TAG: ComicPublisher: IDW
Story by: Joe Hill
Art by: Gabriel Rodriguez
I haven't had the pleasure of reading a lot of good comics published by IDW. In fact, when I come across a comic published by this Californian publisher, I tend to not pick it up. I just don't happen to enjoy their publications. That being said, I haven't had the pleasure of reading the latest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic of which I have heard nothing but praises. There are however two of their titles that swept me off my feet. One of them is 30 Days of Night, and the other would be Locke & Key. I Might add 30 days to this list somewhere down the line, but for now let's focus on, what I consider to be, one of the best mystical horror comic books up to date. Locke & Key is a comic book series, published by IDW Publishing, authored by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez. While the name of Gabriel Rodriguez may not ring a bell, Hill happend to be a person of my interest for quite some time now. He is the son of the one and only Stephen King, and a great horror writer to his own right, with amazing works like: The Heart Shaped Box, Horns and NOS4A2 (pronounced: Nosferatu). When I heard that he tackled into the world of graphical storytelling, I knew that this was something that shouldn't be missed.
What Locke & Key is in it's first layer is a story about dysfunctional family of three children and their alcoholic mother, who happen to find themselves in Locke family's ancestral home, after their father and husband, Rendell Locke is killed by two of his patients. In this old house, something strange starts to happen, and it's all connected to, you wouldn't believe it, keys and locks. There is something mystical happening in the Locke family house, and little Bode Locke is the only one who knows it.
Ever since I read Neil Gaiman’s stunning “Sandman” series, it never crossed my mind that there could be another graphic novel that will blend horror, mysticism and mystery in such a captivating style. Thankfully, Locke & Key proved me wrong. Hill has a marvelous sense for balance in storytelling and for character developing and that is proven in this series by his masterful juggling with sense of loss and misery on one side, and innocence and playfulness on the other. And as if that weren't enough, on top of that he throws fear and horror. The depth of these characters is just astonishing from the early start of Issue #1, and it's captivating to see how Hill makes each of the kids and their mother deal with the loss of their loved one in such a different way, and yet every one of them is very believable.
All in all, this is definitely one of my favorite indie comic series, and therefore I do recommend it.
The Story itself is divided into six volumes and each volume is collected into one trade.
The Volumes are:
-Welcome to Lovecraft
-Head Games
-Crown of Shadows
-Keys to the Kingdom
-Clockworks
-Alpha & Omega
Thank you and enjoy the comic.
P.S. I'm predicting it right now, this will be adapted into a movie or a TV series, and it's going to suck. Because it's that awesome!
