I enjoyed this graphic novel, the science notes between each chapter were a really cute touch. I would be a bit wary of recommending this to a younger child as the images can get a bit gory at times, so depending on how exposed a child has already been to cartoon violence would impact whether or not I would recommend this book to any specific child. As the story progressed, I found myself eager to find out what happened next, and grateful that I had access to Vol. 2 on NetGalley as well. I wish the worldbuilding outside of the H.A.M. headquarters, and the events of the past were a little bit more fleshed out but overall it was an enjoyable read, and I would recommend it to those that like graphic novels or post-apocalyptic stories.

In a desperate post-apocalyptic society, a colony of superintelligent hamsters struggles to survive and grow amid the turmoil of other creatures both wild and genetically enhanced. When the flat-tails build a dam that threatens the entire valley, a team of professional H.A.M. members needs the aid of one rookie to complete the mission and save the countryside.
Although the futuristic sci-fi theme is very different, I couldn't help but be reminded of the Redwall books, not only because the story's main characters are all rodents, but because of the themes that pop up. This isn't a cozy bedtime story but a harrowing adventure with imminent peril and danger on every side. Death and injury are no strangers to this desperate group of survivors, and I found my poor heart wrenched at every urgent crisis. The images are occasionally graphically violent, so readers with an aversion to blood might want to skip this one, but I loved how meaningful each moment was, and I'm very curious about the next installment.

A clever and exciting graphic novel of the post-apocalyptic adventures of a group of genetically enhanced hamsters. I mean, already what more could you ask for, but there indeed is more. This book is witty and keeps you guessing, it adds intrigue to old tropes and has so much heart. It’s truly a pleasure to read and made me want more.

3.5 stars

In this cute graphic novel, Giants-That-Were (humans) have disappeared leaving genetically altered hamsters (H.A.M. - the Hamster Aquatic Mercenaries) tasked with saving the badgers from a flood.

I loved the world building here! Everything felt really thought out and detailed. I loved the little hints of what happened to the humans to make them disappear and the personnel dossiers scattered throughout. I really liked the characters, they all felt very distinct. I loved Ruby and Mac's dynamic a lot and there were several moments where I found myself laughing.

My only real complaint would be related to the target audience. I thought it was meant to be middle grade, but some of the scenes were a little violent (in one scene a snake's head explodes and the hamsters are covered in gore) and in a few places the vocabulary seemed a little difficult for the younger end of middle grade readers.

The Underfoot is a cute, but violent graphic novel about hamsters for hire. These fighting hamsters complete missions for those willing to pay while they wait for the return of humans to the hand. The world building was done really well, and the characters were well flushed out. The story begins with young hamsters in training to join the fighting force, and follows some of the students as they conduct their first mission.

I originally thought that this was a middle grade series, but to the violence and gore, I think it is geared towards an older audience. I think that this is a good start to a series that will likely have a lot of heart. There are the makings of some great friendships in this opening book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this title in exchange for an honest review.

What a cute middle-grade graphic novel! This story follows H.A.M, the Hamster Aquatic Mercenaries, on a mission to save their badger allies from a flood. In a world where humans, the Giants-That-Were, have disappeared, leaving genetically altered hamsters in charge, H.A.M. must work hard to keep themselves and their allies safe from evil species that live outside their burrow.

The artwork in this graphic novel is simply beautiful. The story is a heartwarming epic adventure. I just loved everything about this!

I would highly recommend this for middle-grade readers who love adventure tales or who just love hamsters (and who doesn't?).

Thank you NetGalley and Oni Press for my review copy.

These little rascals were a feisty bunch, so fierce and awesome, I like them, they looked so weather-beaten it was as if they had been through countless wars, but their talk and actions were super loud and strong, the heroes of the day. This has been a great adventure with absolutely great characters making this a great read.

This is definitely going on my list of graphic novel series to recommend to folks. This volume is super engaging and shows many friendships between unlikely characters. The way grief is portrayed throughout the book is very moving and relatable. Perfect for animal and science lovers, and fans of The Endangereds.

I honestly thought this was so cute. I loved the art style and how the beginning started with a map (I love maps; I think they're great for imagining story plotlines) and like a dossier. It reminded me a lot of G-Force (the movie) and the art style of the Geronimo Stilton comic. Just hearing "Hamster Aquatic Mercenaries" brought a smile to my face. Overall, I believe the story was reminiscent of the tiny people of Gulliver's Travels or maybe even the mouse and the lion fable (where the mouse helped free the lion). I think it would've made for a better read if the character breakdown/cheat sheet was in the beginning of the book rather than at the beginning of the chapter. In all, it was an action-packed read. Great for middle grade readers or just lovers of action illustrations.

this was such a cute graphic novel, I loved the world how the giants (humans) have vanished and hamsters with special ability's are left to protect the animals

This was a really fun graphic novel that follows the H.A.M. (Hamster Aquatic Mercenaries)- scientifically modified hamsters who were left by the giants-that-were in order to survive the great rain. This volume follows H.A.M. in their mission to save their badger allies from flooding by destroying a dam that has been constructed nearby. However, previous missions mean they are low on members and so they turn the young pups to find the best help they can get. However the current pups are less than ideal and so this may be more challenging than originally thought. However those who get picked, soon learn that this isn't the fun adventure that they originally thought it would be - not only are there a lot of deadly threats, but every story they knew about their origins become challenged.

I loved seeing the little snippets of information about the different types of hamsters as well as the character files scattered throughout the book. I loved that the underdogs from the pups went on the trip and got to prove themselves. This could help so many young people realise that it's ok to not be good at everything - you can still succeed if you just try.

This was adorable and I’m excited to dive right into the next one! I know my Warriors loving daughter will adore these post-apocalyptic hamsters and their friend and enemies, I’m definitely going to be grabbing a copy for her to read too. The art was so cute, and the dialogue was sweet and funny, with some sad lines too.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of The Underfoot: Volume 1 - The Mighty Deep.

This comic follows a group of hamsters in a post-apocalyptic world. The H.A.M (Hamster Acuatic Mercenaries) are self-aware and intelligent after being genetically modified by the Giants-That-Were (humans).

I enjoyed reading about how the hamsters survive in the Great Wild which has came after the extinction of the human race. There are all different breeds of hamsters, some with extra abilities and I loved how the artist portrayed them all and their varying personalities.

I do feel like the lace to this volume was a little all over the place. I know that volume one covered a lot of the hamster lore, world building and meeting the original and new characters, but I feel like it could have been longer to better explain everything that was going on.

Reading this brought me back to my childhood and growing up with Brian Jacques' Redwall series. I love Ben Fisher's world building and characterization. Emily S. Whitten's illustrations are a great match. This will be perfect to recommend to any kid who loves adventure and fantasy and wants a new series to read.

We've seen the idea of rodent commandos before, but never done quite like this. Think the Redwall series meets G-Force meets Warriors meets the best cartoon show you've ever seen. Definitely going to read the next volume!

I think this would be a great introduction for my students to graphic novels. I like the illustrations, story and use of humour. Looking forward to reading more in this series.

Thank you NetGalley and Oni Press for the digital advance reading copy of this book.

Whew, the ending got me, Hamster Airborne Paratroopers, teared up at that. I love the hamster characters in this graphic novel; they all have such big personalities even when they are small.

I cannot wait to read book number two, the good news is I don't have to wait very long!

I like the art work, but it was the characters I could not identify with very well. They all act like aggressive adults or abused children. Everyone yelling all the time, and cantankerous. Hard to find a likeable character.

Thank you for the chance to read this book. Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. I tried, but I could gel with the writing style. This is a shame because I love the art style.

*Disclaimer: I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange from an honest review.

This is a fast-paced adventure story following a civilisation of hamsters in their mission to help the badgers and work out what is going on with the less-friendly animals. I loved the world building in this graphic novel; the illustration style was so detailed and the colouring so beautiful that I immediately got drawn into the story.

The pace of this book was quite quick and I would have liked to get more of the character relationships. At points I did get some of the characters mixed up but by the end, I found it easier to differentiate between them.

Overall, this was a good start to a series and I’m looking forward to reading the follow-up.

3 out of 5 stars!