prose. He writes across a broad spectrum of genres, often exploring the concepts of hope and humor as a beacon in a world of insurmountable darkness.

    Ben grew up in rural North Carolina where he discovered a love of fiction through Harryhausen's models, Kirby's panels, and Gygax's dungeons.

    After creating a number of horror graphic novels, including SMUGGLING SPIRITS, SPLITSVILLE, and HEXEN HAMMERS, Ben's ongoing comic series, THE GREAT DIVIDE, garnered widespread critical praise for its unique spin on the post-apocalypse.

    Ben recently took the YA genre by storm with his graphic novel series, THE UNDERFOOT, which was nominated for multiple Ringo Awards and the prestigious Black-Eyed Susan Book Award.

    For younger audiences (and the young at heart), Ben writes for THE MISADVENTURES OF GRUMPY CAT AND POKEY.

    Ben currently resides in Portland, Oregon with his cat and an increasingly unwieldy collection of board games.

    When things get too quiet, he writes and performs music as TESLA DEATHRAY SURVIVORS ANONYMOUS.

    See more on the author's page
  2. Emily S. Whitten

    Emily S. Whitten

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Emily S. Whitten is a creator of fiction and of genre entertainment journalism, as well as a media personality and host and a convention organizer and moderator.

    Emily delights in writing about humanity via the lens of science fiction and fantasy; and examining science fiction and fantasy via discussions with other humans - including through her online columns and webcomics on sites such as ComicMix.com and MoversandShakersUnlimited.com, and her appearances on the Fantastic Forum radio and TV shows and various podcasts.

    A lifelong fan of the arts and genre fiction (as well as British literature and satire), Emily co-founded The North American Discworld Convention in honor of famed British fantasy author and satirist Sir Terry Pratchett, and continues to assist in its management.

    Most recently, Emily has been immersed in co-creating/writing The Underfoot - a graphic novel series set in a post-apocalyptic world and featuring adventurous hamsters faced with the challenges of keeping their world intact. The first volume, The Mighty Deep, debuts in April of 2019.

    Emily resides in the greater D.C. area where she also holds down a 9-to-5 job and, in her copious spare time, enjoys crafting, reading, exploring, and looking after her tiny hamster.

    See more on the author's page
  3. Michelle Nguyen

    Michelle Nguyen

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    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Michelle Nguyen is an illustrator and comic artist based in Portland, OR. After obtaining her Fine Arts degree from Portland State University and finding that gallery showings were not her scene, she began to pursue her lifelong dream of working in comics. Michelle has previously contributed artwork to the Reckstar webcomic, the Misadventures of Grumpy Cat & Pokey series from Dynamite, and the Elements:Fire anthology, winner of the 2018 Eisner Award for Best Anthology and 2017 Ignatz Award for Outstanding Anthology. She has partnered with various organizations, such as DoveLewis Emergency Pet Hospital, Deaf Dogs of Oregon, and State Farm Insurance, to illustrate custom pet portraits for donations, raffles, and benefits. Michelle currently lives with her equally artistic high-school-sweetheart-turned-husband Adrian Ricker, a significantly stupid cat, and the cutest dog ever, and works for Oni Press as an Executive Assistant. Her work can be found at michellenguyenart.com.

    See more on the author's page
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Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
24 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Aubrey Stark
5.0 out of 5 stars It's HamsTERIFIC!
Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2019
Verified Purchase
If you're looking for an awesome comic, look no further! "The Underfoot: Vol. 1: The Mighty Deep" has it all: action, adventure, and...HAMSTERS! I picked this comic up because I've always enjoyed books with anthropomorphic animals, and this book didn't let me down. The writing is spot on, telling the tale of a highly intelligent hamster clan trying to survive in a world in which it appears humans have disappeared. I've read another one of Ben Fisher's comics, "The Great Divide" and feel that he once again delivers a story in which I care about the characters and desperately want to know what happens next. I found the plot entertaining and adore the characters, who I feel begin to have solid development in this first volume. I look forward to seeing where the story goes in the next installment!

Not only is the writing great, but the art is beautiful. I love animals, and Michelle Nguyen does a FANTASTIC job of bringing the characters to life on the page. The hamsters are a perfect mix of cute and realistic, and each character's personality is wonderfully portrayed through their own personal look and style. I tend to be a bit of a nerd when it comes to colors in comics, and Nguyen's coloring is fabulous!

The book itself is good quality, with a nice cover that has a matte finish with some glossy highlights. It's four chapters, and definitely feels like you get a good amount of story for the price. "The Underfoot" is a story that I think both kids and their parents can enjoy together. I'd recommend it to children/young adults ages 10+ and adults, especially those who enjoy stories about animals. The book has a good mixture of strong male and female characters, so nobody will be left feeling like they are lacking in representation. Overall, a wonderful book!
2 people found this helpful
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Daniel Tidemanson
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing graphic novel
Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2024
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This is such a fun story for kids. There is also so much more you can dive into if you are interested.
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DragonSpartan28
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting world!
Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2023
Verified Purchase
I grew up reading books like Redwall and others, so to see a world with talking, intelligent animals brings a smile to my face. This is different and yet just as entertaining. This end of human world is looking interesting.
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Hall
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read!!!
Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2020
Verified Purchase
I love this book. Super exciting. A great read for diverse graphic novel readers. There was action, adventure, relationship development and exploration, as well as great artwork. The only thing I dislike is that I can't read the next one yet.
One person found this helpful
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Anthony R. Coppola
5.0 out of 5 stars Do yourself a favor: Buy this today!
Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2019
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Amazing book. Beautiful art and a terrific story. I can't recommend it highly enough.
2 people found this helpful
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Wayne A McCoy
3.0 out of 5 stars Intelligent animals survive in a world without humans
Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2021
'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.
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Cherry A. London
5.0 out of 5 stars An exciting Adventure
Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2021
These little rascals were a feisty bunch, so fierce and awesome, I like them, they looked so weather-beaten it was as if they had been through countless wars, but their talk and actions were super loud and strong, the heroes of the day. This has been a great adventure with absolutely great characters making this a great read.
One person found this helpful
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AnnieB
4.0 out of 5 stars Engaging and well illustrated
Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2021
The Mighty Deep is the first volume in a graphic novel series by Ben Fisher, Emily Whitten, and Michelle Nguyen. Released 23rd April 2019 by Oni Press, it's 160 pages and available in paperback and ebook/comiXology formats.

This is a very well plotted, character driven epic quest adventure with beautifully rendered illustrations. The setting is fantasy post-apocalypse Earth and the characters are anthropomorphic animals. Ostensibly aimed at middle grade readers, I found the charming and engaging story worked well for all ages. I enjoyed it a lot.

Four stars. It would make a great selection for comics readers, fans of fantasy and anthropomorphic animal stories. It's a quick and enjoyable read.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Nancy Wolff
5.0 out of 5 stars The best graphic novel I've ever read!
Reviewed in France on July 16, 2019
Verified Purchase
This one has it all -- a believable back story, a mega cast of characters who get your attention and affection [I love Ruby], and are developed in depth. Plus the idea that genetically modified hamsters [calling them and their world 'The Underfoot' is genius] can fight for their world after mankind [the giants] have messed up their world is super clever. As someone who once upon a time a long, long time ago did work with lab rats [real white rats] I got a lot of the back story quickly. But the story itself is multi-layered and detailed in ways I didn't expect of a graphic novel. I personally loved the inclusion of reports and descriptions of personnel. My only quibble [a small one] is that I sometimes was having to look very hard at a particular illustration to figure out who, what and where -- but I've got older eyes than a lot of readers. A cliff-hanger ending promises more adventures and some real surprises. I look forward to the next instalment.
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