Few stories can evoke the feeling of watching films such as The Thing, Tremors, or Aliens for the first time—but Beneath by writer Steven S. Deknight and illustrator Michael Gaydos comes astonishingly close. A horrific, suspenseful, and action-packed thriller-horror that had me on edge from start to finish.
Deputy Sheriff Jess Delgado is tasked with transporting the sole survivor of a mysterious attack along the Texas-Mexico border to CoreCivil, a for-profit immigration detention center closing down due to wide-spread protests. Housing only a handful remaining detainees and manned by a skeleton crew of disgruntled guards, the detention center becomes a desperate battle ground when something otherworldly emerges from deep below the earth. Something that only fears the light. Deputy Delgado must pull together the guards and detainees – two groups that hate and fear each other – to survive the night. Or fall to the vengeance of the things that live beneath.
Steven S. Deknight, acclaimed screenwriter and director behind Netflix’s Daredevil and Pacific Rim Uprising, brings his cinematic expertise to the pages to the world of comics in a new graphic novel. The terrors that lurk below are fierce and Deknight crafts a script that is cinematic, suspenseful and horrific. It breathes fear and intensity, gripping me to each panel until the final page.
Beneath doesn’t rely solely on jump scares to evoke fear, but showcases the fears that lie within threats that are not otherworldly in our own backyard. The story highlights the dangerous prejudices of individuals who view those different from themselves in beliefs or skin color as inhuman. Even when shit hits the fan, when survival depends on unity, allow their irrational fears to cloud their judgment, creating an environment where humanity itself becomes the true menace while a literal monster looms.
The overwhelming sense of terrifying dread is amplified by the stunning artwork from Michael Gaydos, co-creator of Jessica Jones. Gaydos crafts terror with his dark illustrations and violent action scenes. His ability to build suspense from one panel to the next creates a level of tension so gripping it had me looking around to see what was under the couch. Gaydos gritty illustrations give atmospheric feeling, creating an immersive experience that pulls you deeper into the story.
Originally I had intended to take a few days to read Beneath, thinking a graphic novel would lend itself to a slower read. But what Deknight and Gaydos have created with Beneath consumed me entirely, eager to see where things were headed–while simultaneously fearful of what is next. A true horror comic that gives us the eerie atmosphere of classic horror films while delivering a fresh, spine-tingling story.
Beneath is a beautiful blend of real-life horrors and supernatural terror that is both suspenseful and thought-provoking. Steven S. Deknight crafts a story that feels like an homage to classics such as The Thing and Tremors, while Michael Gaydos vividly brings these horrors to life in each and every panel. Together they’ve created a horror graphic novel that has the promise of being one of my favorites this year. Beneath is an absolute must-read horror comic.
The Beneath graphic novel hits shelves at your local comic shops on July 23, 2025 (FOC: June 23) and at bookstores everywhere a day earlier on July 22.
Beneath GN Preview
