I liked the aesthetics of the graphic novel and the action scenes were pretty decent. Characters were alright, it gave me Stranger Things along with IT vibes. Although not the best I read but still a graphic novel to waste time on….

Far Down Below takes two bored teens in 1983 Pennsylvania from a rainy day to the center of the Earth. Mike and Brian discover a tunnel in an abandoned house that leads to a hollow world filled with dinosaurs and mysterious survivors.
The setup works well. There's genuine 80s adventure energy here-think Goonies meets Stranger Things. The opening sequence with the drill-equipped Monolith bursting through underground caverns in 1865 sets an intriguing tone.
Chris Condon's art is the real highlight. Expressive characters and atmospheric colors bring the underground world to life. The title pages especially shine with extra detail that makes you wish the whole book looked that polished.
But the story stumbles in execution. Events happen in sequence without much logic connecting them. It's more "and then this happened" than genuine cause and effect. The pacing drags in spots, and hints at larger mythology never pay off.
The worldbuilding feels thin. Sure, underground dinosaurs and missing grandfathers living secret lives sounds cool, but glaring plot holes need more explanation than they get. The ending teases rather than resolves, leaving you confused instead of satisfied.
Still, there's charm here. The characters are likable and the adventure tone hits right when it works. It captures that perfect sense of teenage discovery, even if it doesn't know what to do with it.
Worth reading for a quick, fun evening if you don't think too hard about the details.

The artwork was superb, the story I felt like moved a little faster than I wanted so I was lost most of the way. But I get where the story could have been if it wasn’t trying to be so fast paced. I guess a little bit more of the back story or maybe even more of the story would have helped me.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Normally, I'm into more serious books, but Chris Condon's comic Far Down Below was incredibly fun. It has a great Goonies-esque feel and a nostalgic vibe.

​I really liked the main characters, Brian and Jeff. They were super likable and their friendship felt believable. With all the shenanigans provided by the dinosaurs, fires and colourful characters, the core friendship stood out, and this is a testament to Condon's writing. Also the art style by Gegê Schall perfectly captured the 80s feel, the colour choices and design work was excellent.

The only issue was the ending—it felt a little rushed and could've used more time to breathe. ​Still, it was a highly enjoyable read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Mad Cave Studios for providing this ARC!

Actual Rating: 2.5 stars, rounded up.

Every now and then I try to branch out of my comfort zone and review a book that’s outside of my usual genres of choice. This time, it was a graphic novel.
In many ways, this story was just fine. I had a fun time reading it, and I actually really loved the art-style, in particular the art on the title pages, which is a little more detailed than the regular panels.
I’m not completely sure who the intended audience is for this graphic novel. It feels catered towards adults, but the plot and characters are underdeveloped in a way that only a middle-grade adventure could get away with. The plot largely develops as a series of “and then this happened”, without much causality to it. A bunch of stuff just happens in sequence, rather than one event following logically from the next.
When it comes to the worldbuilding, that’s severely lacking. The idea of a world at the center of the Earth where dinosaurs are still roaming around and mad grandpa’s who’ve disappeared decennia ago lead separate lives is cool (albeit not entirely original), but has some glaring plotholes that require more worldbuilding to solve.
Overall: I’d recommend this if you want a quick, fun little adventure-story to pass an evening. Don’t think of it too much though, because the story will fall apart.

Thanks to thte publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This is a fun and moody read that leans into 80s-style supernatural adventure. Two teens stumble on a hidden world beneath an abandoned house, and the mix of humor, tension, and mystery gives it that Stranger Things and Goonies energy. The artwork is a highlight, with expressive characters and atmospheric colors that make the underground feel both strange and alive.

The story itself didn’t grab me as much as I hoped. The pacing slows down in places and there are hints of bigger world building that never really get used. It felt like the book wanted to suggest a larger mythology but didn’t actually do much with it. By the time it gets to the ending, it feels more like a confused tease than a proper resolution.

Even so, I enjoyed the ride. The characters are likable, the tone is fun, and there are moments that capture the sense of adventure perfectly. For me it lands at 3.5 stars. Worth picking up if you enjoy supernatural coming of age stories, even if it leaves some of its promise on the table.

Kind thanks to Netgalley and Mad Cave for this ARC

This story was good but not great. I liked the idea of there being extinct species far down below. The blond-haired boy annoyed me, as did a certain cowardly character they meet later on. I liked the Russian guy, though, along with the brown-haired kid. The action felt like it was compressed into too few issues. There was more to the story than what readers are shown.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

It’s 1983, Brian and Jeff are bored on a rainy day. Their plan is to contact a girl that Brian likes, but plans change. It is revealed that Brian’s family owns a haunted home, one that his grandfather disappeared from in the 1960s. Brian and Jeff ride their bikes to the infamous home and find themselves on an amazing adventure. Everything gets increasingly wilder the further you read.

#ThxNetGalley #ChrisCondon #FarDownBelow

Underground adventure! Far Down Below starts in 1865, when a group of explorers find the Hollow Earth. They use a train-like locomotive called MONOLITH to reach this part of the world. However, something is lurking in the darkness and they are never seen again. Fast forward to 1983, two kids, Mike and Brian, decide to explore Brian’s grandfather’s abandoned house…which was rumored haunted after his grandfather disappeared. Soon, they find themselves in an adventure like no other.

Ahhh this was such a fun read! The story captivated me from the very beginning. I liked the absurdity of some of the scenes (for example, the dinosaurs) and how everyone seemed to be connected. It’s an action packed, fun story!

Thank you, NetGalley and Mad Cave Studios, for the ARC.

This comic reminds me of the Heinlein juvenile books in the best way. It has two kids going on an adventure and being sucked into a decades old mystery that involves a missing grandfather, strange creatures, lost explorers and dinosaurs! And there are nice touches here, such as the dinosaurs being bioluminescent, the strange humanoid creatures looking suitably otherworldly — and mushroom like — and all the action scenes focus on the adventure rather than the gore.

Honestly, I’d be happy with a dozen or so comic collections set in this world. The art is very well done, the dialogue is always adding to the world without resorting to info dumps.The colors are vivid, and it’s just a quick, fun read.

Thank you so very much to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC!