Locke & Key, Vol. 1: Welcome to Lovecraft
Ratings202
Average rating4
A comic written by Stephen King's son, with a blatant Lovecraft callout? Creepy house with magic keys? Mysterious entity in a well? Are we surprised that I like this?
Upon finishing this, I immediately borrowed the next volume (thank you ComiXology Unlimited!). Can't wait to see what happens next!
I originally got this as an Audible book. Yes - a comic book adapted to audio form. It works better than you'd think, but not well enough to stand on its own, in my opinion. I would recommend reading the comic first, and if you love it, check out the audio version so you can appreciate the great vocal performances without being too confused. Also, it would be a shame to miss out on the fabulous art by Gabriel Rodriguez!
What the heck did I just read?!? Idk what to say about this one other than I'm picking up the next in the series!
I honestly have no idea how I feel about this graphic novel. I really don't enjoy the art style but am intrigued by the concept. Parts of the story are interesting while others just fall totally flat.
an amazing plot! and the layout and detail of the artwork has not strayed into the realm of “I can't tell where to look next for the storyline!!!” which I don't like. I'm putting that down to “my generation”.
Definitely creeped out with the visual violence.
I loved the style of the paintings in this comic book. And the story is full of action, even though a little bit scary and quite brutal. I am curious about the next 5 books, which I will definitely read soon as well.
The art in this was amazing. So creepy and dark. But I am really intrigued to see what is going on at Lovecraft. I also really want to know more about the keys.
I also appreciated how each character had their own issues that they were dealing with and how that all added to the overall story.
Intriguing! I'm looking forward to seeing where this one goes. A really strong first volume.
Wow. Incredible comic. This was the first 6 issues, and I am blown away. The story was great, but it left way more questions than answers, which is ideal in a series anyways.
The art is amazing too. A phenomenal start to this series, and now I have to go get the rest of them...
Story
The story is gruesome. I'm not a horror fan, but thankfully this has just enough fantasy to keep me interested. The keys are addicting. We have four here: Echo Key, Anywhere Key, Gender Key and the Ghost Key.
I don't quite understand how the keys work, but I can't wait to find out. I'm also looking forward to seeing what keys come next.
Artwork
The artwork is excellent. It really fits the story quite well.
My goodness, this was really good. There was no hanging around; we got into the good stuff right away, which is always appreciated. There was gore, good illustrations, and a strong storyline, which ticks a lot of my boxes. This was my first time reading anything by Joe Hill. I didn't even realise who he was when I purchased this book or that I grew up with his father by my side. I look forward to more.
It is beautiful. But - it hops too much, and there's too many questions, and too few answers. I like the premise, but not the story telling.
Listen, reviewing this incredibly fantastic run as separate volumes is a dumpster fire. What good exactly is giving volume three 5 stars when it's part of a six volume series? I will say off the top that this is one of my all time favorite long running graphic novel series. Over the span of 35 issues Hill and Rodriguez tell a gripping horror story filled to the brim with a huge host of characters that nonetheless feel fleshed out and wonderfully realized. Rodriguez' artwork never flags, never feels like midway through he's just phoning panels in to meet an issue deadline. The artwork is intricate, interesting and ambitious. Hill avoids over dialoging and other traps traditional authors might fall into making the transition to comics. The two together have crafted a brilliant piece of work that understands the medium it's in.
Which is to say I'm not sure how well this is going to make the transition to TV. I mean in this the first volume we see Rendell Locke violently murdered by two students. The rest of the family barely escape death, the mother is raped and the eldest kills one of the perpetrators. And yet in the aftermath after the family has moved across the country to the family's Keyhouse Estate the youngest Bode seems remarkably well adjusted and still in possession of a wide-eyed innocence and curiosity. The eldest are still quick to trust new friends and are no more mopey than any typical highschool teen. In comics that gets a pass for the sake of the medium and it's need to push the story forward. On TV - that's going to feel weird and may require some handwringing and inserted family drama which slows down the pacing. It's not going to be an easy transition. Speaking of transitions... I guess I'll continue reviewing these across the volumes. Not all are 5 stars, I figure the entire run averages a 4.25 stars overall.
It's Joe Hill. Of course, I'm going to like it. So we'll see how the next volume goes.
Kinsey is so great.
Kinsey is still so great. Obviously, I reread it, and I'm on the second volume now. And obviously, I've changed my rating, BECAUSE IT IS SO BLOODY GOOD.
wayyy too bloody for me, I prefer more mystery and puzzle than gore and violence.