Writers: Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez
Colors: Jay Fotos
Letters: Robbie Robbins
Review: Art Bee
For quite some time Lock & Key has been on my radar and seemed interesting, but I had never gotten my hands on any issues. Recently this Master Edition was acquired for an unbelievable deal: from $49.99 down to $30. How could I say no? This has been one of the best purchases I have made recently. This volume of Locke & Key is amazing! There is so much going on in this storyline that it is impossible to write about it all and not bore you all to death before you can even read it.
Locke & Key was first published and released on February 20, 2008, by IDW. Now there has not been much that has come out of IDW that I have ever liked, but this is now my favorite from them.
This volume covers the first two story arcs: Welcome to Lovecraft and Head Games. The story setting is Lovecraft, Massachusetts at a mansion on the island named Keyhouse. The plot is centered on the Locke family and a set of mysterious keys which unlock some very amazing things. So far in the story only four keys have been revealed and two others are barely mentioned. The keys’ origin has not been divulged so far, but that is fine. I am sure Hill and Rodriguez will get to it before long.
The best feature of Locke & Key is the story. There is as much depth to this story as there is in a Stephen King novel. By the end of the second story arc, the writers have fully introduced the setting, plot, and characters, but we are still left wondering about the keys’ origin, the Locke family history, etc without feeling like we have been shortchanged. This is masterful story telling.
The second best feature of the series, a very close second, is the artwork. Gabriel Rodriguez and Jay Fotos’ work on the imagery is phenomenal. It’s some of the best I have seen in comics. Not only is it good, but Rodriguez has fun with it too. If you look carefully in the images, there are fun things drawn into them. For instance on the second page of the first issue of Head Games there are carvings on a tree saying various things like:
Also some of my favorite images in the book occur in regards to the Mind Key. This key allows a person’s head to be opened and looked inside. A person’s memories and knowledge can be viewed in a picturesque landscape, and these drawings are so great and show so much imagination and talent.
The third best feature of this story is the characters. Each of them is so real feeling I can hardly believe it. Each character has such a fluid personality. The three main characters, Tyler, Kinsey, and Bode (all three are siblings of the Locke family), each have their own identities but fit together as real siblings, and also serve the creators’ purposes perfectly. Bravo, gents! Hill and Rodriguez have put so much time and planning into this story and it shows. If you have read any of this story already, you should know what I am talking about. This is one of only a few comics I have read recently that has had me excited. The others are Rough Riders, Mae, and Manifest Destiny.
The fourth best feature (and the last I will mention) is discovery. We get to discover much of the mysteries of Keyhouse and the keys just as the characters do. This just feeds the excitement of the story and keeps the reader going. When this story was coming out each month, it must have been torture between issues. While reading this volume, I could hardly put it down and am currently looking to purchase volume two as soon as possible. The origin of the keys has got to be some awesome story, and I can’t wait to find out. Granted I could Google it, but why would I cheapen it. Discovery is one of the best things in a story. Hopefully I can find as good of a deal as I got this one. Wish me luck.
Colors: Jay Fotos
Letters: Robbie Robbins
Review: Art Bee
Locke & Key was first published and released on February 20, 2008, by IDW. Now there has not been much that has come out of IDW that I have ever liked, but this is now my favorite from them.
This volume covers the first two story arcs: Welcome to Lovecraft and Head Games. The story setting is Lovecraft, Massachusetts at a mansion on the island named Keyhouse. The plot is centered on the Locke family and a set of mysterious keys which unlock some very amazing things. So far in the story only four keys have been revealed and two others are barely mentioned. The keys’ origin has not been divulged so far, but that is fine. I am sure Hill and Rodriguez will get to it before long.
The best feature of Locke & Key is the story. There is as much depth to this story as there is in a Stephen King novel. By the end of the second story arc, the writers have fully introduced the setting, plot, and characters, but we are still left wondering about the keys’ origin, the Locke family history, etc without feeling like we have been shortchanged. This is masterful story telling.
- Joe Hill wuz here
- JH + GR made up everything about L&K
- Robbie Robbins is all talk
- Idiots drinkin wine
Also some of my favorite images in the book occur in regards to the Mind Key. This key allows a person’s head to be opened and looked inside. A person’s memories and knowledge can be viewed in a picturesque landscape, and these drawings are so great and show so much imagination and talent.
The third best feature of this story is the characters. Each of them is so real feeling I can hardly believe it. Each character has such a fluid personality. The three main characters, Tyler, Kinsey, and Bode (all three are siblings of the Locke family), each have their own identities but fit together as real siblings, and also serve the creators’ purposes perfectly. Bravo, gents! Hill and Rodriguez have put so much time and planning into this story and it shows. If you have read any of this story already, you should know what I am talking about. This is one of only a few comics I have read recently that has had me excited. The others are Rough Riders, Mae, and Manifest Destiny.
The fourth best feature (and the last I will mention) is discovery. We get to discover much of the mysteries of Keyhouse and the keys just as the characters do. This just feeds the excitement of the story and keeps the reader going. When this story was coming out each month, it must have been torture between issues. While reading this volume, I could hardly put it down and am currently looking to purchase volume two as soon as possible. The origin of the keys has got to be some awesome story, and I can’t wait to find out. Granted I could Google it, but why would I cheapen it. Discovery is one of the best things in a story. Hopefully I can find as good of a deal as I got this one. Wish me luck.
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