The Creeping Below #1
Illustrated by: Vanesa R. Del Rey
Written by: Brian Azzarello
BOOM! Studios
2024
*A few spoilers sprinkled in..
In nature there are gods older than the devil… Nothing can prepare you for what’s coming in this violent, electrifying descent into this bloody, black metal infused revenge saga.
Val, an American metalhead attending a festival in Oslo, begins her penumbrous pilgrimage into the vast depths of vengeance.
After her victimization at the hands of a charismatically vile local band, the Old Gods of Norse Mythology guide her along her path in the name of women everywhere.
Will she walk a warrior’s path… or become a behemoth beyond human recognition?
Harvey and Eisner Award-winning, New York Times bestselling Brian Azzarello brings metal, magic, and mayhem to a revenge story akin to Swamp Thing by way of The Crow, brought to life with breathtaking imagery by acclaimed artist Vanesa R. Del Rey (The Empty Man, Redlands).
Let’s get one thing straight—The Creeping Below #1 is not for the faint-hearted. From the very first page, Brian Azzarello and Vanesa R. Del Rey serve up something twisted, something wickedly dark, and I’m completely on board. This issue is a brutal slow burn that pulls you down into the depths, and by the time you come up for air, you’re already hooked.
Azzarello’s writing is sharp and heavy, and there’s a rawness to the story that makes it feel like it’s scraping the darkest parts of humanity. It’s like watching a horror film unfold in slow motion, making you wince and keep reading at the same time. The story plays out like a sinister mix of Jennifer’s Body, I Spit On Your Grave, Gator Bait, and yeah, a touch of that classic Necronomicon madness. It’s revenge, horror, and myth all wrapped in one bloody package.
Vanesa R. Del Rey’s artwork is the perfect partner to this. She doesn’t just draw dark—she makes it ooze off the page. Her style feels gritty and grounded, with a dreamlike quality that blurs the lines between reality and nightmare. The shadows feel like they’ve got a life of their own, creeping out of the panels, and that alone brings a level of dread most comics can’t reach. It’s hard to make darkness work in comics without it feeling muddy or losing impact, but Del Rey absolutely nails it. Every page feels like a piece of art.
The story itself centers around Val, an American metalhead who finds herself in Oslo, and her journey into revenge after a horrific experience. There’s a strong undercurrent of Norse mythology, which adds this ancient, primal layer to the whole thing. You know how some stories feel like they’re tapping into something old, something primal? This is one of them. The Old Gods are watching, and you get the feeling they’re about to get their hands dirty.
Now, this issue is slow, I won’t lie. It feels more like a set-up for the storm that’s coming, but the build-up is so worth it. You can feel it crawling under your skin—something big, something horrifying is going to go down, and when it does, I doubt anyone’s going to be prepared for the carnage. If you’re into slow-burn horror that makes you feel uneasy and uncomfortable in the best ways, this is going to hit you right.
The only downside? It’s the kind of story that demands your patience. The pace is deliberate, and it might leave some readers antsy, but trust me, this ride is worth staying on. I’m fully behind the concept, and I can’t wait to see where Azzarello and Del Rey take this revenge-fueled tale of metal and myth.
If The Creeping Below is a taste of what’s to come, we’re in for something brutal and beautiful. I just hope I make it through this category 5 hurricane Milton to see where this story goes next. And if I do, you better believe I’ll be back—Terminator style.
Stay safe out there, and if Milton doesn’t take me out, I’ll catch you on the next review.
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