Locke & Key Volume 1: Welcome to Lovecraft

Written by Joe Hill, illustrated by Gabriel Rodriguez and published by IDW.

Written by one of the most inspired minds in horror today, this first volume of Locke & Key represents a dazzling first step into an intricate fictional world that captures the same magic that you felt reading stories as a child.  The Locke family retreat to a house filled with magic doors after a brutal tragedy threatens to tear them apart, and this focus on the Locke children as they tentatively rebuild their world is a bold move that distracts from the gravity of their situation in the best possible way.  There’s an assuredness about the plotting that hints at greater depths to come, a mythology so understood by the creators that they don’t need to reveal too many of the secrets yet because I’m already hooked.  Rodriguez’ art is highly stylised but suits the tone of the comic beautifully, establishing a look that is all his own with enough intricacy and detail that the town of Lovecraft feels like a place that lives and breathes whether or not our eyes are on it. Read more…