By Laramie Martinez

I’m a sucker for fantasy comics. But I think the genre tends to be limited by the expectations placed upon it. Some of the best short stories I’ve read recently use fantasy as a tool to explore interesting ideas. From Under Mountains is a great example of this. More of a political thriller than a rip-roaring adventure, the book tells a quieter story where personal conflicts between parents, fathers and daughters set the stage for a larger narrative. This comic feels very much like an intro arch, giving characters’ personal reasons which will inform their future decisions.