The Closet Vol. 1

[Mark Sullivan (Vertiginous Mod)]

The Closet Vol. 1
James Tynion IV, writer; Gavin Fullerton, art; Chris O'Halloran, colors; Tom Napolitano, letters
Image Comics, 2022

This is the story of a troubled marriage and a cross-country move to what is supposed to be a fresh start. Thom has decided to take a road trip to the new house with his son Jamie so they can bond. Jamie had been terrified of a monster in his closet in their New York apartment (the titular closet). His father has trouble dealing with those fears and is convinced that the problem will disappear when they leave the apartment behind.

The trip does not show Thom in a good light, which is not surprising, since he seems to be kind of a fuckup. He has been cheating on his wife; when needed for help with the move, he ran out, bought the wrong tape, and got drunk at a bar; and he is completely unable to give Jamie the emotional support he needs. Because the monster is real, and it is following Jamie across the country. Or maybe it is a manifestation of the tense family situation, still very much in evidence after their arrival in Portland. There are some questions at the end of this opening arc.  The art team excels at portraying the story's emotional tone, employing an impressionistic style with generally simple backgrounds.