Flunkies of developer and weasely politician Winston Barefoot besiege our ranger heroes Wes and Seth. Meanwhile, the media begins to sniff a story, and that may prove beneficial for the preservation of the ecological wonderland Stillwater Cave.

These hoods were only supposed to damage the cave to make it ripe for razing. Instead, they declare war on the Rangers. Flora, fauna and geology stymie the efforts of armed gunmen, and they grow angrier as their numbers dwindle.

The bats are the first to get them. Not one of the chiropteran is a product of cut and paste. Steve Lieber takes care to illustrate each one in every form of flap. En masse, the depiction of the bats mimics the chaos of a disturbed flock. Chan's sepia tones give the creatures added depth and dimension.

Writer Jeff Parker then surprises with a natural explosion that further exacerbates the situation for the thugs. The scene exemplifies the power of research, as Parker draws upon another fact about bats for the source of the violent outburst. The after effect gives Lieber the opportunity to humanize the antagonists through the expression of raw emotion. You still do not feel sorry for them. The illustration merely demonstrates the rationale for the lethal pursuit. They're not mindless psychopaths. Nature and the rangers' resourcefulness pushthese shadies to the brink. The potential for murder, however, was always within them.

The chase does not occur in a vacuum. More rangers gather outside, and this setting facilitates a rarity: Lieber’s art in full color. Given a professional like Chan, Lieber's work looks just as good garbed in all the colors of the rainbow as it does in duotone.

Later in the story, Wes and Seth take action. During this moment, the creative team subtly and humorously characterizes Wes at completely adapted to the environment of Stillwater, but that won't necessarily save her from the raw ferocity of her nemeses.

This thrilling, suspenseful issue of Underground pushes the story forward while fleshing out the characters. The cave itself becomes a player in the tale, and although neutral, Wes' knowledge makes it appear that Stillwater has an interest in the rangers' survival.

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