In The Small written and illustrated by Michael Hague

A young man – Mouse – sees a prophetic vision in a flash of blue light that changes the world. An hour later, every human on earth has been shrunk to one-twelfth of their former size. Besides the obvious problems of planes and cars crashing causing destruction, everyone who survives “the fall” is naked, and each city block is now like a miles to the new tiny inhabitants. Those who will survive quickly learn that they must work together. While Mouse leads an army of office workers on a journey to escape Manhattan Island, his mother, sister and grandfather transform their suburban home, complete with greenhouse, into a sustainable paradise. But when you are less than six inches tall, your enemies include insects and rats and cats. The world is a treacherous place. Not everyone bands together for the common good in a crisis, and even if Mouse and his army reach the paradise of home and family, other forces may threaten their survival.

To get a feel for the themes of this story, just cross the movie Honey, I Shrunk the Kids with the apocalypse.  Both serious and compelling, the story forces the reader to re-examine all that we take for granted in human life and societal survival. Michael Hague’s colorful illustrations give life to his dark and intriguing concept. While the supernatural element of the blue flash is never explained, the consequences of “the fall” are explored in cinematic detail, with many months passing in the characters’ journey.  I highly recommend this debut graphic novel for teen and adult readers, particularly those who like science fiction, fantasy and horror themes.

Read more about the author here and read a great interview from Michael Hague about this book here.