Reviews

Reviews for Justin Case and the Closet Monster: Hope

 



"What an original, entertaining, even hilarious book you have made out of your experiences – a graphic work like no other. I hope it reaches those who need it most."
- SIR IAN MCKELLEN

"[A] joyfully-arted story about two closeted gay men. The (delightfully queer) anthropomorphic closet monsters are a mix of Roman mythology, literary fiction, and classic movie monsters — Medusa, Dracula, Bride of Frankenstein — and animals. A four-color pastel-palette enlivens each page, which are designed as a single stand-alone comic strips that combine to tell the story. Sexual innuendos and pop cultural references are sprinkled throughout, helping to make the work so fabulous."
- THE ADVOCATE

“Such unique illustrations, laugh-out-loud hits to the heart, and beautiful framing of the queer experience…for deep, human reflection on what it means to be true to yourself.”
 - MATTHEW VESELY

"[T]he artwork is wildly vivid and fun, perfectly capturing the plot and expanding on the story. The monsters featured reflect the struggle of any closeted individual attempting to accept their true self. We deny them, fight them, and (hopefully) eventually begin to accept them in our lives and learn to live with them."
- VIRGINIA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION 

"I think this is a first-rate graphic novel. I was completely surprised at the depths of the storytelling. Mark uses a narrative that flows quite easily, A lot of plot points strategically put in place, a lot of which have to do with the toxic issues having to do with the LGBTQ community. I applaud Mark for including these points. Loving how Mark was tying in [secondary] characters and how they weaved in and out of the story...a very admirable job with this book".
- THE GAY COMIC GEEK

"[A] beautiful queer fable for the young and young at heart...a sweet, young gay man exploring the magic of a world that was always there for him to see if only he looked".
- JOE PALMER, GAY LEAGUE

The imaginative mythological creatures seem to take on a life of their own…Julien is a skilled cartoonist with a good sense of design, sourcing his monsters from mythology, transforming them into gay avatars, and charming with his digital illustrations of their friendlier forms. They’re set in ambitious backgrounds, with good use of colour to represent levels of suppression”.
- THE SLINGS AND ARROWS GRAPHIC NOVEL GUIDE

"A breakthrough in creative writing and thought...Beautifully written story and the art work and colors are incredible. A lot of thought and courage went into the development and concept of these stories and many are quite comical yet thought inspiring".
- NYC COMIC GEEKS

“An indie comic doing right by LGBTA fans.”
- COMICOSITY

Nominated for Best Graphic Novel of 2018
- CANCOMICSWIKI AWARDS