What do you think?
Rate this book
Unearth #1
Unearth, Vol. 1
When a flesh-warping disease ravages a remote village in Mexico, a scientific task force travels to the inhospitable area to investigate the contamination. As victims of the illness are transformed in horrible ways, the task force traces the source of the disease to a nearby cave system. Venturing into the dangerous tunnels, the team discovers a bizarre, hostile ecosystem and a supernatural revelation from which they may never escape.
Nothing can prepare you for the ghastly twists and turns of this completely different horror story. This new subterranean nightmare is brought to you by writers CULLEN BUNN (REGRESSION) and KYLE STRAHM (SPREAD) and rising star artist BALDEMAR RIVAS!
Nothing can prepare you for the ghastly twists and turns of this completely different horror story. This new subterranean nightmare is brought to you by writers CULLEN BUNN (REGRESSION) and KYLE STRAHM (SPREAD) and rising star artist BALDEMAR RIVAS!
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 8, 2020
7 people are currently reading
211 people want to read
About the author
Cullen Bunn
2,101 books1,058 followersCullen grew up in rural North Carolina, but now lives in the St. Louis area with his wife Cindy and his son Jackson. His noir/horror comic (and first collaboration with Brian Hurtt), The Damned, was published in 2007 by Oni Press. The follow-up, The Damned: Prodigal Sons, was released in 2008. In addition to The Sixth Gun, his current projects include Crooked Hills, a middle reader horror prose series from Evileye Books; The Tooth, an original graphic novel from Oni Press; and various work for Marvel and DC. Somewhere along the way, Cullen founded Undaunted Press and edited the critically acclaimed small press horror magazine, Whispers from the Shattered Forum.
All writers must pay their dues, and Cullen has worked various odd jobs, including Alien Autopsy Specialist, Rodeo Clown, Professional Wrestler Manager, and Sasquatch Wrangler.
And, yes, he has fought for his life against mountain lions and he did perform on stage as the World's Youngest Hypnotist. Buy him a drink sometime, and he'll tell you all about it.
Visit his website at www.cullenbunn.com.
All writers must pay their dues, and Cullen has worked various odd jobs, including Alien Autopsy Specialist, Rodeo Clown, Professional Wrestler Manager, and Sasquatch Wrangler.
And, yes, he has fought for his life against mountain lions and he did perform on stage as the World's Youngest Hypnotist. Buy him a drink sometime, and he'll tell you all about it.
Visit his website at www.cullenbunn.com.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
December 5, 2019
Your standard Lovecraft, old gods tale. There's some cool monsters and lots of body horror but not much original to the story. The story was hard to follow in places because the characters all were in protective gear and all looked the same.
Received a review copy from Image and Edelweiss. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.
Received a review copy from Image and Edelweiss. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.
January 15, 2020
I received an ARC copy of this book from Edelweiss
actual rating: 2.5
I'm starting to see a pattern where a lot of Bunn's horror comics sound better in theory than they come out in practice. I think part of what bothered me is that none of the characters stood out very much and also they had their faces covered a lot of the time so it was hard to tell them apart. The rest of it was really just very standard old gods and body horror stuff, although there were a few good illustrations scattered throughout. Won't be continuing with this one.
actual rating: 2.5
I'm starting to see a pattern where a lot of Bunn's horror comics sound better in theory than they come out in practice. I think part of what bothered me is that none of the characters stood out very much and also they had their faces covered a lot of the time so it was hard to tell them apart. The rest of it was really just very standard old gods and body horror stuff, although there were a few good illustrations scattered throughout. Won't be continuing with this one.
May 12, 2020
Ooo I wished I loved this graphic novel more than I did. The art was really cool. The color palette was very different from other graphic novels I've read. The creature design was amazing and gross and really cool.
But I never knew what the hell was happening story-wise. There's a ton of scary monsters showing up and attacking people and they get bigger and weird as the book goes on, but whenever a new part of the story came up, I didn't know who or what they were talking about.
But I never knew what the hell was happening story-wise. There's a ton of scary monsters showing up and attacking people and they get bigger and weird as the book goes on, but whenever a new part of the story came up, I didn't know who or what they were talking about.
November 27, 2019
"This place is mad." There, that's a quote and a review, and your appreciation of this comic depends on how mad you're prepared to let this subterranean horror drama get. Alien diseases, alien chiggers, underground alien civilisations, possible possession, haunted nightmares – and that's all before issue three has really begun. Yes, there's a lot of blood, inane shooting, and shouting going on here, which is kind of the issue – these people on this explorative mission do look very much the same and really struggle to build their own characters as a result. In the end the book boils down to the fantastical ideas of the writers, and the end result does suffer from that 'look ma, look at what we can do' attitude, which reigns in favour of actual coherent story-telling. Feeling more like a showcase for weird ideas, a pitch for the Mexican reboot of Cthulhu, and suchlike, it needs you to be on board with its chutzpah to get much out of it.
June 29, 2024
the stars are for the body horror and colors, not the plot or characters
March 1, 2020
evil cave teeth
lieutenant centipede
brain arm
ceiling teets
face wall
_____________________+
2.5 stars
lieutenant centipede
brain arm
ceiling teets
face wall
_____________________+
2.5 stars
June 23, 2024
Caves; they're like space, but in the opposite direction. Anyone who goes to either is asking for trouble.
Read
November 22, 2019Co-written by Cullen Bunn – because apparently he’s not scripting enough horror comics of wildly varying quality by himself – this ticks a bunch of genre boxes (horrific mutations and body horror, ancient mysteries lurking in the caves, a few Lovecraft nods) without ever bringing anything new or even vaguely convincing to the table. It doesn’t help that the art runs a little too cartoony, meaning that what should be unsettling is instead merely disgusting, but with no compensating comic note to explain that choice. And as for the characters, never did you see such a bunch of central casting assholes – the military squad leader losing his shit in the most cliched fashion; the scientist whose curiosity goes hand in hand with a complete lack of health & safety training or common sense; the bluff, old-fashioned commanding officer. There are a couple of pages in the final issue which did elicit a good shudder, but that moment of coherence soon passes, and we're quickly back to a dumb cousin of Tynion and Donovan's -etic trilogy for the conclusion.
(Edelweiss ARC)
(Edelweiss ARC)
December 5, 2022
Indistinguishable characters, confusing dialogue, worn out plot. Next!
Read
October 4, 2021DNF.
February 8, 2020
This was cool, imaginative, and total nightmare fuel. If images of distorted, malformed human bodies and limbs turned into globulous lumps and veins aren't enough to make you feel queasy, then perhaps the root cause of a new disease infecting a small Mexican town might. With disturbing yet incredible illustrations, Unearth depicts a near Lovecraftian explanation for what has ravaged this town. And our scientists and army officers have no idea what to expect and have a past of their own to deal with.
As the cave system our protagonists enter becomes more and more intricate, the more their pasts are revealed to be more complicated than they seem--affecting not only their current state of mind but their choices as well. And the adults themselves seem to be at a loss--yet it is the children who seem to fully know what is going on. A doctor's assistant now leads the clinic as the doctor himself is incapacitated, and a young rebel girl knows the twists and turns of the cave system and seems to have an ulterior motive.
The mystery becomes more complex, and each answer leads to a set of new questions...and betrayal.
Overall, this was an enthralling comic that presented the ethical issues of quarantine and army intervention, offering a perspective of what we know and deem to be true and correct as humans, and the perspective of a still-growing entity that demands nothing more than to be alive. The illustrations are not for the weak-stomached, but the story is equal parts horrifying and satisfying. Definitely worth reading for those who enjoy medical mysteries, science fiction, and unearthly beings.
Review cross-listed here!
As the cave system our protagonists enter becomes more and more intricate, the more their pasts are revealed to be more complicated than they seem--affecting not only their current state of mind but their choices as well. And the adults themselves seem to be at a loss--yet it is the children who seem to fully know what is going on. A doctor's assistant now leads the clinic as the doctor himself is incapacitated, and a young rebel girl knows the twists and turns of the cave system and seems to have an ulterior motive.
The mystery becomes more complex, and each answer leads to a set of new questions...and betrayal.
Overall, this was an enthralling comic that presented the ethical issues of quarantine and army intervention, offering a perspective of what we know and deem to be true and correct as humans, and the perspective of a still-growing entity that demands nothing more than to be alive. The illustrations are not for the weak-stomached, but the story is equal parts horrifying and satisfying. Definitely worth reading for those who enjoy medical mysteries, science fiction, and unearthly beings.
Review cross-listed here!
October 8, 2021
Unearth follows a scientific task force assigned to investigate a flesh warping disease that has ravaged a remote village in Mexico.
This was a total cover grab and I’d love to display it on a wall but it missed the mark for me story wise. Unearth had a solid story chronologically but I didn’t really care for any of the characters and it would’ve been better as a movie to me. The artwork was really colourful but the cover was the best shot personally.
Unearth will just be a nice piece of art because I don’t really care what happens next. And sometimes it just be like that, 2✨.
This was a total cover grab and I’d love to display it on a wall but it missed the mark for me story wise. Unearth had a solid story chronologically but I didn’t really care for any of the characters and it would’ve been better as a movie to me. The artwork was really colourful but the cover was the best shot personally.
Unearth will just be a nice piece of art because I don’t really care what happens next. And sometimes it just be like that, 2✨.
November 29, 2021
The story is about a team of scientists/military folks investigating an underground system near some remote villages in Mexico where an irregular virus has broken out. In many ways, it's your standard Lovecraft, old gods tale. Unearth is filled with lots of body horror but the story is a little murky and didn't feel completely fresh. That being said, the artwork was great and the story had enough going for it to make me want to read the next volume. What can I say - I'm a sucker for a body horror/old gods story.
Reread: November 2021 - I'm still a sucker for a body horror/old gods story. Re-read to read vol. 2.
Reread: November 2021 - I'm still a sucker for a body horror/old gods story. Re-read to read vol. 2.
October 10, 2020
Holy hell, what did I just read?! Cullen Bunn’s latest body horror comic, “Unearth, Vol. 1,” co-written by Kyle Strahm, is so grotesque that I half-expected the pages of the book to make squishy noises as I turned them. This is not a book you want to read on a full stomach. And while it’s essentially a giant mish-mash of other horror and sci-fi elements, what “Unearth” lacks in originality, it more than makes up for in fun. It’s the kind of comic that’s perfect for the Halloween season, especially when paired with the adult beverage (perhaps pumpkin-flavored) of your choice.
“Unearth” begins a bit like “The Descent,” with a team of researchers and soldiers exploring a cave system that seems to be the home of some strange mutated creatures that have been spotted by concerned citizens of a nearby town. “Unearth” then switches gears into full on “Alien”/“Aliens” territory with the team getting caught in a life-or-death struggle with some bulbous underground monsters. That’s when things get (even more) super-weird and “Unearth” becomes a slimy stew of Lovecraftian mysticism, psychedelic “Akira”-esque transformations, and good ol’ “The Thing”-style claustrophobia. As insanely off-the-rails as that all sounds, the whole shebang is held together nicely by Baldemar Rivas’ gorgeously weird art. Style- and color-wise, his work reminded me a lot of Tomer Hanuka’s illustrations for The New Yorker and other magazines; they both have a highly animated aesthetic, with lots of rubbery body language and unique character designs, as well as keen eyes for the kind of neon-tinted palette that practically leaps off the page. Rivas is a superstar in the making, no doubt about it, and “Unearth” is worth reading just for his contributions alone.
While it’s true that there’s nothing very new going on in “Unearth,” that doesn’t mean that it’s not entertaining, because IT IS! Bunn, Strahm, and Rivas are mad scientists, brewing up a horror/sci-fi epic that’ll make your eyes bleed and your stomach turn.
“Unearth” begins a bit like “The Descent,” with a team of researchers and soldiers exploring a cave system that seems to be the home of some strange mutated creatures that have been spotted by concerned citizens of a nearby town. “Unearth” then switches gears into full on “Alien”/“Aliens” territory with the team getting caught in a life-or-death struggle with some bulbous underground monsters. That’s when things get (even more) super-weird and “Unearth” becomes a slimy stew of Lovecraftian mysticism, psychedelic “Akira”-esque transformations, and good ol’ “The Thing”-style claustrophobia. As insanely off-the-rails as that all sounds, the whole shebang is held together nicely by Baldemar Rivas’ gorgeously weird art. Style- and color-wise, his work reminded me a lot of Tomer Hanuka’s illustrations for The New Yorker and other magazines; they both have a highly animated aesthetic, with lots of rubbery body language and unique character designs, as well as keen eyes for the kind of neon-tinted palette that practically leaps off the page. Rivas is a superstar in the making, no doubt about it, and “Unearth” is worth reading just for his contributions alone.
While it’s true that there’s nothing very new going on in “Unearth,” that doesn’t mean that it’s not entertaining, because IT IS! Bunn, Strahm, and Rivas are mad scientists, brewing up a horror/sci-fi epic that’ll make your eyes bleed and your stomach turn.
July 13, 2022
This is a composite review for Unearth, Vol. 1 & 2, which tell the complete Unearth story, and which really do not stand independently of each other.
I shouldn't have liked this book as much as I did. Unearth is a quintessential Lovecraftian story of horrors so great the human mind reels before them. In many ways, this is a story that has been done too many other times to count. And yet, the execution here is really something. For the first half of the story (Vol. 1), we are treated to a cracking good survival horror yarn that by its third act begins to suggest that there is way more horror than survival going on. Once we hit the second half (Vol. 2), we begin to see what the end might look like for all this. Strangely, there isn't a lot of dramatic tension throughout; this kind of feels like a six- or seven-volume story condenses down to two. And as I read it, I got some serious BPRD vibes during the latter portion of that book's titanic run. The thing that really sets Unearth apart for me was how it paused to consider the outcomes for characters beyond those who were struggling to resist the horrendous forces arrayed against them. This story dared to look behind the curtain of what the world of the horror might be like on the horror's terms. And somehow, in a story about forces so great they buckle the human mind, we are given human contexts to get the tiniest glimpse of what the unknowable is up to. And that was such an interesting turn. I was already enjoying myself too much to worry about the characters who come and go too fast for us to get to know them that well. But by the time it was all over, and i got a chance to put this down, sit back and breathe a little...yeah. This was a hell of a story.
I shouldn't have liked this book as much as I did. Unearth is a quintessential Lovecraftian story of horrors so great the human mind reels before them. In many ways, this is a story that has been done too many other times to count. And yet, the execution here is really something. For the first half of the story (Vol. 1), we are treated to a cracking good survival horror yarn that by its third act begins to suggest that there is way more horror than survival going on. Once we hit the second half (Vol. 2), we begin to see what the end might look like for all this. Strangely, there isn't a lot of dramatic tension throughout; this kind of feels like a six- or seven-volume story condenses down to two. And as I read it, I got some serious BPRD vibes during the latter portion of that book's titanic run. The thing that really sets Unearth apart for me was how it paused to consider the outcomes for characters beyond those who were struggling to resist the horrendous forces arrayed against them. This story dared to look behind the curtain of what the world of the horror might be like on the horror's terms. And somehow, in a story about forces so great they buckle the human mind, we are given human contexts to get the tiniest glimpse of what the unknowable is up to. And that was such an interesting turn. I was already enjoying myself too much to worry about the characters who come and go too fast for us to get to know them that well. But by the time it was all over, and i got a chance to put this down, sit back and breathe a little...yeah. This was a hell of a story.
August 8, 2020
Un poblado rural en México está experimentando una plaga que provoca masivas deformidades en sus habitantes. No se sabe cómo se originó, la única clave que hay está dentro de un complejo de cavernas cercano al pueblo y allí es donde el equipo de investigadores y militares se dirigen... Sin saber que es una trampa mortal.
Compré este cómic por sus primeras páginas porque me atrapó la ilustración y la intriga que me generó saber como se iba a desarrollar la historia. Una buena propuesta en la ilustración, pero la historia avanza a empujones por medio escenas de acción y momentos psicológicos que quedan a medias. Esta no es la primera vez que me topo con este tipo de títulos donde la intención de generar confusión en el lector más bien provoca un distanciamiento y desencanto de lo que lee.
Pero insisto: la propuesta gráfica, el body horror, eso está bien, solo falta más solidez en la trama... ¡Quién sabe si en los siguientes volúmenes lo consiga!
Compré este cómic por sus primeras páginas porque me atrapó la ilustración y la intriga que me generó saber como se iba a desarrollar la historia. Una buena propuesta en la ilustración, pero la historia avanza a empujones por medio escenas de acción y momentos psicológicos que quedan a medias. Esta no es la primera vez que me topo con este tipo de títulos donde la intención de generar confusión en el lector más bien provoca un distanciamiento y desencanto de lo que lee.
Pero insisto: la propuesta gráfica, el body horror, eso está bien, solo falta más solidez en la trama... ¡Quién sabe si en los siguientes volúmenes lo consiga!
January 25, 2025
Unearth Vol. 1 is a horror/action adventure comic that in my surprise is very inspired from cosmic horror and Lovecraft specifically. (which I absolutely love)
I didn't know much before reading so it was a nice surprise for me story-wise. The characters are okay and the story is interesting but that's pretty much it so far as it doesn't tell a very original tale and the art is good besides some pages where I struggled to figure out what's happening.
I'm interested to see how the story ends in the next volume but it wasn't anything groundbreaking.
Recommended to horror fans but there's better stuff out there.
I didn't know much before reading so it was a nice surprise for me story-wise. The characters are okay and the story is interesting but that's pretty much it so far as it doesn't tell a very original tale and the art is good besides some pages where I struggled to figure out what's happening.
I'm interested to see how the story ends in the next volume but it wasn't anything groundbreaking.
Recommended to horror fans but there's better stuff out there.
June 16, 2021
This one did absolutely nothing for me. The story might be intriguing, but it never really felt explained, so hell if I knew what's going on.
Also, if you have several main characters all in hazmat suits, could you give them different colors or something? Way too hard to figure out which character was doing what.
To be fair, I'm not a fan of the grotesque anyway, so once I was into this, it wasn't going to be my favorite. But a good story or characters might sway me to a mediocre reading experience. This one has neither.
Yuck.
Also, if you have several main characters all in hazmat suits, could you give them different colors or something? Way too hard to figure out which character was doing what.
To be fair, I'm not a fan of the grotesque anyway, so once I was into this, it wasn't going to be my favorite. But a good story or characters might sway me to a mediocre reading experience. This one has neither.
Yuck.
April 6, 2024
A cool premise, but almost totally ruined because I didn't know what was going on most of the time.
The body-horror illustrations were cool, I liked the colours, and the bits of the story that I followed were interesting, but overall I was left wondering if I'd missed something.
Interesting to see other reviews saying they couldn't tell the characters apart. I also had this issue! Other than Amelia, the characters didn't have a background or much to tell them apart, so I didn't have strong feelings about them.
The body-horror illustrations were cool, I liked the colours, and the bits of the story that I followed were interesting, but overall I was left wondering if I'd missed something.
Interesting to see other reviews saying they couldn't tell the characters apart. I also had this issue! Other than Amelia, the characters didn't have a background or much to tell them apart, so I didn't have strong feelings about them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 10, 2021
If you like possession/body horror and you think caves are terrifying, you'll probably enjoy this book. I thought the concepts and the monster were really interesting, and visually it was very impressive. Also, I love cave horror. That being said, I wish it had a little more world building and background information in a few places. It would've helped differentiate the characters a little more. I'm excited for the next volume in this series!
October 4, 2023
Lovecraftian body horror that was kind of hard to follow because many of the characters weren’t distinct. It’s gross but not scary or intriguing, unlike The Immortal Hulk, Vol. 1: Or is He Both?, because we don’t really get to know these characters.
November 1, 2020
Jumbled Mess
Interesting idea poorly executed. The conversations and panels lack cohesiveness. It could have been done effectively, as in to show/sow disorientation, but instead it lead to a jumbled mess. The writing just came off as poor. The art was interesting in places, but mostly lackluster. Several times it was hard to distinguish characters from each other.
Interesting idea poorly executed. The conversations and panels lack cohesiveness. It could have been done effectively, as in to show/sow disorientation, but instead it lead to a jumbled mess. The writing just came off as poor. The art was interesting in places, but mostly lackluster. Several times it was hard to distinguish characters from each other.
December 31, 2023
This was weird and full of gore but I kinda liked it. I liked the isolated, locked in setting. The monsters were imaginative and the characters were quite likeable. I would have liked a little more backstory but I like where it’s going. I enjoyed the art style, it bought to story to life. I will continue on with this series in the future.
April 23, 2024
DNF! I don't know what this was. I read over half and couldn't tell you what this was about other than random horror elements with no explanation of who, what, or why. Exposition and pacing were completely lacking here. The art didn't help as characters were completely interchangeable. The coloring was also a huge detractor. Overall, this was a big miss given Bunn's talent.
May 8, 2023
Chaotic, hard to follow action and characters with not much to them. But giving it three stars for the sheer novelty of a monstrous cave morphing entire human bodies into replacement organs and the quality body horror of all the grotesque changes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 19, 2023
I read this a while ago and forgot to review but I remember being so excited by the premise.
I had no idea what to expect and the story was gripping throughout, it laid great groundwork for a long standing series with interesting character arcs and a a mysterious storyline.
I had no idea what to expect and the story was gripping throughout, it laid great groundwork for a long standing series with interesting character arcs and a a mysterious storyline.
March 22, 2020
Probably 3.5 stars, but it's a fun Cthulu/elder gods type story, with gross creatures and folks descending into madness. Fun art that matches!
July 6, 2020
Inspired by Alien, Aliens, Alien v. Predator, Prometheus (film), The Thing, The Descent, Akira, Annihilation, Outbreak...mindbending, gross, great art
October 11, 2020
Głównie przez styl rysunków skojarzyło mi się z Aamą Frederika Peetersa. Nawet jesli nie ma to za bardzo związku to znacznie lepiej wybrać komiksy Szwajcara
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews