Pretty much a B-rate version of "Alien", with added body horror, on a submarine. And near-identical twins, and art that struggles with the action… Two and a bit stars.

Crush Depth, by Tim Daniel and David DB Andry, is a gripping sci-fi horror comic that submerges readers into a post-apocalyptic world where humanity's last refuge is the deep sea. The comic's premise is its greatest strength, centering on the crew of the submarine Absolution as they confront an internal power struggle and a terrifying external threat. The story kicks off with a distress call from another sub, the HMS Vehemence, which leads to the discovery of a parasitic, transformative organism. This insidious stowaway infiltrates the Absolution, creating a tense, claustrophobic atmosphere. The plot effectively combines classic horror tropes with a unique, high-stakes setting, culminating in a chilling final choice between a toxic surface and the crushing depths.

The comic excels in its atmosphere and artwork, with visuals that perfectly capture the dread and isolation of the underwater world. The horror elements, from body horror to psychological terror, are genuinely unsettling. However, the comic does have some flaws. While the art is generally great, the character designs can sometimes make it difficult to distinguish between crew members, which occasionally muddles the action. Additionally, the narrative is punctuated by "lore dumps" that, while informative, can disrupt the flow and pacing of the story. These moments of heavy exposition sometimes detract from the organic unfolding of the plot.

Despite these issues, Crush Depth is a solid read for fans of the genre. The compelling premise and strong horror themes make for an engaging experience, even if the character development doesn't always fully resonate. The story effectively builds suspense and dread, leaving a lasting impression. Overall, with its masterful mood and a few minor weaknesses in execution, the comic earns a rating of 3 out of

in a futuristic era of climate change causing humans to go underwater living in submarines
chief scientist officer liana is aboard the Absolution a nuclear submarine looking for habitual life
caught between the two commanding brothers Martin and Harper, and terrified of what awaits them above the surface, liana fights to escape when the submarine breaks down and the crew are attacked by an alien like monster
an inception x memento-like story of mixed plot/story/time lines

A well paced novel. I do love story set under the sea but I wanted more. From the world building to the ending. It left me wanting more. To the point that I would read where the story is going if it goes forward. Would only recommend if you enjoy claustrophobic creature features. I've read better, seen better, but this one would do.

Great concept and really cool artwork—the underwater setting and horror vibes had real potential. But the story gets bogged down in too much talking and family drama, which kills the tension. It feels like it’s building to something big, but never quite gets there. Cool idea, weak execution.

This book was so hard to understand! In every action scene, the illustrations made it impossible to understand who was fighting who and how. I didn't understand any of the plot or deeper meaning and some of the characters switched roles and names in the middle of the book. For example, both brothers had the same first name at different times and towards the end, it felt like their dialogue was switched around.

This book didn't make any sense in a way sometimes AI images will spawn an extra hand or finger. The captain randomly started saying he hated his brother even though there was no buildup to that or anything explaining that he was the bad guy before. I kept confusing places, people and didn't understand how and were the monsters had got in.

Overall, I could not recommend this book to anyone. I don't think this work is ready to be published.

In a potential future reality, humans are unable to live on the surface. Aboard the ship, The Absolution, Liana Pearson is the Science Officer. Their ship receives a call for help from another ship, HMS Vehemence. Being able to assist this ship would be the first contact they’ve made in years. However, The Absolution may be getting more than it bargained for in this attempted rescue.

#ThxNetGalley #CrushDepth #Tim Daniel #DavidDBAndry

A dystopian environment where a submarine crew meets the Thing/Alien within an underwater adventure. Good characters with a very intriguing world. I'd love to see further explorations in this world.

Las ilustraciones de esta novela gráfica son geniales. La trama me resultó un poco difícil de seguir pero fue una lectura rápida y el final me hizo cuestionar algunas cosas. Me gustaría que hubiera más exploración de los personajes, espero que en futuras ediciones esto suceda.

Due to an unknown apocalyptic event, the crew of the submarine The Absolution have been alone, submerged for nearly a decade. A sudden signal of the possibility of others still alive leads them further into the depths, but what they find there may be their undoing.

There was a lot I enjoyed about this graphic novel. The art was great and delightfully gruesome for the kind of story it is. Unfortunately, it was also occasionally a little unclear what was going on. I found myself confused about which character was which a couple of times, but I mostly read for enjoyment and the few moments of confusion didn’t diminish that very much. As for the story, I live for this kind of isolation horror, and this one didn’t disappoint. The ending was a little unclear, but maybe it’s meant to be so that the decision of what happened is up to you, the reader. That’s how I choose to see it. Overall, this graphic novel is a good time if you’re down for a scare.

3.75 out of 5 ⭐️s

Thank you to NetGalley and Mad Cave Studios for sending me this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.

This is a really cool art style story about this submarine with a crew surviving some kind of bio terrorist apocalypse. Was super quick read and the ending made me question some things. Characters were kind of flat but that's just because they really dont get much page time, its mainly Llana and the captain. Still fun read but felt like it was a little too rushed. Thanks Netgalley for an early review copy.

Crush Depth is an ok comic. It is one of the few horror comics that I think would have benefited more if it was a traditional novel instead of a comic/graphic novel.

Disclaimer: I received this copy free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and free review.

My thanks to NetGalley and Mad Cave Studios for an advance copy of this graphic novel that tells of a future where the surface of the planet Earth is something to be feared, where man has taken to the seas to live, and hopefully thrive, through something deep in the depths might have something to say about it.

For some reason the sea has become a recent fascination to me in all forms of media. I've always loved sea stories, Tom Clancy's Red October lead me to to stories about submarines, which lead to the past and ships of the line with Patrick O'Brian, and Alexander Kent being a few authors. However it is that which lives in the ocean I have become interested in, watching the new Ocean documentary, reading books about turtles, sharks and the creatures that live below, deep below the surface. What amazes me most is how much of a real final frontier it is under the sea. Scientists are constantly finding new things, new life, new civilizations of creatures working to survive. The sea recovers faster than we give it credit for, though we try to destroy it every way possible. Under the sea might be the only way we can continue to keep life on the surface. Though maybe what exists under the waves might not want to humans around any longer. Crush Depth is written by Tim Daniel and David "DB" Andry, with illustrations by Alex Sanchez and tells of a far ruined future Earth, the sea, voyages of discovery, and what deadly secrets they find.

The time is the future. The surface of Earth is something that scares Chief Science Officer Liana Pearson more than anything, a desolate hellscape ravaged by out of control pollution and climate change. Pearson is part of the crew of the Absolution a massive nuclear submarine that travels the oceans, looking for something to help the planet, one they haven't surfaced to see in years. Life is not all peaceful underwater as two brothers vie for control of the boat, making things a little tense. On Pearson's birthday the crew receives a distress call from a British submarine The Vehemence, a call they respond to, but are too late. However things don't look right. The sea is filled with bodies, but the wreck of the sub looks old, as do some of the corpses. Something strange is going on in the water. This strange moves into the submarine and soon things go from odd to deadly.

A claustrophobic thriller with many familiar tropes, but done well. The added climate element adds further problems to the crew, as they have no real sanctuary to flee to. The ship is the only thing keeping them alive, and if that falls, well game over man, to quote Aliens. The story starts quick and keeps moving, showing life on a sub, Pearson's fear of the surface, and the threat quickly, but not too quickly that is seems like plot dumping. The story again is a familiar one, but the addition of the sea, with lots of science and descriptions of life under the surface adds to the story. A nice mix of alien, body horror, Deep Star 6, a movie from my youth, and political fears of the future. The art is good, the technology seems lived in, and rendered well. The only problem I might have is it seems a little bright for being underwater. That is a minor quibble.

Fans of the ocean, claustrophobia, strange fish tales, and action will like this. A nice done in one story that could continue, but has a ending that should make readers wonder, in a good way. Not recommended for a beach read, but fun nonetheless.

I was drawn to this after reading a review that compared it The Thing, which happens to be my favorite horror film. Having now read it, I think that's an apt description. I'd also compare it to the movie The Cave (2005).

I like the glimpses of the future at the start of each issue, before we get into how that future happened. I do wish the author explained more about what happened in the past. There was some mysterious catastrophic climate issue that has left these people living on this submarine, looking for signs of life. What happened??? I thought at first maybe we were on another world but we're not given -anything- on what's happened to the surface world. I'd expect some dialogue at the very least but we get nothing.

I think more was put into this graphic novel visually than narratively. The art is great, with some really cool creature work that is like a slimier version of The Thing.

The ending wasn't bad but again I want more answers. It felt at times like things were cut or there were missing conversations happening as well, which I think was the missing info we don't get but that the author knows, so it's almost like have a conversation where it's assumed we know certain things we don't.

I'd read more of this though.

a relatively standard ocean horror that holds its own- it does not necessarily revolutionize the genre, but it has some gorgeous art, a fun panel layout, and solid bubble work. the story is good, albeit predictable, and the characters have some depth (no pun intended :)) to them despite the short length of this. if you’re looking for a good ocean horror, stop by here!

ill be looking forward to reading the studios other work, their stuff seems high quality!

This was very interesting, truly like nothing I’ve read before considering I usually stick to superheroes, but I like the intense atmosphere and the sense I couldn’t put this down because I, like the main character, was under the same pressure as events got tense. Definitely got claustrophobic and creeped out reading this as well, and I consider that a plus!

A horror graphic novel set in a submarine, which is terrifying enough for me even without any monsters!
At times the story was a little confusing, and although the speech was crystal clear the artwork seemed to have a slightly blurry look to it which looked out of place.
But I thought the sense of horror was effectively conveyed, as were the creatures.

The art in *Crush Depth* is definitely the highlight here. The underwater setting and the creepy vibe of being stuck deep below the surface really come through thanks to the strong visuals. The creature designs and atmosphere are done really well.

The story itself, though, didn’t fully hook me. I liked the idea — two brothers fighting for control of a nuclear sub in a world wrecked by climate change, weird alien stuff showing up, people stuck between impossible choices — but it felt a bit hard to follow at times. The time jumps and pacing made things feel a little messy, and I didn’t feel very connected to the characters yet. I wanted more setup for them so I could care about their choices more.

The illustrations in this graphic novel are great! My one qualm with this was that the storyline was a bit difficult to follow. I did enjoy this and was creeped out with the alien-esque vibes! I’d love to get more of a backstory on the characters and the mission.

The art of this book was really cool! I did have a bit of a hard time following the story as it was told in sort of present, later, etc. I do wish we got to know more about the characters as well. There were a lot of names thrown around for the characters, but we didn't fully get to know anything about them. The description mentioned a lot about the brothers fighting, but they weren't the biggest piece in the story. I do wish there was more character exploration, hopefully in future editions this will happen! Thanks to Netgalley for the arc!