A fun “competition” type story featuring the new King of the Underworld. It was fun and I liked the ecological message, but at times it got a little confusing. I think this was once again a victim of French publishing and the difference in length of graphic novels. A good stand-alone graphic novel should be at least 250 pages in length.

Ok, so this was SUPER unexpected and surprising!
Yes, it's a story about Hades looking for someone to take over, well, Hades, but it's also a really cool and informative story about the life cycle, soil and the importance of caring for the earth. I dug it! (PUN!)

I an unable to review this title, as it was archived before I had a chance to download and read it. This feedback is only to stop this title from adversely affecting my netgalley feedback rate. If in the future I have the opportunity to read this title, I will post a proper review here.

Greek mythology is all the rage at the moment and this book seriously hits the spot with all the hype! A must read for fans of Greek myths or those who want to dip their toe into the underworld..

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of Underworld.

I wanted to review this as Greek mythology is one of my favourites.
I enjoyed reading about Hades and the Underworld, but I think it was lacking in mythology which is what I love about books using Greek mythology characters- especially Gods.
Artwork was lovely, and if you are in to more of a sciencey approach than a mythological one, you'll enjoy Underworld.

Another curious bande dessinée, an adventure in the mythical underworld that takes place in the literal, biological underworld. Characters are shrunk down to insect-size and we get a sort of survival race while educating us on the natural world.

I appreciate its weirdness, and the cartooniness of the art works in its favour.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for giving me this eARC to review.

This is an interesting graphic novel with the premise being that Hades wants a successor. We follow the protagonist as they go through the realm of Hades having to do different tasks in order to get to the end. The graphic novel actually speaks a lot about the environment which was actually nice to read. I actually found it a really interesting read and it is definitely not for younger readers due to nudity and some darker themes.

"Hades, God of the Underworld, is seeking a successor. The prize? His fabled horn of plenty, source of boundless wealth. But to winnow down the applicant pool, Hades has devised a series of challenges as deadly to hopefuls..."

Lets be real, like me, most people won't finish reading, or at least won't really process the rest of this synopsis. Meaning that when the twist happens you are just as startled as our protagonist. Which honestly adds to the comedy.

This is both incredibly informative and incredibly hilarious read. That I would definitely recommend.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher/author for providing me with an e-copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book was exactly what I wanted it to be! I loved it. I will make sure to check out other books by this author. When I requested this I was just intrigued by the concept of it and I loved how it turned out. This story had a great plot and if you have read this and enjoyed it, This was so much. It was such a great story. I would say give this one a try. I will continue to follow this author. Way to go to this author for not letting me down.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

I would say this a good and an engaging take of greek myth in some areas as well as tackling the importance of our environment.

I also did enjoy the journey of the characters as well as their development in the whole novel. The art is very pretty too..

Overall, I think this is okay, I just hope it was much more smooth than what it was.

Underworld by Mathieu Burniat has an interesting concept at the heart of it - Hades passing on his role as god of the underworld - but in execution it did feel like it could have been any villain running the show, bar one or two plot points. What we actually get as readers is an interesting and insightful look at the importance of the soil ecosystem, a lesson on the harmful practices of modern agriculture, and a bloody adventure to be the last person standing/survive.

We follow Suzanne throughout the book, a sixteen-year-old who doesn't want to rule the underworld, but instead wants to ask for a favour from Hades. She meets Tom at the start of the competition and they stick together throughout.

The various quests the miniaturised competitors undertake teach them about the soil ecosystem, but also serve as Hades's revenge against humanity, whittling down contestants in numerous gruesome ways (though without much gore) from being killed by an insect to being absorbed alive by an amoeba. There's also peril from other contestants, determined to win the competition at any cost.

The art style is cute, but cartoony, and the ending of the book is enjoyable in a surprising way, finishing on a macabre but hopeful note. There is a fair amount of pop science to take in, but Burniat avoids a lecturing tone for the most part, but comes close a few times.

There was also an underdeveloped romance subplot that I didn't think was necessary to the story or very convincing, to be honest, and that's one of the things I think didn't work entirely. Burniat is pulling together an adventure story, a pop science lecture, and a budding romance. It's a lot to pack into a 176 page book, and while the adventure and pop science elements slot together more easily, it can affect the pacing a little in places.

Overall it's an interesting and informative exploration of an important part of our ecosystem, and I think it would go down well with a middle-grade up audience. 3.5 stars, and thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me an ARC.

É fantástico como esta graphic novel nos engana parecendo ser apenas uma aventura dramática com muitas referências à mitologia grega e se transforma em uma aula sobre biologia e meio ambiente. O tom de suspense e aventura é certeiro e o ensino sobre ciclo natural da vida didático sem ser enfadonho.

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It's fantastic how this graphic novel tricks us into thinking it's just a dramatic adventure with lots of references to Greek mythology and turns into a lesson about biology and the environment. The tone of suspense and adventure is accurate and the teaching about the natural cycle of life is didactic without being boring.

Not only am I a teacher - but I am a Science teacher. I was delighted at the amount of soil love this graphic was showing, in addition to climate control, nitrogen cycle, farming..... All completed in a fun manner = learning is fun kids! Throw in some Greek mythology, a slice of friendship and a dash of a romance and what do you know, you've got yourself a wild ride!
I personally thrive on real information, so this novel was interesting. I feel that there would be many students out there (and adults!) who would genuinely enjoy this graphic. Also, the graphics were brilliant. Colours were used to depict and support the emotional themes and plot line really well.

Hades is seeking a successor and devises a series of challenges to find the right person for the job. The story reminds me a bit of the Science Comics that First Second publishes, just for an older audience. As the contestants travel the path you learn all about what is underground. It is not meant for a younger audience, there is nudity and it gets pretty dark. It is interesting and there is a lot of information.

3 stars.

Creative Team:
Story, art, and colors: Mathieu Burniat
Scientific Advisor: Marc-André Selosse

This was not what I expected at all. When the premise highlights Hades, I expect more focus on the mythology of the underworld and less the science of the afterlife. Sure it mentions the pop science, but I could have used more of the mythology and adventure to keep me interested.

This is quite an unusual concept for a story. It's quite light on the story element and mainly just a series of lessons on the importance of organic matter and looking after the ground and soil. I would have liked a bit more to the narrative to keep my interest.

Definitely not what I expected!
The mythological part only surrounds what is the true focus of the work: science and nature.
An interesting and very educational idea, useful for adults and children.

Definitely not what I expected. For some reason, I was expecting this to be a story retelling of Hades and Persephone or some such.
What it was, was a detailed look at what happens underneath our feet in the soil. with the characters shrunk down to millimetres and set with tasks to do while an assistant gave us facts about soil erosion, crop rotation, bacteria and other micro-biological processes.
It was fascinating and kept me interested until the end. I feel that this would be a great source for visual learners in biology class.

Hades, God of the Underworld, is seeking a successor. The prize? His fabled horn of plenty, source of boundless wealth. But to winnow down the applicant pool, Hades has devised a series of challenges as deadly to hopefuls as they are enlightening to readers, taking us all on a tour of the soil: its uses and abuses, riches and resources.

This was a very interesting idea. It felt so much like a non-fiction book about nature (specifically the soil) for children in some places. At the same time, it felt like an adult dystopian story with horrible trials and a lot of death. Hundreds of people are dying during Hades' trials.

It was a very interesting strange combination, but I enjoyed it.

Despite appearances to the contrary, this clever and engaging graphic novel is more ecological than mythological. I found it as informative as it is entertaining and a great example of what the format can do. I'm not over struck on the artwork - Tom's pupil-less eyes in particular freak me out a little but my interest in what is going on over-rides that. The plot has elements of/characters from mythology but the point being made here is very much about the real world. And I feel that it teaches its lesson in a fun and accessible way. The information about soil is obviously impeccably researched. I also really enjoyed the presentation of Hades and the irony of the Underworld teeming with life rather than being the realm of the dead. Fun and educational.