Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Dear Creature

3.67 of 5 stars 3.67 · rating details · 147 ratings · 46 reviews

Deep beneath the waves, a creature named Grue broods. He no longer wants to eat lusty beachgoers, no matter how their hormones call to him. A chorus of crabs urges him to reconsider. After all, people are delicious! But this monster has changed. Grue found Shakespeare's plays in cola bottles and, through them, a new heart. Now he yearns to join the world above.

When his fir...more

Paperback, 192 pages

Published October 11th 2011 by Tor Books

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Supernatural (Not Superhero) Comics

94th out of 101 books — 7 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 340)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Sep 22, 2011 Pauline rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, graphic-novels, own

I was extremely excited to win this as a Goodreads Firstreads giveaway. I love graphic novels and the content of this graphic novel sounded really interesting. When I finished it I thought it was a fairly cute and interesting story-nothing astonishing. The reason behind this was the simple fact that I didn't like Grue as much as I should have. This can be attributed to the fact that I thought his character was not as developed as I would have liked it to be.

There should have been a bit more on...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 06, 2012 Ryandake rated it 5 of 5 stars

swoon...

what a delightful graphic novel. who'd a thunk it: a sea monster man with a love of iambic pentameter, his three little crabby friends, an agoraphobic, and romance.

the art in this graphic novel is lovely, fluid, stark. each drawing is a miniature story in itself--each frame rewards an extended admiration. the author depicts his characters with a superb sense of embodied emotion--how anguish contorts the spine, how glee opens the expression, how love can make one beautiful. truly the wor...more

like · see review

Nov 07, 2011 Justin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2011, monster, graphic-novel, 2011-release, macmillan

http://staffersmusings.blogspot.com/2...

I don't read a lot of graphic novels, not so much because I don't like them, but because I have no earthly idea how to pick them. I mean just because I like the art doesn't mean the writing is any good, and I'm really not that much for art. So when I won Tor's New York (Not at) Comic Con Giveaway I was excited to see several graphic novels included. The first one I noticed in the bunch was Dear Creature and boy am I glad I did.

Drawn entirely in black and w...more http://staffersmusings.blogspot.com/2...

I don't read a lot of graphic novels, not so much because I don't like them, but because I have no earthly idea how to pick them. I mean just because I like the art doesn't mean the writing is any good, and I'm really not that much for art. So when I won Tor's New York (Not at) Comic Con Giveaway I was excited to see several graphic novels included. The first one I noticed in the bunch was Dear Creature and boy am I glad I did.

Drawn entirely in black and white, Jonathan Case's graphic novel tells the story of Grue - a sea mutant with a predilection for human flesh. He's awkward, gangly, and carries three crabs around with him who act more like devils-on-his-shoulder than parasitic companions. Surprisingly he also possesses a poet's heart. Through pages of Shakespeare stuffed into soda bottles and cast into the sea, Grue has fallen in love. Dear Creature is a love story of the oddest type between a monster and an agoraphobic woman.

Like every graphic novel I've read and loved (Watchmen being the standard bearer of course), the highlight is the writing. Case is both hilarious, through his crusty crustaceans, and poignant, in Grue's wooing. There is also a brilliance coming from Grue's dialogue which is written entirely in iambic pentameter. For those without previous exposure to ol' Shakespeare's rhythmic writing style, Case went to the trouble of including a primer in the back that's laugh out loud funny and informative.

The art itself has a very pulp quality that conveys some noir sensibilities in its use of light and shadow, but also a certain flair that's identifiable to me as Western. Of course there's a mounted cop that has a thing for the local 'working girl', so I suppose the Western elements aren't all that inconspicuous. My one complaint is in choosing the black and white palette. While striking, some panels become difficult to follow especially in the under water scenes that lack the stark white contrast.

Nested within the larger arc, is a secondary story featuring the aforementioned cop and his 'working girl'. While the response to Grue's love of his human soulmate is (perhaps) warranted given his history of violent crime and outwardly monstrous appearance, this secondary story demonstrates humanity's capacity for closed mindedness. It also highlights an unwillingness to look beyond ourselves as the cop becomes persecutor and persecuted.

All told Dear Creature is wonderfully imagined. The writing is crisp and quirky, complimenting the story, and its art, perfectly. Although I'm a neophyte in the reading (and even more so in the reviewing) or graphic novels, I would strongly recommend this one to all fans of the medium.(less)

like · see review

Sep 25, 2011 Christian Lipski rated it 5 of 5 stars

Portland author and illustrator Jonathan Case probably has a quick pitch handy when asked what his new book Dear Creature is about, but it's doubtful if there's any one sentence that can capture everything about the story. "A mutated sea creature who learns about human life from scraps of Shakespeare plays sealed in bottles and eats young teens who draw him in with their hormones falls in love and risks everything" isn't perfect, but it's at least getting close.

Case's monster Grue is an emotiona...more Portland author and illustrator Jonathan Case probably has a quick pitch handy when asked what his new book Dear Creature is about, but it's doubtful if there's any one sentence that can capture everything about the story. "A mutated sea creature who learns about human life from scraps of Shakespeare plays sealed in bottles and eats young teens who draw him in with their hormones falls in love and risks everything" isn't perfect, but it's at least getting close.

Case's monster Grue is an emotionally tormented beast, filled with unrequited love and nobility while at the same time driven by his desire to eat humans. His highbrow aspirations are balanced by his three crab companions, more interested in their next meal than the next page of The Tempest. The earthy trio are reminiscent of the bats from Walt Kelly's Pogo, B. Witched, B. Othered, and B. Mildred. Their conversations with each other and with Grue provide a counterpart to the monster's flowery speech.

Although Grue is besotted by the Bard, he is no perfect character, being a stranger to the ways of real-world humans. The creature finds himself making plenty of wrong turns in his attempts to locate the source of the literary soda bottles. And then there's that whole "eating people" thing to contend with. But no one in Dear Creature is exactly what they appear to be, so why should Grue be any different?

Case presents Grue as one of the oddest sympathetic characters in comics, whose single-minded courtship is aimed not only at his mysterious benefactor, but at the reader as well.

The art of Dear Creature is sharp and effective. Case's use of only blacks for shading is a tricky road to head down, but it works to grand effect. Santa Lucia captures the spirit of a 1960s seaside town perfectly, and especially monster movies of that era.

Grue's cartoony features make it easy for Case to have fun with expressions, such as a wide-mouth "ta da!" for a recently-unconscious cheerleader, but his human faces are equally as emotive, their facial details standing in contrast to the simpler lines of the monster. There's a touch of John Severin there; a combination of contours and white space.

There's not one boring panel in Dear Creature -- Case knows how to add eye candy in the background when the foreground is static, and the reader will enjoy re-reading for details later.

For a creator with relatively little on his comics resume -- a segment in Comic Book Tattoo, last week's Green River Killer -- Case has started off at full speed. Dear Creature hits each mark it aims for, and makes the reader hungry for more.

(reprinted from http://www.examiner.com/comic-books-i...)(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Jan 01, 2012 Nathan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Dear Creature is an enjoyable, if forgettable, summer read. Its setting and light cheery 1950s tone make it an ideal fit for a quick beach read. Despite the grim context the material is handled deftly and the reader never frets over the loss of young lovers. In fact GRUE, our carnivorous protagonist, never actually endulges in his lust for human flesh in front of us though the fact of his past is never hidden. Any readers hoping for graphic violence will be disapointed as this stays primarily be...more

like · see review

Nov 30, 2011 April (CSI:Librarian) rated it 3 of 5 stars

(Originally posted @ CSI:Librarian.)

2.5 Stars - There is no denying that this graphic novel is full of quirky moments that are equal parts charming and just plain odd. At the same time I feel like a lot of the elements of Dear Creature added cleverness and took away oppourtunities for solid characterization.

As much as I wanted to, it was all but impossible for me to like Grue. Usually I don’t mind monstrous main protagonists that devour ordinary people or those who spout Shakeapearen-esque phras...more

like · see review

Sep 18, 2011 Leona rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

Maybe this genre isn't my favorite? I have to say though, what drew me into this book was the prospect of Grue, a sea creature who normally ate hormonal lovers but now wishes to find a companion of his own. I wanted to know more about Grue, but his Shakespearean vernacular was difficult to understand (haven't been in practice), requiring I either re-read the text or read it slowly.

I also felt that I didn't get to know the characters as much as I like, especially Grue's love interest Giulietta....more

1 like · like · see review

Dec 20, 2011 Tessa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romans-graphiques

Dear Creature has great things going for it. Jonathan Case draws a real variety of bodies, from fit to not-fit, without being grotesque; sad to say that's refreshing in the graphic format. He puts a lovely sense of space into his panels, especially in the deep sea scenes. The fact that the protagonist is a sea monster who speaks in pseudo-Shakespearean dialogue and pulls it off is a testament to his writing skills. And I dig the seaside town environment. Very Jaws-y. I did want more answers as t...more

like · see review

Mar 26, 2013 April rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really liked this one. It had plot twists that I didn't see coming, which is unusual for me and the books more melodramatic moments were well balanced by humorous comments from the creature's crab buddies or inept cops. I liked the small town fifties setting. My biggest complaint was that the underwater illustrations especially in the first sequence were cluttered and I found it hard to distinguish what I was looking at, but the art got better or my eyes adjusted to it or both. At first I also...more

like · see review

Nov 17, 2011 Rick rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: comics, horror

In his love letter to the 50s monster movie, first time graphic novelist Case introduces a unique protagonist. The amphibious mutant Grue speaks in Elizabethan iambic pentameter. As with many characters that speak Shakespeare, the creature develops a romantic attachment for a damsel in distress. Aided by symbiotic crab companions, Grue moves beyond his beastly nature, morphing into the hero no one thought he could be. Case's witty script, combined with his comedic art, ideally emulates his sourc...more

2 likes · like · see review

Dec 21, 2011 Justin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novels, homage, paranormal-romance

Dear Creature was placed enthusiastically in my hands by a librarian colleague, who knew about my rekindled relationship with graphic novels and insisted that I would love it. I was already intrigued by the pulp cover, but the description of an atomic sea creature that speaks in iambic pentameter and is looking for salvation through love was more than enough to sell me. Let this be a lesson to trust your local librarian when s/he suggests a book to you: other than a few minor quibbles, I did ind...more Dear Creature was placed enthusiastically in my hands by a librarian colleague, who knew about my rekindled relationship with graphic novels and insisted that I would love it. I was already intrigued by the pulp cover, but the description of an atomic sea creature that speaks in iambic pentameter and is looking for salvation through love was more than enough to sell me. Let this be a lesson to trust your local librarian when s/he suggests a book to you: other than a few minor quibbles, I did indeed love this little gem.

Written, illustrated, and designed all by triple-threat Case, the setup for this standalone graphic novel seems complicated at first glance. Grue is your typical sea monster, lurking in the depths of the ocean and emerging only to devour horny teenagers. Beneath his scaly exterior, however, beats the heart of a poet; he has learned to speak English through the castoff pages of Shakespearean classics, found in a series of mysterious notes-in-bottles. Inspired by the works of the Bard and moved by whoever left them for him to find, Grue seeks to transcend his predatory existence by discovering true love. He begins exploring dry land, egged on and occasionally mocked by a crass Greek chorus of amoral crabs that would much rather go back to snacking on cheerleaders. Meanwhile, however, a sheriff in a nearby seaside town has taken notice of all the missing kids, and his suspicions are leading him directly to Grue.

The artwork in this graphic novel is understatedly fantastic, using stark black-and-white illustrations that lend an appropriately retro feel to the book. The story itself lives up to all of the delightful quirks that are apparent on the surface. The creature himself is a lovable fiend, and his Shakespearean dialogue is charming. The secondary characters have surprising depth for so short a graphic novel, and defy every stereotype that one might expect for the roles that they play. And honestly, the book is worth reading just for Grue’s wisecracking crab companions.

The book hiccups a bit near the end, with a bizarre encounter with a giant squid that didn’t really add much, other than to reinforce the story’s undercurrent of silliness. It’s enough of a detour to make the end feel somewhat rushed. But other than that, this book was really an unexpected treasure. It blends themes and genres so effectively, and with such a sense of fun, that it is a solid read for anybody who is in the mood for a quirky love story.(less)

like · see review

Feb 10, 2012 e rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novels-etc, read-2012

Review removed due to Amazon's acquisition of Goodreads.

1 like · like · see review

Jul 15, 2012 Donovan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novels

The author is an acquaintance from Portland, so I was quick to pick up a copy at Powell's as soon as it was released. Unfortunately, it's been sitting on my reading table for too long and I finally picked it up today and read it straight through. Once you are reading it is hard to put down and extremely fun.

Dear Creature is a both original and ambitious and overall comes together well. The main character, Grue, is a monster sea creature with a penchant for speaking in iambic pentameter. He's lea...more

like · see review

Nov 06, 2011 Tim Lewis added it

Premise: Dear Creature is a graphic novel starring Grue, a sea monster living in the remains of an atomic submarine who is the only one of his kind. His inclination is to feed on young lovers, with sarcastic crabs urging him on to eat his leftovers. But when he starts finding pages of Shakespeare in soda bottles he learns the flowing language and begins to yearn for finding the person sending out those pages as his kindred soul. He finally finds her, but Giulietta is an agoraphobic recluse livin...more Premise: Dear Creature is a graphic novel starring Grue, a sea monster living in the remains of an atomic submarine who is the only one of his kind. His inclination is to feed on young lovers, with sarcastic crabs urging him on to eat his leftovers. But when he starts finding pages of Shakespeare in soda bottles he learns the flowing language and begins to yearn for finding the person sending out those pages as his kindred soul. He finally finds her, but Giulietta is an agoraphobic recluse living in a broken dry dock boat with her sister and nephews, afraid to go out into the world.

Our poetic sea monster goes to her and she immediately opens her heart to him until she discovers that he had something to do with the death that Joe, her nephew, is being blamed for. Her sister, Zola, wants justice for her son, and Henry is a policeman who will do whatever it takes to follow through with that, even if it means giving up his badge. Grue is captured and Giulietta is put in an institution until the conclusion of the story that you’ll just have to read for yourself.

Themes: The most obvious theme in Dear Creature is the passion of romantic love and the extent one is willing to go to for it. Grue must overcome his monstrous desires to close the gap between him and Giulietta (as in Shakespeare’s Juliet), but it means facing his past deeds and the obstacle of their obvious differences.

Our poetic sea monster must make a moral decision and choose between succumbing to his hunger or becoming the more civilized and loving being that he wishes to be. With Giulietta being his motivation, he uses the inspiring language of Shakespeare to express his desires to her while the scavenging crabs urge him on to his more base inner cravings.

You would think that this story is all about Grue and his inner struggle, but Giulietta, who is considered crazy by just about everyone, is actually the character who makes the most impact on people’s lives. Giulietta is the one who reached out to Grue with Shakespeare and changed him from a monster to a poet. Giulietta goes with Zola and Robert to come to America and finds a love for poetry with him, but she stays with Zola after Robert never returns, and holds out for her sister to eventually help her find a husband. As she explains to Grue: “My bottles brought you and Zola got a husband. That’s all I wanted.”

Pros: It wasn’t until I got to the end and I read the humorous Invertebrate’s Guide to Iambic Pentameter that I realized that Grue was actually speaking in iambic pentameter the entire time. It was done so fluidly that I had to go back and reread more of his dialogue to make sure. It makes me appreciate the subtleties in this story, with interesting characters and beautiful language to match the stunning art. My favorite parts were of the crabs playing the part of the devil on our hero’s shoulder, pressing his buttons to get him to kill, but mostly irritating him at all times. They brought humor to the dark side of Grue’s nature as a sea monster.

Cons: I loved the illustrations, but after seeing the cover I wanted the entire thing to be in color. This isn’t really much of a con because the whole thing has the look and feel of an old newspaper comic, but I just liked the color palette of the cover enough that I wanted more.

Recommendations: Dear Creature is an enchanting visual story that said many profound things in so few pages, and it even left me with a greater appreciation for Shakespearean poetry. It is odd to use so many different words to describe something, but this story is dark, romantic, humorous, and inspiring all at the same time. There was just a true sense of humanity in every character that I hope to see more from Jonathan Case.(less)

like · see review

Oct 04, 2011 Tristan Yi rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was definitely a quality graphic novel about love, language, and life. The protagonist, a carnivorous and eloquent sea mutant, was surprisingly relatable, and the whole story was intriguing. Dear Creature is a very funny and strangely honest portrayal of outcasts in society who just want to celebrate their love and eat horny teenagers. Dear Creature is entertaining and memorable. The writing is fluid and electric, and the art is exquisite. The whole medium was just great. This is a book for...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 09, 2012 Barbara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: comics, fantasy

Odd story about a mutated sea monster who finds love. I sort of want to like this, and I am not quite sure why I don't. Partly perhaps I don't really like the drawing style, and somehow the book was rather dense. It required more effort to read than I was willing to put in. It might be partly to do with the size: album-size with more breathing room on the page would possibly have made this more readable for me.

like · see review

Dec 29, 2011 Jeff rated it 3 of 5 stars

I loved the poetic dialogue of the Creature and his companions, and thought that the premise was ingenious (a monster looking for love). I enjoyed all of the characters, actually. And the art. So why 3 stars? For reasons I can't put my finger on, I didn't connect with it (or get involved in the story) the way that I wanted to. I wanted to love it, but ended up only liking it. Perhaps I should read it again...

like · see review

Sep 05, 2011 Eric rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, comics

I believe monsters should be allowed to be monsters. And so I prefer the first half of Dear Creature when Grue is feasting on horny lovebirds at the beach. The artwork is atmospheric and mostly great, marred slightly by an occasional sloppy panel. An interesting first effort by artist Jonathan Case.

like · see review

Sep 24, 2011 Scott Redmond rated it 2 of 5 stars

Well, first off I'd like to thank TOR and good reads an advanced copy of this book. I, however, am sad to say I didn't really enjoy it. It was an ok graphic novel but it's not really my cup of tea. The main protagenist speaks in iambic pantameter the entire book and it drove me nuts. The art was enjoyable and different and I love the crabs. So let's just say this was an average book with an average story and humorous art. It didn't really pull any of my heart strings but that's not to easy anywa...more

like · see review

Apr 30, 2012 Leighton Christiansen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, science_fiction, graphic-novel, urbana_free_library

Just read "Dear Creature," by Jonathan Case, 2011,
Tor Paperback,
ISBN 978-0-7653-3111-3.

This graphic novel features a nuclear bomb-created humanoid sea monster, who quotes Shakespeare. He falls in love with a human woman and tries to overcome his predatory nature. Mayhem ensues. Enjoy!

like · see review

Apr 09, 2012 Marianne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novels

The artwork felt a rough and at times a bit like caricature, but the drawings had energy and personality. A unique premise -- not your average love story including an agoraphobic middle-aged woman and a sea monster. I had some genuine laughs at points. Intriguing, if a little lacking in sea legs.

like · see review

Mar 08, 2013 Whatsupchuck rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: comics

Simultaneously a sci-fi monster story mashed with a romance and both sprinkled with bits of iambic pentameter (due to the Creature's recent discovery and love of Shakespeare).

This was a treat!

like · see review

Feb 06, 2012 Joe rated it 2 of 5 stars

Great idea, but it felt a bit rushed. Could have definitely used a bit more character development. I really wanted to enjoy Grue...but there just wasn't enough there for me to care about him.

like · see review

Sep 17, 2012 Keegan Blackler rated it 5 of 5 stars

I met Jonathan Case at the Emerald City Comic-Con last year, and avoided him and his weird-looking book. Color me for a fool, this thing's terrific!

like · see review

Oct 03, 2011 Nicole rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: won-as-giveaway

Won this in a Goodreads Giveaway.
Cute, quirky, silly and amusing. Unlike any other book I've ever read. After the first few pages and an outloud "What in the h*ll?"... I began to simply read and enjoy the book for what it was.

like · see review

Mar 11, 2012 Joe Jones rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphicnovel, humor

A fun story of a monster who falls in love and wants to give up his human eating ways. I loved the comments from the crabs too.

like · see review

May 14, 2012 A.C. rated it 4 of 5 stars

It was beautifully drawn. The story was slightly lacking for me, but it showed potential. Certainly worth a look.

like · see review

Oct 24, 2011 Erik Erickson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: comics, fiction

This is a great execution of a novel concept and has such great art. Very original and lots of fun.

like · see review

Jun 13, 2012 E.m. rated it 3 of 5 stars

My first graphic novel AND a love story - very out of character for me. It was fun!

like · see review

Dec 28, 2011 Terrence rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novels

A quirky fun read. I look forward to more graphic novels by Jonathan Case.

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 next »

Sequential Art > Comics

10 users

Graphic Novels Comics

3 users

Fantasy

2 users

Humor

2 users

Romance

2 users

Horror

2 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Fatale, Volume 1: Death Chases Me
by Ed Brubaker (Writer)
Baltimore: The Plague Ships
by Mike Mignola
Green River Killer: A True Detective Story
by Jeff Jensen (Writer)
iZombie, Vol. 1: Dead to the World
by Chris Roberson
No Hero
by Warren Ellis

Books by Jonathan Case

Green River Killer: A True Detective Story

House of Night #4 (House of Night: The Graphic Novel, #4)

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Dear Creature

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: Dear Creature
avg rating	preview: Dear Creature Goodreads rating: 3.67 (147 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11222016-dear-creature?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1317068072l/11222016.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11222016-dear-creature?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Dear Creature by Jonathan Case[/url]

Dear Creature

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (1)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Books by Jonathan Case

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Dear Creature

Dear Creature

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

combineOther Editions (1)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Books by Jonathan Case

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Dear Creature

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (1)