Graphic novel, 168 pages
English language
Published Nov. 2, 2008
Locke & Key tells of Keyhouse, an unlikely New England mansion, with fantastic doors that transform all who dare to walk through them. Home to a hate-filled and relentless creature that will not rest until it forces open the most terrible door of them all...
Came for the art, stayed for the story. Art's a touch better than the story, but both are pretty good.
More of a 4.5
I read this because a later volume is on the 2013 Hugo ballot. I thought it was well done, but I just fundamentally don't enjoy horror.
The art and the story come together very well in this book. When a father is murdered, mom packs up and moves to the East Coast from California. The killer is in jail, so it seems they may be able to move on. Only problem is he manages to get out, with some help, and goes to hunt down the rest of the family. But he is not doing it just to kill them. He wants certain artifacts, the keys. What are the keys? What doors can they open? And who is really driving events, helping the killer (in a manner of speaking)? And why is the youngest child claiming he can turn into a ghost? Is it just grief, or something more eerie? These questions and more are raised, and some are answered in this first volume of what appears to be a very good series. I am looking …
The art and the story come together very well in this book. When a father is murdered, mom packs up and moves to the East Coast from California. The killer is in jail, so it seems they may be able to move on. Only problem is he manages to get out, with some help, and goes to hunt down the rest of the family. But he is not doing it just to kill them. He wants certain artifacts, the keys. What are the keys? What doors can they open? And who is really driving events, helping the killer (in a manner of speaking)? And why is the youngest child claiming he can turn into a ghost? Is it just grief, or something more eerie? These questions and more are raised, and some are answered in this first volume of what appears to be a very good series. I am looking forward to the next volume because this one was good, but I get the feeling the series will get better. The only reason I did not go all the way with five stars is that, like other horror tales, there are some small cliches or images that you know you have seen before. Or moments, like in a film, when you pretty much know someone slipped, gave the killer some basic information and unwittingly helped him. You, as the reader, know what is coming, which diminishes the suspense. But in this book, the diminishing is pretty minor. Overall, once you start this book, you will not be able to put it down. It is good horror tale overall.
