Locke and Key #1
Topic: Advance Reviews|Writer: Joe Hill
Artist: Gabriel Rodriguez
Publisher: IDW
Release Date: 6th February
Let’s get the Stephen King thing dealt with up front. Yes, he’s Stephen King’s son. No that really doesn’t have any relevance to this comic as Joe Hill’s a writer in his own right and was before anyone knew who his dad was.
Right with that dealt with let’s get on with Locke and Key 1. This is the setup for a 6 part series, though Joe Hill has talked in interviews about it being the first part of a 68 part story he wants to do over time. Nothing like an ambitious plan.
Locke and Key deals with 3 children who become involved with the mysterious The Keyhouse. The first issue has them arriving at the property, but also looks back at the violent incident that led them to move here, which is very much connected to their family’s involvement with the house. A dual narrative set in both the present and the past establishes a little of the characters so that they don’t remain cyphers whilst the central mystery is introduced. This is a book definitely written for the comic format rather than an adaptation of some forgotten prose work. There are some lovely visual sequences that could not have been done in prose and the creators play well with a locked camera allowing visuals to mix from different times whilst still keeping a coherent narrative. For a relative newcomer to comics it’s highly impressive and gets across important information quickly and without a reliance on talking heads.
As for that central mystery we get just a glimpse of it this issue, but with a sequence that invites interest as to what is happening. In an interview with Hill he talked about how “within the house are secret doors with transformative powers, the power to fundamentally change a person’s identity.” Hill establishes a history for the kids with a human adversary and then starts to tantalise us with a more mystical enemy. There’s enough substance here to give a satisfying read, but nothing is overexplained leaving the reader to want more. It’s a solid setup that intrigues and doesn’t seem too generic.
Rodriguez’s art is at first a little cartoony, but you quickly appreciate the expressiveness and attention to everyday detail that it contains. The switch in timelines is conveyed well through the art without the need for captions to explain what is going on. By the end of this first issue I was perfectly happy with the art and indeed impressed at various sections.
Locke and Key is an enjoyable young horror book. There is some surprisingly tense and bloody scenes given the art, but as an introduction to a wider tale it does its job. I’m intrigued and curious to learn more. This Hill bloke might have some writing chops after all.
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