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The Closet is a horror graphic novel by James Tynion IV, first published on the 18th of October, 2022. This was the first graphic novel I read. I bought The Closet thinking it was just a horror book, not realising it was a graphic novel, so it was a fun new experience.
If you enjoy creepy stories or ever saw monsters in the dark, but no one ever believed you, this story plays out that reality.
The story follows a father and son travelling to the new family home.
With his relationship becoming rocky, the Dad is stressed, all aggravated when their young son is plagued with well-known monsters in the closet. Believing that therapy for his son isn’t needed since the closet causing the trouble is not moving with them, the father and son set off for the car journey to their new home.
The Closet fits the genre of horror, particularly in the graphics, without making them terrifying. The monster/boogie man in the closet was very well depicted. It wasn’t so scary that I couldn’t focus for long on the page, but it would be scary if you were not as ruined by horror as I am.
I like how creepy and unsafe the story makes you feel. It rips away any pre-established safety that many parents offer their children, particularly the security the father offers his son in the story.
I’ve read more of Tynoin’s book since reading The Closet, and The Closet isn’t the most unnerving book. This is something teenagers around 16/17 could read without many issues. There isn’t much in it, story or graphics-wise, that is too disturbing.
The family dynamic and characters are done very well. While reading, I could feel where some frustrations in the marriage were coming from, but I also understood the son’s frustrations too. The complex range of emotions that the father goes through comes across very well without needing many words.
Once we start to meet other characters, it does feel like experiencing life as a fly on the wall inside the life of a troubled father expressing his worries to friends and a scared child feeling isolated in his fear.
The plot was good. I can’t determine if I wanted more story or focus on the otherworldly-ness.
Don’t get me wrong, the story gripped me, but I think I was looking for more terror in it. However, I think I may just be used to the utter horror I’ve been exposed to online (NukesTop5, Mr Nightmare, Horror Games, Horror Films).
The pace was good. Each volume wasn’t too short or horribly long and bled into the horror nicely before finishing. Volume 3 ended well with a good cliff-hanger for more to come.
The graphics were good. The art style does give off this simple yet ‘scratchy’ horror vibes like reading or looking at drawings from someone who couldn’t describe their horrors in words, so they used graphics.
There wasn’t a huge impact. It was a fun wee story that let me enter the world of Graphic Novels. As I said, I think I was looking for more horror than what there was.
I recommend this to anyone who wants to get into Graphic Novels and likes horror and creepypastas. It does give off the old creepypasta vibes.
Information & Rating
Rating: 6/7
Book: The Closet
Author(s): James Tynion IV
Series Name: The Closet
Age Range*: Mature, Adult, YA (16)
Pages: 104
Genres: Horror, Graphic Novel, Fantasy,
Format: Paperback
ISBN/ASIN: 978-1-5343-2325-4
Publication Date: October 18th, 2022
Publisher: Image Comics, INC.
*The age range is based on the youngest age I could have read this book. Everyone should do their own thorough research to determine if the media they or someone in their care will be okay with the topics and themes covered in them, including the speech and manner they are mentioned.
Reading Speeds
(Based on Kindle/How Long To Read)
Average Estimated Reading Speed: 1 hour and 43 minutes
Based on the average of 300WPM
My Estimated Reading Speed: 3 hours and 31 minutes
Based on my calculated speed of 147WPM
Calculated by How Long To Read’s test
Goodreads Blurb
Collects a tale of existential horror by James Tynion IV (The Department of Truth, Razorblades) and Gavin Fullerton (Bog Bodies, Bags). Thom is moving cross-country with his family and dragging the past along with them. When his child, Jamie, is seeing monsters in the bedroom closet, Thom reassures him that they will stay in the apartment after the move. But Thom is very wrong about many things and the monsters do continue to find young Jamie.
Rating Per Section
Genre: 10
Characters: 10
Plot: 8
Pacing: 9
Dialogue: 9
Worldbuilding: 8
Graphics: 9
GPF/Editing: 10
Attraction: 9
Overall Enjoyment: 8
Score: 90/100
