A new graphic novel, Beneath, launched on Comixology earlier this week, and the Texas-Mexican border is a lot scarier for it. Written by Steven S. DeKnight and illustrated by Michael Gaydos, the monsters in this story lie deep beneath the ground.
With horror in comics as popular as ever and monster staples appearing left and right, it’s a bold change of pace to see a new monster.
So what’s Beneath about?
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.
In a new Anatomy of Design feature, I asked Gaydos about this new monster design and the process pages of a terrifying page from the graphic novel. Oh, and how would it stack up against other famous monsters like vampires or werewolves?!
AIPT: What was the original pitch as far as the idea of the monster in this story?
Michael Gaydos: If I remember correctly, Steven was looking for something bipedal, humanoid, very pale with almost translucent skin, and claws meant for digging through earth and teeth for tearing through meat. Since the monsters dwell underground, it was also important to give them large, overdeveloped eyes for seeing in the dark.
AIPT: The transformation from beginning to end in the design pages is quite a leap. Can you talk a little bit about what is going on from thumbnail to sketch to final piece?
MG: The thumbnail is just that. Something I drew while reading the page in the script. It is more to give me an idea of the dynamics of the page. Since this is the first reveal of the monster, it had to be special.
After the thumbnail, I would start putting together all sorts of references I gathered and begin constructing the basics of the page. Most of this graphic novel was done digitally. Through trial and error, I figured out a way that I can draw on the tablet that was nearly identical to my actual pencil drawings. This made the whole process a bit easier for both execution and editing.
After adding background elements, I played with color and texture until finding something I liked.
The final sfx I made pulled it all together.
AIPT: Do you think monsters are somehow scarier when they take on a humanoid form with arms, legs, eyes, mouths, etc?
MG: Most definitely. There seems to be always something more horrifying to a monster you can relate to physically. Wondering if it somehow was perhaps a human at some point or if you can be turned into one of them is a very horrifying notion. I also think that there is the element that they can possibly think in the same manner, which is pretty scary when trying to evade them.
AIPT: How would your monster stack up against a vampire, werewolf, or other favorite monster?
MG: I think it could take a vampire. It would probably be a pretty fair fight against a werewolf. That is until it pulls the werewolf underground. The original Alien and Predator would have to be two of my favorite monsters. Unfortunately, one on one, I don’t think our guy would have much chance. Possibly in large numbers, they would make a difference.
For more on the series, read the press release below!
July 9, 2024—New York, NY—Filmmaker Steven S. DeKnight is best known as the creator and head writer of the Starz series Spartacus and as the showrunner of Netflix’s Daredevil series. Having written comics for Marvel Comics, including Conan and Wastelanders: Wolverine, DeKnight is primed to make his creator-owned comics debut with the original graphic novel BENEATH, which features hauntingly terrifying art by acclaimed Alias artist and Jessica Jones co-creator Michael Gaydos. With BENEATH, DeKnight and Gaydos head to the Texas-Mexico border for a supernatural horror story unlike any other. The book features graphic design by Cindy Leong, lettering by Toben Racicot, and was edited by Allison O’Toole; Kate Sánchez served as a cultural consultant and translator. BENEATH will be available August 6, 2024, from Amazon’s Comixology Originals exclusive digital content line.
On the border, the U.S. detention center is often a place of desperation and defeat. And now terror from the horrors that lay deep beneath the ground.
“I’ve always loved monsters—ghouls and ghosts, vampires and werewolves, zombies and giant radioactive creatures,” says writer Steven S. DeKnight. “The best genre stories ask questions that often elude the easiest of answers. They make you think while presenting the prestidigitation of entertainment artfully forcing the viewer or reader to challenge their own perceptions and world view.”
InBENEATH, Deputy Sheriff Jess Delgado is tasked with transporting the sole survivor of a mysterious attack along the Texas-Mexico border to Core Civil, a for-profit immigration detention center that is about to be closed down due to wide-spread protests. Housing only a handful of 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. 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 lurk beneath.
“My first original graphic novel just happens to be my first foray in the horror genre,” says artist Michael Gaydos. “I love creating sequential art that is full of mood, suspense, and very real character emotion. Steven’s story has all of this and more. I couldn’t be any happier with how the final product came together.”
“Steven DeKnight’s credits include some of the hottest pop culture properties. Now, with Beneath, we’re proud to release his debut original graphic novel on Comixology Originals. This is a horror story for our time and we can’t wait for readers to get pulled into this unique and powerful story.” says Jeff DiBartolomeo, Comixology’s GM and CTO.
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