Deepwater Creek: A Graphic Novel

by Michael Regina

A middle grade graphic horror novel about two brothers who must uncover what terrors may be lurking in the depths of their local creek.

There’s nothing that Wade and his younger brother Andrew love more than fishing together. As summer is drawing to a close, they’re excited for one last hoorah before they have to get back to school. But what starts as a typical fishing trip with friends Camilla and Tommy filled with homemade bait and friendly competition, quickly takes a darker turn. A heavy fog creeps over the creek and Andrew hooks something big—too big. In a moment of chaos, he’s pulled overboard, and Wade must dive in after him. There, in the watery depths, the boys get a glimpse of what waits at the end of the line, and it seems far more monster than fish.

Could the recent storm have stirred up more than just water, unleashing something horrible from below? When the adults won’t take their claims seriously, and Andrew starts to exhibit strange behavior, the brothers and their friends set out to attempt their biggest catch evidence of a real-life monster living in their own backyard. But are they in way over their heads? As Andrew’s condition worsens, only one thing is they are in deep trouble.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Horror, Middle Grade, Family, Fantasy, Fiction, Friendship

256 pages, Hardcover

Published August 26, 2025

About the author

Michael Regina is the writer and illustrator behind the all-ages horror graphic novels Deepwater Creek, The Sleepover, and the Adamsville trilogy. He’s been drawing comics since the third grade, and his passion for art and storytelling has only grown since. Michael studied painting and drawing at the University of North Florida, where he also minored in literature.

When he’s not making comics, he enjoys fishing, playing RPGs, cheering on the Jacksonville Jaguars, and spending time with his family. They all live in Jacksonville, Florida.

You can visit him at www.michaeleregina.com

Reviews

[Viviane Regina · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the wife of the author, I saw this book built up from nothing. Lots of hard work, late nights, early mornings, and even some help from his family brought this book to what it is.

The story follows 2 brothers, whose close relationship seems to be ending as one moves up to middle school and the younger brother is recovering from trauma. Wade, the oldest, wants to fix it all and get his brother back and in doing so puts himself and friends in grave danger. Oh there’s also fish monsters and lots of cool action scenes 😊

[Hoover Public Library Kids and Teens · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nautical nightmare full of monsters, mystery, bravery, friendship, and family.

[journey regina · Rating 5 out of 5]

FIVE STARS, ANGEL! FIVE STARS!


The story and art in this book are so unique! Every page was beautifully drawn and the watercolor was AMAZING! Definitely in my top five favorite books!

[Brian Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deepwater Creek has been on my wishlist for a long time. I'm a big fan of Michael Regina, so he's auto-buy for me, but this book really feels special. The art and coloring is beautiful (even my kids said, "ooh the water color looks amazing"). This book is creepy, and scary, and heartfelt. If you are looking for horror graphic novels, pick it up. 5 ⭐

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I enjoyed the story that unfolded--a tale shaped by the author's personal experience with grief, illnesses, and darkness--i didn't feel like it quite fit with the description provided on the back. Per the back cover, this is a story about a kid named Wade, his younger brother, Andrew, and their friends. The group has heard whispers of a real-life river monster, and they decide to set out to find out if it's real or not. This was originally meant to be a nautical fantasy, with Lovecraftian aspects.

That's not what transpired. As I already said, I enjoyed the story, but it never quite clicked for me. It seemed as thought the author was trying to blend the original concept with the new one, and it ended up being disjointed and messy.

[Wordsworn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A spooky family-and-friends-centric adventure story! The relationship between the brothers is wonderful, especially the scene at the end. :']

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

[Matt Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a fan of Michael Regina's since I read his Adamsville series, and this one does not disappoint! A fun spooky graphic novel. If you're a fan of classic eighties kids' adventures, giant monsters and Jaws, this one just might be for you.

[Matt Glaviano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Leveled out to ok.

Generally, I thought the story and the pacing were pretty good. The art was generally well done too...

... with the exception of the coloring on the character's cheeks. The bands of blush that litter character's faces are unforgivable. Once you notice them, they become immensely distracting. For a book into which so much care was clearly given to each panel, this was a really disappointing (and distracting) sight.

I was a little surprised to find myself choked up by this book's conclusion. In a book in which not everything worked for me, that just unexpectedly clicked.

Fewer references to the Alien franchise than the author's previous book... but that's just me. Decent monster art, and the section inside the book achieves genuine creepiness.

[Niche · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two young brothers and their friends go on a fishing trip after a storm. They travel to a previously closed/off area of their local river. The younger brother hooks... something... and a wave knocks them into the water. The older brother manages to free the younger brother from his tangled fishing line, but he's certain there was something large and strange in the water and his younger brother becomes withdrawn, fearful, and depressed. The group decides to figure out what's out there to help the younger brother recover and to sate their curiosity.

It kind of reminded me of Lovecraft's Dagon, but there's a fair bit of "oceanic cave opens and giant fish monster comes out" horror out there. This one has some terraforming/mutagenic properties that lend some body-horror to the story. The ending was disappointing to me and felt like it was maybe supposed to have a sense of wonder or symbolism, but seemed more like it needed to wrap things up somehow so *plop*. Also, obligatory boys and girls can't be friends, must be love interests factor.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This looked like a creepy graphic novel, so I picked it up while I was cleaning this section at the library. It’s the end of summer vacation and the teens want one more fishing trip before school starts. There have been some stories around town about some strange happenings in the water since the last storm, but they’re bound and determined to fish, so they make it happen. One adult, two brothers and a few of their friends hop onto the boat and they set off.

Andrew hesitated when the others wanted to try a new fishing spot. He knew that part of the river had been closed off since the hurricane and he didn’t want to get into trouble. Andrew ends up caving in from all the pressure they put on him and the thought of all the fish they tell him are over there. The new fishing spot ends up being a jackpot as there are fishes everywhere! Are these fish acting strangely? The kids become so focused on fishing that they don’t notice the fog in the distance. The weather has started to change, and the fishing boat is now in the middle of it. An incident leaves a few of the boys in the water and that’s when the book took some twists.

What just happened? Many unknowns as the crew head home. Their friendship becomes tighter as the questions about what they have survived mount. They can’t shake off what they experienced. The mystery of the fog and what they experienced in the water has changed them forever. Where scientists were stumped at an explanation, can these teens find the answer?

I thought there was a lot of text to read in this graphic novel. The timeline was easy to follow as the boys made their discovery and how they went about solving it. I thought the beginning of the book was easier to follow than the ending of the book. The ending of the book, even with the illustrations, felt jumbled and confusing. Towards the end, the illustrations were very dark and trying to compare the illustrations to see progress, it was very difficult to see any change. Four stars

[Rummanah (Books in the Spotlight) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I wasn't sure about this middle grade graphic horror novel when I started it, but as I continued to read it got better. Think Stephen King's "Stand by Me" meets very strange and dangerous sea monster a la Lovecraft. Two brothers and their friends who set out to uncover what terrors may be lurking in their nearby creek.

The creepy horror vibes are a slow burn and build tension very well. I also liked the metaphor of hopelessness and the emotions associated with it. While the characters read younger than middle school, the images seem better suited for this crowd. There is a little bit of diversity in the characters: Andrew and Wade are cuded to be mixed race. Their mother seems to be Brazilian and their dad is white. Tommy is Black and Camilla is white.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A middle grade graphic novel with a scifi mystery in the deep water featuring friendship, survival, and weird sea creatures. It's so unique and cool, approachable with an easy to read font, crisp illustrations, and an imaginative setting. This is the kind of graphic novel that's needed in middle grade because it's mystery and creativity allow it to shine alongside real issues and conflict.

The pages are gorgeous to look at (even if the creatures themselves are hideous), but it gives some Stranger Things vibes too. The characters have a mission and the parents have a level of agency in the story as well.

[Tayson Martindale · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible, authentic, heart-felt story about what it means to know fear and to what it means to face it. Deepwater Creek is a comic that will be enjoyed by all, but is also a comic made for kids that is TRULY scary but in the best ways possible.
Featuring some incredible character and monster design, amazing action, genuine characters that you will care about, and a story with a heart and meaning that is as razor sharp focused as its monsters' teeth.
This book is definitely worth your time and another all-timer from Michael Regina!

[Brandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deepwater Creek is a strong addition to the middle-grade horror graphic novel canon. It delivers on both scares and heart. It doesn’t shy away from darker or unsettling moments, but those are balanced by family, friendship, and growth. Visually compelling, emotionally resonant, and suspenseful, it’s likely to grip its intended audience—and even older readers who appreciate well-done scary stories.

[DC · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is rather like Stranger Things, except Mike keeps making terrible choices that actively endanger Will. Two stars feels a bit stingy, because I kept reading the whole thing and wanted to know the outcome, but most of the characters were vaguely sketched (I don't mean the line art), except Wade, who was infuriating.
Line art was good, watercolors overall lovely... but everyone had a distracting reddish stripe across the middle of the face. Perhaps this is a printing error?

[Caresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun graphic novel by Michael Regina that explored my fear of the unknowns in deep waters but also gave me a mystery mixed with H.P. Lovecraft feels. Beautifully presented, I just didn't care for the older brother Wade and the way he handled things with his younger brother throughout the storyline.

[Alyssa DeLeon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like water and I like the mystery of creatures in the water. The thrill and scare factors built slowly and didn't feel rushed. I liked the interaction with the research member and the obviousness of his monstrosity, but the well-written jump scare of it, as well. The one thing that was slightly distracting to me was some panel layout; I sometimes couldn't tell which was next in line.

[Calvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was surprised at how much I like this book. It’s a toned down horror story suitable for 2nd or third graders. Some complicated situations that will need to be discussed but I think that both adults and kids would enjoy it. The art is direct and adds to the story. Highly recommend in this time when we need to fight monsters and remember to not let anyone behind.

[Jessica Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uh, this was kind of scary and that’s really saying something coming from me. I originally checked this out for Aurora (she’s into deep sea creatures/angler fish) but not so into scary things, so I read it to vet it for her. She will not be reading this book. TRIGGER WARNINGS: (Near) drowning & fear of losing a younger brother.

[Gabriel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much to PRH for a copy of this book in exchange for a review! I devoured this story in just one sitting, it was too good! This graphic novel was equal parts haunting and exciting. Packed with incredible illustrations and a story that will have you on the edge of your seat, this is a book readers of all ages can't miss!

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was very suspenseful and creepy.
What is in the water? Why is Michael acting so strangely since he fell overboard? And their dad was *terrified* by what he saw, or felt.

At times, a little hard to figure out what’s happening, but still suspenseful, as Wade tries to save his brother from the encroaching darkness and powerful fear.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much better than I was expecting from a JUV graphic novel. Things threaten to spiral a little out of narrative control at the end, but it was still an enjoyably creepy tale with pretty good writing and solid art.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

oh this was a nice creepy graphic novel- but with a happy ending for those who like the creepy but still need the happy at the end.
The art style was fun and different and matched well with the story being told.

[M.A. Arana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, there’s a monster involved, but the story is more about trust and courage. The story follows a group of young friends who love fishing. They stumble upon a darkness consuming the creek caused by a monster fish. To vanquish the beast, they must work together and put their fears aside.

[Rob McGrory · Rating 5 out of 5]

A children's book, but even this 52 year old kid at heart loved it. It's not only a horror story, but a lesson in friendship and family and love. A perfect storm of ominous art and great storytelling.

[Lisa Smiroldo · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

[Sergio Torres · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story and even greater artwork. Especially the watercolors.

[Mercedes · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.4/5

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do not let kids sleep on these. Just the right amount of scary for a 3-6 grader.