From Under Mountains 01 Reviews 

Pick Of The Week: “From Under Mountains” #1 Is As Obtuse As It Is Gorgeous [Review]

By | October 1st, 2015
Posted in Reviews | % Comments

The fantastic world created in “8House” gets an expansion as Marian Churchland, Claire Gibson and Sloane Leong explore the lives, desires and deaths of the kingdom of Karsgate. Prepare for a gorgeous trip into a world unlike any other that you’ll see in a comic on the shelves today in “From Under Mountains” #1.

Check out our spoiler free review of the first issue of the winner of 2015 award for Best Comic Title below.

Written by Claire Gibson & Marian Churchland
Illustrated by Sloane Leong
MARIAN CHURCHLAND (8HOUSE ARCLIGHT, BEAST) co-writes with CLAIRE GIBSON; with art and colours by SLOANE LEONG. In the first issue of this new fantasy series, old feuds and new monsters rise up to haunt the isolated northern fortress of Karsgate.

There will undoubtedly be a great number of comparisons to Game Of Thrones when talking about “From Under Mountains”. What Churchland, Gibson and Leong have created is a historical fantasy built on intricate character interactions and the politics and history of warring kingdoms to create what feels like the first chapter in what is sure to be a fantasy epic. Yet, for what it’s worth, it really doesn’t feel like Game Of Thrones. From the first page, it’s clear that the comparison is based on surface similarities and that this is an entirely different beast.

“From Under Mountains” takes place in the same shared universe as the “8House” series created by Brandon Graham, the first arc of which Marian Churchland illustrated. Yet, outside of a similar book design it’s not exactly something advertised heavily in the pages. The story takes place in an isolated corner of that world, meaning “From Under Mountains” gets to operate with a certain level of autonomy while still building that canvas of the “8House” universe. This allows “From Under Mountains” #1 to be enjoyed separate from the main “8House” series and Churchland, Gibson and Sloane take full advantage of that by telling a story that’s entirely their own.

It’s hard to argue the beauty of “From Under Mountains” #1. Sloane Leong’s art perfectly captures the fantasy of the script while setting it against a kingdom with very tangible connections to our real world. Karsgard takes very noticeable inspiration from the likes of Ottoman Empire and the history of the Middle East in the Middle Ages.

This gives Leong’s art a very unique twist as the world she creates does not feel like your average Tolkien-esque fantasy world that just looks like Medieval England. Instead, the deserts and arid mountain ranges she creates that isolate the kingdom of Karsgard and the tall, walled city of Karsgard with its sandstone bricks and bright fabrics brings something of an Arabic inspiration to the fantastic and beautiful world Leong creates.

The beauty of Leong’s art is not just in the design of the comic, though, as she proves herself to be an amazing storyteller through immacutely panel layouts and pencils. There’s a fluid, brush-like quality to Loeng’s art that compliments that uniquenes to the world, bringing – and this is going to be a very strange comparison – an almost manga-esque feel to the artwork. It’s a similar effect to the work of Becky Cloonan in how the fluid pencils and panel layouts that emphasise smaller story beats through insert panels create a style that feels like a blend of Western and Eastern styles.

As what feels like the first chapter in an epic fantasy, “From Under Mountains” #1 doesn’t exactly preoccupy itself with action. Instead, it focuses on introducing the reader to the world of Karsgard and the characters that inhabit it. This allows Leong’s art to explore the details of the world through inset panels and a great use of aspect-to-aspect transitions that flesh out this fantastical world. The writing, too, looks to offer a wide view of Karsgard by introducing a number of disparate storylines that are sure to connect as the story builds.

However, there’s definitely an obtuseness to this issue that makes it a bit of a challenge to decipher. There’s very little in the way of exposition presented, instead readers are dropped into scenes and locations with little explanation as to what’s going and why and introduced to characters without learning their names. This means that deciphering the story comes down to paying close attention to the art to understand where the scene is and what’s happening through context and coming to terms with the realisation that characters are discussing the history of a world we haven’t seen before.

Continued below

Still, there’s an engaging story to be found here. Gibson and Churchland create a varied cast of characters and while we don’t get to know everything about them (we don’t even get to know their names, really), they have clear emotion and depth and motivation within the first issue. Characters who feel isolated within this kingdom and by their lot in life are who make up the majority of the cast here and even though their stories don’t all connect directly here, there are thematic parallels that draw them together into that narrative.

This makes “From Under Mountains” #1 a challenging read and whether it is rewarding or not while come down to whether each individual reader feels engaged by the world created it not. Personally, I was engaged thanks to the beautiful artwork and storytelling of Sloane Leong that creates a fantasy world that takes real world inspiration from aspects rarely explored in comics.

The writing, however, is definitely going to be something of a required taste as it will require readers to stick with the series in order to delve deeper into it as nothing is simply handed to the reader. That will make this a rewarding read from some and not for others, but due to the gorgeous nature of the art and the poetic writing, this is not a series to immediately write off. It may be challenging read and not something that clearly explains itself in the first issue, but there’s definitely beauty to be found beyond that.

Final Verdict: 8.6 – This won’t be for everyone, but it’s not trying to be. If you’re looking for a beautiful, poetic fantasy epic that feels truly unique, this is for you. Just don’t expect everything to be explained from page one.


//TAGS | Pick of the Week

Alice W. Castle

Sworn to protect a world that hates and fears her, Alice W. Castle is a trans femme writing about comics. All things considered, it’s going surprisingly well. Ask her about the unproduced Superman films of 1990 - 2006. She can be found on various corners of the internet, but most frequently on Twitter: @alicewcastle

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