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Cave In
A FANTASTICAL, WORDLESS VOYAGE THROUGH SUBTERRANEAN MAZES
A rat darts across the opening pages, into a hole, and down a long tunnel, stopping under a hammock. A mole man stretches and wakes up, leading the rat and the reader deeper into the tunnel. What follows is a series of dreamlike sequences, each stranger than the last. Brian Ralph, author of the New York Times Graphic Novel Bestseller and YALSA Great Graphic Novel for Teens Daybreak , was a founding member of the influential Providence, Rhode Island, Fort Thunder art collective, which was renowned for the way its members' work intermingled lowbrow and highbrow art forms―drawing inspiration from comics, video and roleplaying games, and contemporary art. Fort Thunder created the alternative adventure comic and the comic book as artist's book. Cave In was seen as the first example of this new approach.
In this wordless classic, special emphasis is placed on the power of gesture. Minimalism allows Ralph to be playful with form― Cave In 's use of color and crosshatching speaks much more clearly to narrative shifts than is possible in a more conventional text, and the use of different panel shapes and sizes transform the rhythm and pacing of the story. Cave In is an allages adventure story, jam-packed with monsters, bats, and all manner of unimaginable underground mystery.
A rat darts across the opening pages, into a hole, and down a long tunnel, stopping under a hammock. A mole man stretches and wakes up, leading the rat and the reader deeper into the tunnel. What follows is a series of dreamlike sequences, each stranger than the last. Brian Ralph, author of the New York Times Graphic Novel Bestseller and YALSA Great Graphic Novel for Teens Daybreak , was a founding member of the influential Providence, Rhode Island, Fort Thunder art collective, which was renowned for the way its members' work intermingled lowbrow and highbrow art forms―drawing inspiration from comics, video and roleplaying games, and contemporary art. Fort Thunder created the alternative adventure comic and the comic book as artist's book. Cave In was seen as the first example of this new approach.
In this wordless classic, special emphasis is placed on the power of gesture. Minimalism allows Ralph to be playful with form― Cave In 's use of color and crosshatching speaks much more clearly to narrative shifts than is possible in a more conventional text, and the use of different panel shapes and sizes transform the rhythm and pacing of the story. Cave In is an allages adventure story, jam-packed with monsters, bats, and all manner of unimaginable underground mystery.
96 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1999
85 people want to read
About the author
Brian Ralph
35 books18 followersBrian Ralph (born 1973) is a U.S. alternative cartoonist. His illustrations have appeared in Wired and the New York Post. His debut graphic novel Cave-In was nominated for three Harvey Awards, one Eisner Award, and listed as one of the Comics Journal's "five best comics of 1999". His second graphic novel Climbing Out was awarded a Xeric Grant in 2001.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
February 23, 2016
The Underground Odyssey of a Cave Dweller
Brian Ralph's wordless debut graphic novel is not all that easy to review, so let me start with the obvious: it is one neat little package, beautifully designed and produced from the rounded corners all the way to the rough and thick paper stock. The artwork is stark and crisp, its one-tone coloring shifts with the settings.
Now on to the not-so-obvious: what is this graphic novel all about? Well, as it says above, it is about the underground odyssey of a cave dweller - and I am afraid that is pretty much all that can be said for certain. Yet somehow there seems to be so much more to this adventure and to the cyclical way it is presented. Is this a coming-of-age story? A story about the loss of the natural grace of childhood and the subsequent efforts to regain some kind of balance? A story about the cumbersome process of identity formation? Or will you discover completely different meanings in this mysterious little gem, in this narrative that feels both naive and wise?
Like a poem, the story unfolds in the reader's mind in unpredictable ways; like the cave dweller in his underground labyrinth, it takes surprising turns, exploring uncharted territory with each reading experience. Good stuff!
Brian Ralph's wordless debut graphic novel is not all that easy to review, so let me start with the obvious: it is one neat little package, beautifully designed and produced from the rounded corners all the way to the rough and thick paper stock. The artwork is stark and crisp, its one-tone coloring shifts with the settings.
Now on to the not-so-obvious: what is this graphic novel all about? Well, as it says above, it is about the underground odyssey of a cave dweller - and I am afraid that is pretty much all that can be said for certain. Yet somehow there seems to be so much more to this adventure and to the cyclical way it is presented. Is this a coming-of-age story? A story about the loss of the natural grace of childhood and the subsequent efforts to regain some kind of balance? A story about the cumbersome process of identity formation? Or will you discover completely different meanings in this mysterious little gem, in this narrative that feels both naive and wise?
Like a poem, the story unfolds in the reader's mind in unpredictable ways; like the cave dweller in his underground labyrinth, it takes surprising turns, exploring uncharted territory with each reading experience. Good stuff!
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August 15, 2011This is a short, wordless story about a monkey-boy tossing out a rat-dog and then eating worms, then getting eaten by a giant worm, then escaping the giant worm's stomach with some zombie monkey-boys, then taking a dip and afterward taunting tiny mutants and destroying their home, then entering a giant tomb and befriending a giant mummy monkey-boy who then fights a giant snake, after which the monkey-boy escapes from the collapsing tomb and is attacked by a bunch of bats and then finds the rat-dog from the beginning and a hammock, who then considers eating the monkey-boy's toe but eats it's own tail instead, ouroboros-style.
March 25, 2013
Wonderfully weird, text-free, small-format graphic novel. I don’t usually find much payoff in the text-free thing, but Brian Ralph is exceptionally talented in creating, in this essentially Quiet way, both mood and tension. You can “read” the book in 10 minutes but will likely come back to it several times. And there are a couple dark-ish and ookie moments--so, it’s not a story for kids who are younger than, say, ten.
November 7, 2011
I... I... I don't quite know what happened in this book. There were no words. There were different colors. I think I learned something. But I'm not sure.
September 17, 2013
I am a major fan of Ralph's work...it is unique, complex and emotionally true.
August 20, 2025
This little book was much more easily transported that Twee the book I usually carry around in my purse.
It appears to be a pictures only book about a caveman. Sold.
It starts with a rat going into a cave to find boy sleeping in a hammock. The pictures are ‘brown-and-white’. The boy digs up a worm but the rat takes it and runs off with it.
The color then changes to gold-and-white. The boy finds more worms and eats them. Among the many worms he finds lots of human skeletons. Then a giant worm appears and eats him. He falls into a pool in the creatures stomach and finds many other emaciated humans. He takes a rib from one of them and cuts a hole in the worm where they all escape. He gives the rib back. He then crawls back through the worm and goes home.
The color then changes to blue-and-white. The boy finds washes himself in a lake and then swims with a fish. He watches the fish get caught eating` a worm on a hook.
When he surfaces its in a green-and-white world. He goes ashore walking past a small boat. He comes across a knee-high hut with a chimney bellowing smoke. He plugs the chimney with his finger. This flushes out lots of small II”people”/II who surround him while he is laughing. He falls and crushes the house. Then runs away and jumps into the little boat. Eventually he sinks.
Into a blue-and-white world. Underwater he finds a tunnel made of bricks. He swims through it.
To a brown-and-white world. In this brick walled structure he comes across giant statues with hieroglyphics next to them. He sees a stone sarcophagus in a large room. He lays down inside and is awakened by a mummy who gives him a hug. The mummy escorts him to a room with pots and baskets. The boy takes out various Egyptian headdresses and tries them on. Then he puts on a necklace that turns into a giant cobra. The mummy fights the cobra, but it eventually kills the mummy as well. The boy takes the mummies desiccated body and carries it out to the hallway under the big statue which then crumbles and falls, crushing the mummy. The boy tries to drag it out but it points to a way out for the boy and he leaves. Eventually he falls down the steps to the outside of the temple. Where he throws a rock at it. Then he walks away.
Into a purple-and-white world. The boy goes into a cave and is swarmed by bats
Then there is a brown-and-white world. In this cave the boy follows a tiny pair of bird-like tracks. He then finds a mouse (rat? Fox?) sleeping in his hammock. The boy takes a nap on the ground. The mouse almost bites his toe but bites his own tail instead.
I won’t spoil the ending, but that’s about it. A meandering, not predictable but not exactly revelatory book of cartoons. The books form factor makes it more charming than it deserves and it’s kind of small enough to keep in my prehistoric collection.
I have to give it 2 stars because what would be ‘average’ for a book like this? It’s listed at $12.95 and there’s certainly enough work in it to deserve that so I wouldn’t want to dissuade anyone from buying it if they want, but I can’t really recommend it because after reading it I gave a shrug , but I will keep it.
It appears to be a pictures only book about a caveman. Sold.
It starts with a rat going into a cave to find boy sleeping in a hammock. The pictures are ‘brown-and-white’. The boy digs up a worm but the rat takes it and runs off with it.
The color then changes to gold-and-white. The boy finds more worms and eats them. Among the many worms he finds lots of human skeletons. Then a giant worm appears and eats him. He falls into a pool in the creatures stomach and finds many other emaciated humans. He takes a rib from one of them and cuts a hole in the worm where they all escape. He gives the rib back. He then crawls back through the worm and goes home.
The color then changes to blue-and-white. The boy finds washes himself in a lake and then swims with a fish. He watches the fish get caught eating` a worm on a hook.
When he surfaces its in a green-and-white world. He goes ashore walking past a small boat. He comes across a knee-high hut with a chimney bellowing smoke. He plugs the chimney with his finger. This flushes out lots of small II”people”/II who surround him while he is laughing. He falls and crushes the house. Then runs away and jumps into the little boat. Eventually he sinks.
Into a blue-and-white world. Underwater he finds a tunnel made of bricks. He swims through it.
To a brown-and-white world. In this brick walled structure he comes across giant statues with hieroglyphics next to them. He sees a stone sarcophagus in a large room. He lays down inside and is awakened by a mummy who gives him a hug. The mummy escorts him to a room with pots and baskets. The boy takes out various Egyptian headdresses and tries them on. Then he puts on a necklace that turns into a giant cobra. The mummy fights the cobra, but it eventually kills the mummy as well. The boy takes the mummies desiccated body and carries it out to the hallway under the big statue which then crumbles and falls, crushing the mummy. The boy tries to drag it out but it points to a way out for the boy and he leaves. Eventually he falls down the steps to the outside of the temple. Where he throws a rock at it. Then he walks away.
Into a purple-and-white world. The boy goes into a cave and is swarmed by bats
Then there is a brown-and-white world. In this cave the boy follows a tiny pair of bird-like tracks. He then finds a mouse (rat? Fox?) sleeping in his hammock. The boy takes a nap on the ground. The mouse almost bites his toe but bites his own tail instead.
I won’t spoil the ending, but that’s about it. A meandering, not predictable but not exactly revelatory book of cartoons. The books form factor makes it more charming than it deserves and it’s kind of small enough to keep in my prehistoric collection.
I have to give it 2 stars because what would be ‘average’ for a book like this? It’s listed at $12.95 and there’s certainly enough work in it to deserve that so I wouldn’t want to dissuade anyone from buying it if they want, but I can’t really recommend it because after reading it I gave a shrug , but I will keep it.
September 2, 2025
I think the concept doesn't work with this art style. In order to be engaged in a story without words, either I need to be able to see what the character is feeling and connect to it, or the art needs to be super detailed and beautiful. And this did neither. It gets an extra point for being a creative idea though.
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August 31, 2022A very playful, wordless adventure of a mole-man/boy as he travels within and through a cave, encountering other small creatures, big worms that eat him, mummies, and huge snakes. It's quite trippy and fun.
January 14, 2019
I loved this wild, wordless comic. It's amazing how much feeling the artist can convey with images alone.
December 5, 2019
Pretty cool graphic novel. No words, but the pictures tell a really cool story. The at is simple but evocative. This is good storytelling.
November 8, 2022
What a mischievous lil caveman.....
April 16, 2023
A short and impressionistic journey through one little cave dweller’s day.
February 26, 2025
Well illustrated, definitely a narrative even without words. I didn't like the main character
July 28, 2014
As with Daybreak Ralph tells this story using illustration alone. This story follows the journey of a underdweller. It starts out a simple search for food, but soon turns into a strange adventure story as our hero ventures through strange dream-like landscapes.
It reminded me of a dream I had, one where I was chased through strange rooms, bizarre creatures surrounding me. Like my dream the illustrations sometimes made a our cavedweller rather small in comparison with his surroundings, other times he became a giant towering over the scene. He follows a strange trail, one event leading into the next, tunnels becoming caverns, becoming lakes, flowing into underwater tubes.
I enjoyed the change in color and tone at the turn of each scene. Like a dream I found the flow, although strange, enjoyable and smooth. Despite the absence of any word (difficult for a reader like me!) I was completely engrossed in the story, it's focus at times heroic and other times rather villanious. There were moments of triumph, terror and heartbreak.
I enjoyed Daybreak for it's more traditional story and plotflow, but the dream evoking scenes of Cave-in are something not to be missed.
It reminded me of a dream I had, one where I was chased through strange rooms, bizarre creatures surrounding me. Like my dream the illustrations sometimes made a our cavedweller rather small in comparison with his surroundings, other times he became a giant towering over the scene. He follows a strange trail, one event leading into the next, tunnels becoming caverns, becoming lakes, flowing into underwater tubes.
I enjoyed the change in color and tone at the turn of each scene. Like a dream I found the flow, although strange, enjoyable and smooth. Despite the absence of any word (difficult for a reader like me!) I was completely engrossed in the story, it's focus at times heroic and other times rather villanious. There were moments of triumph, terror and heartbreak.
I enjoyed Daybreak for it's more traditional story and plotflow, but the dream evoking scenes of Cave-in are something not to be missed.
January 31, 2013
Brian Ralph has an abnormal facility with emotional manipulation. He can shift from wonder to terror to humor to triumph to sadness to curiosity to joy and back to humor in as many panels. How can such a tiny – not to mention wordless – book seem so full? The story is almost nonsensical, but always seems to take just the right turns... much like its monkey-boy hero.
May 20, 2013
Sort of an all ages book that takes place in a cave... with creepy characters...told without any words... all comic/cartoonists seem to rave about it, but I was left feeling kinda vague about it.... I wil read other reviews to see what I missed...
October 15, 2013
I really liked this wordless graphic novel about a little moloid-creature exploring the underground. Fantastic textures and use of black, but my favorite part of the art was the changes in colour. Worth a look.
November 12, 2016
I would not recommend it to any adult readers. Kids might find it interesting though.
One thing commendable about this book is that it was first published before 2000.
Also change of surrounding light is shown by use of various of ink colors, which is worth a look.
One thing commendable about this book is that it was first published before 2000.
Also change of surrounding light is shown by use of various of ink colors, which is worth a look.
January 10, 2008
Fun picture book.
Not for small children
Not for small children
November 2, 2010
An idiosyncratic, silent, dreamlike, action story with surprising scope and a genuinely warm heart (and maybe some other tissues as well). I think I'll read it again right now.
July 8, 2013
I liked the art, and the weird wordless story was neat, but I didn't love the flow between stories.
December 28, 2024
A pretty silly tale but I really like the artwork and different mono-color tones for each few pages.
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May 9, 2019Does this one even count? It has no words. But it's very cool. Both Lovecraftian and cutesy. I loved it.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews