Locke & Key, Vol. 1: Welcome to Lovecraft

Summary: When their father, a high school guidance counselor, is murdered by a deranged student, Tyler, Kinsey, and Bode Locke relocate from California to Lovecraft, Massachussetts. They and their mother are taken in by their uncle Duncan, who still lives in their father's boyhood home, named

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Keyhouse. The children are just trying to survive and move past their horrible trauma and lead normal lives again, but Keyhouse is not quite normal. It is a house in which certain keys open certain doors, with certain strange powers. Bode, the youngest, discovers The Ghost Door, which will (reversibly) kill anyone who tries to walk through it. But there's also something strange living in the well house, something that wants Bode to help free it... and if that's not enough, Mr. Locke's murderer is still out there, fixating on the Locke family.

Review: I stopped being a horror fan sometime around the time I graduated from junior high, so I can understand why I've never read any of Joe Hill's (the son of Stephen King) work. But while I don't tend to seek out horror as a genre, there is a way to write horror that I respond to, and Locke & Key absolutely hit the mark. It's got a bunch of different horror tropes - deranged murderers, creepy old houses, malevolent ghosts, etc. - but they're combined in a new and interesting way. In particular, the idea of the magic keys that can turn any door into a special door gives the whole thing enough of a fantasy flavor to take it out of the realm of pure horror. It doesn't hurt that the characters are incredibly sympathetic as well; watching the kids deal with the violent death of their father (and the repercussions of their own actions during and after the murder) is horrific enough without any of the supernatural stuff, but it's presented in a way that's empathetic and heartwrenching.

Rodriguez's art was also not what I was expecting, although it suited the tone of the story perfectly. In fact, it actually heightened the drama and the pathos of the story, rather than just complementing it. The color palette adds to the creepiness factor without overselling it, and the sheer fact that Tyler can't see his own reflection without envisaging himself holding a bloody brick just about broke me. The book is fairly gory (unsurprisingly), but I appreciated that the gore didn't really feel gratuitous, or like it was just there for the gross-out factor (I'm looking at you, Chew).

Overall, this book was an exciting surprise, and full of some really great potential. I can't wait to see where it goes next. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Recommendation: I don't know that I've been this excited by the potential promised in the first volume of a comic since The Unwritten - and I think it's likely to appeal to the same sort of people.

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"Locke & Key: Welcome to Lovecraft" is a collection of the first 6 comics of the "Locke & Key" series from author Joe Hill and illustrator Gabriel Rodriguez. The Locke children -- Tyler, Kinsey and Bode -- and their mother Nina move into the old family home known as Keyhouse after witnessing their

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father's murder by one of his students. While exploring the family house, young Bode finds a black key with a skull and, after a quick search, a doorknob with a matching skull. He unlocks the door and steps through, only to find himself changed into a ghost. After wandering around Keyhouse and spying on his family, Bode returns to his body and begins exploring the rest of the house. He discovers an old well, and the voice in the well, whome he calls Echo, wants his help to find the Anywhere Key which turns any door into a portal to anywhere.

Joe Hill's creepy story of a mysterious house, magical doors, and a mysterious, evil spirit on its own was enough to send chills up and down my spine. But Gabriel Rodriguez's intricate, and sometimes bloody, illustrations enhanced the tale, making me inspect each pane carefully for some clue, some little detail because I didn't want to miss anything. Also, both their efforts allowed me to get to know the characters: I felt the sadness and anger the both Ty and Kinsey felt, the wonder and surprise that Bode experienced exploring the house and stepping through that first door.

Thankfully, the story doesn't end with "Welcome to Lovecraft". In fact, I've already read the first two comics of the second series, "Head Games", and am definitely intrigued as to what they keys and the doors of Keyhouse are hiding. For fans of horror, this is a great comic book series to capture your imagination.

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This is a graphic novel by Joe Hill, Stephen King's son. Personally, I think he writes far better than his father. I have all of his other books too. The story was fantastic and would make an incredible film. The artwork was good too, not great, but very good. It took a bit of getting used to, but

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by the middle of the book I really came to appreciate Rodriguez' style. What I liked best were the angles he chose for the panels. It gave the book a very cinematic feel.

Without going into too much or giving the plot away; here's a basic synopsis: After a tragedy, a family inherits a large old mansion on the east coast, "Key House". It's a magickal building in that hidden within its walls are an assortment of keys. Each key has a different power. When one unlocks a door with said key it activates that power. It's a really creepy story and 100% geared towards adults.

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Interesting story line with really creepy artwork. It was quick and fun.

When their husband/father is murdered by one of his students, the Locke family moves to their uncle's large old house in Lovecraft, Massachusetts to make a new start. The mother is trying to hold it together, the eldest son is racked with guilt, the daughter (who already saved her younger brother

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once) is trying to disappear into the crowd, while the youngest, Bode, explores the ghostly world of their new home. The house they move to is full of doors and hidden keys, which do all sorts of strange things, as Bode discovers. Each character is emotionally complex, and the art is beautifully dark and eerie, fitting the story perfectly. There's plenty of blood, but there's even more humanity as this family faces down the horrors that await them.

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The story and the graphics for this series go so well together. Loved it.

Great story by Joe Hill. Wonderful graphic novel.

I picked this up because I'd read it was going to be made into a TV show. It didn't take me long to get sucked into this creepy, though oddly realistic (in strange ways) story. I like the characters, especially Bode and the writing is very strong. I'm a picky graphic novel/comics reader. I don't

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really like them unless they have glossy pages, which this series has. I can't wait to read the rest of the Locke & Key series.

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Joe Hill may not want you to know this: he’s the son of the grandmaster of modern horror, Stephen King. But with a story like Locke & Key, Joe doesn’t need to worry about cashing in on his father’s name—the story speaks volumes of his obvious talents. The Locke family recently suffered the

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brutal murder of their father and flees to Lovecraft, Massachusetts and seeks refuge in the family estate named Keyhouse—but Keyhouse is where events leading to his murder began, and it’s only serving to draw the rest of the family into its dangerous grip.

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I really loved this story. I have been wanting to read the series for a long time, but I was waiting for the first volume to be available at the Bangor Public Library. It was worth the wait. I will be picking these up at my local bookstore because I know I will want to read them again and again.

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Joe Hill has his father's gift of character development, but the story is uniquely his own. I cannot wait to read the next volume.

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I really dug this. I noted in my review of Horns that Joe Hill has a gift for damaged characters, and that talent is on display here in the form of the Locke kids. They're great characters; I loved 'em all. Their story is tragic and haunting (pardon the pun), and Hill handles it well. Throw in the

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incredible artwork by Gabriel Rodriguez, which really brings the story and the characters to life, and you've got a beautiful, moving...horror story? Strange but true.

I'll be devouring further editions like candy.

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Welcome to Lovecraft is the first graphic novel in Joe Hill's Locke and Key series. In the first episode, a tragic event forces the Locke family to move in with their uncle to his Gothic home where supernatural mystery abounds. The house holds many secrets waiting to be unlocked, but the right key

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must be found to unleash the power within.

The storyline for this graphic novel is superb and the artwork complemented the story immensely. I have never really given the graphic novel a chance, but Joe Hill's work may have opened my eyes to a whole new genre of storytelling. The next book in the series will be on order shortly.

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This is both a satisfying story in its own right and a gripping introduction to a series. This is a horror story and not for the faint of heart but not particularly gruesome as such things go. The writing is great and the art is just phenomenal. My only quibble is with the pandering mention of

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Lovecraft in the title. This story has nothing to do with the Lovecraft mythos, at least in this volume. That there is a location in the story called Lovecraft can be chalked up to being an homage but that Lovecraft appears in the title is a marketing gimmick. But aside from that issue, this is just great and I'll be picking up the next volume as soon as I can.

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This Graphic Novel is not for children however, it is a fun story and a great Idea. If your into comics and graphic novels this one is something you should pick up and give a try.

Vol 1 contains the first six of the single-issue "locke & key" comics. We are introduced to the Locke family in a heartrending manner - with the death of the patriarch of the family. What unfolds from this event is an entire web of interconnected events, all leading back to a set of mysterious keys

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that prove to be more than they may appear at first sight.

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Welcome to Lovecraft was a solid offering from Joe Hill that has a strong storyline and good artwork, but I didn't feel was up to par with either of his novels. I haven't continued on with the series yet, so I don't know if it will grow on me more as it proceeds but as of this point, I felt that it

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was above-average, but not great.

The story centers on a mother and her three children who are trying to put their lives back together after losing their husband/father to a maniacal killer. In order to have a fresh start, they relocate to Maine to cohabit the family homestead with the deceased's brother. Of course moving a teen a pre-teen who have just lost their father would be bad enough, but the house also seems to have demons of it's own.

The story itself is fairly creepy, but throw a couple of deranged lunatics into the mix and at times it can be downright scary. My only problem is that I think that Hill does a great job of painting a picture with his words in his novels and here at times relies on the graphic medium to tell part of his story and I felt that things could have been much better fleshed out if they had been in novel instead of graphic form.

Overall, I did enjoy this tale and will eventually follow up with the second volume. I do enjoy the fact that Hill has branched out to other mediums in order to be in touch with all kinds of readers and I look forward to seeing what he gives us next.

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Interesting book, great story, but it took me a while to get into the graphic novel form. Especially I find it hard sometimes to recognise different characters faces in different expressions or wearing different clothing for at least the first half of the book. Will try to find the next volume and

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see if this continues.

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For a while now people have been recommending Joe Hill's writing to me as a possible foray into the "horror" genre (which I don't often read). On a whim, I was in the graphic novel section and I stumbled across Locke and Key which is written by Joe Hill with art by Gabriel Rodriguez. It's been a

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bit since I'd read a new graphic novel, so I picked it up and started thumbing. Soon thereafter I had the book and home and was thoroughly engrossed in reading.

First let me say that even though this is a "comic book"…a "cartoon"…it is definitely NOT FOR KIDS. There is some strong language (teetering between PG-13 and R rating) and smatterings of heavy violence. So don't leave this lying around for your kids to accidentally stumble across.

From a high level, elements of the story were fairly corny and predictable. The family's last name is "Locke" and they move to a place called "Keyhouse" with mystical keys and doors. The town/island they move to is named Lovecraft (thus implying plenty of creepy craziness). The psychopathic murderer's backstory shows a well-meaning kid driven to demented violence because of physical and emotional abuse from his drug addicted parents. None of this was particularly compelling.

Where the story got interesting for me was both in terms of the psychological character development of the kids as well, the intriguing potential of the mysterious keys, and the strange shadow plot of the "echo" character who is communicating both with the murderer and with the youngest child in the family.

While a lot of the actions and behaviors of the kids were expected, I really liked the way the story, dialog and art interacted to really help me see and feel what these kids were going through. I thought that the daughter's (Kinsey) transition from rebel to ~semi-preppy was interesting and felt justified in a sense to maybe clean up and live up to her father's expectations. I enjoyed the older son's (Tyler) struggle with guilt (for previous bad relationship with his father…as well as a comment from the murder) and his responsibility to now be the "man of the house." I had fun with the younger son (Bode), but his behavior was a little more difficult for me to swallow. He seemed a little too carefree still considering what had just happened. Still, it could be realistic given that he's younger and his attention span allows him to escape more easily into fun and play but then crash back at times when he dwells on the reality.

One disconnect I did feel with regards to the family was the fact that they didn't discuss the idea of going into therapy to try and deal with their issues. Granted, that may not be something every family might consider at a time like this, especially when all four of the survivors are in shock. But this particular family has a close relationship with psychology and therapy…the father was a counselor. It just felt strange that they didn't go in for some family therapy sometime. Admittedly that likely would have pulled the story in a strange direction…but I would have liked to see someone pressuring them perhaps and them resisting.

The concept of Keyhouse and these magical keys is compelling. In this book we generally only get to see the actions of one key…a key that opens a door which, when you walk through it, separates your spirit from your body and allows you to flit around in ghost form. Kind of interesting. But then later in the book we learn about other keys and find that a big motivation is the "Anywhere Key" that lets you use it on any door and makes that door become a portal to anywhere you want to go. The potential for cool keys is huge but I worry that subsequent books will focus less on the development of other cool keys and keep them (as in this book) as a minor player that's mostly for fun but with the main focus being to find and hold the Anywhere Key.

Related to the finding of the Anywhere Key is the overarching meta-plot that takes this book and makes it a long lasting series. In this book the main plot involves the murder of the father and trying to stay safe as the murderer hunts down the rest of the family. Behind this main plot we have a larger plot that is given to us only in mysterious bits and pieces. There is some mystical being/spirit/demon (?) behind the scenes pulling various strings to try and motivate characters to do different things. The exact motivations and history of this character are unclear but it is clear that he/she/it is imprisoned somehow and looks to escape and (presumably) exact some sort of revenge or power struggle. Even at the end of this book, the exact nature of the meta-plot is unclear and it's even given new twists at the end to make it even more open to strange speculation. I must say I am very curious as to how this plays out.

Even as an adult, I have to admit that the violence was over the top for me. The art style is smooth and cartoony, but realistic enough to be disturbing (i.e. - this isn't "Looney Toons" style violence). The book starts out with a flashback to the grizzly murder of the patriarch of the Locke family. His wife and children are present and have to flee the murderer who is quickly brought down and imprisoned. The scene is creepy and suspenseful and includes a brutal display of the husband/father being shot. As gruesome as the sight is, it was over quickly enough that I pushed through and was pleased to find that I read on and on without additional scenes of violence. However as the book approached its climax, it was apparent that something bad was about to happen and the violence at the end of the book was even more gruesome and drawn out than the initial killing.

I really enjoyed the nature of the story and the tone and feel of the artwork with the exception of what I felt to be excessively graphic depictions of violence. Even though I am very interested in finding out how the overall story plays out and I am very curious to see what sort of cool and imaginative keys turn up in Keyhouse, I am unsure whether or not I will actually read the rest of the books. I thumbed the first bit of volume 2 and didn't find comparable violence, but I suspect it's there and just as graphic (or potentially more so…as often these things push the limit as they go on). I personally felt like the actual display of the violence was taken to an unnecessary extreme. I felt like the same tension, suspense and fear could have happened with the violence being 90% "off-page" and left to the reader's imagination instead of being glorified in large full-color illustrations. This is in no means a criticism of the artist's talent…it's more a criticism of the willful choice to showcase the violence in this way. I've read other comics and graphic novels with violence handled "off-page" and found them much more enjoyable since I didn't have to cringe in disgust.

So yeah, I really enjoyed the storytelling (and will likely seek out some of Joe Hill's non-graphic-novel writing) but the graphic violence was a bit too over the top for me. Even though I would love to know what happens next, I will probably go for the less artistic method of "reading" the story by seeking out wikipedia summaries. Overall an enjoyable read but pulled down in enjoyment by the need to look away rather than fully engross. While I would love to rate this higher, I just personally can't do it. If you don't mind graphic depictions of violence, you'll likely enjoy this…but for me, it's too much.

***
2.5 out of 5 stars

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I had high hopes for the comics. The idea seemed very unique and very interesting. But as I started to read the comics, I was very disappointed. The plot went by slowly. And I thought perhaps it had an awesome cliff hanger that can want me to read more, it failed. The characters are not loveable. I

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really don't enjoy any of them. And for people who does not like gory, don't read the comics. The images are very graphic. I guess the comics did provoke emotions from me. I think the only good thing was that the illustrations were amazing! The colours and lines were very intense, and strong. It is the other side of the Fables comics. But I will tell you that I did read the second volume, because I just happen to have it at my house, so why not? I am just very disappointed, the idea has so much potential. It just didn't grab me.

2 out of 5 stars.

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During a summer's day Bode, Tyler and Kinsey are painting when visitors come. Sam and Al are students in the school where their dad works as a guidance counsellor. This visit isn't innocent and ends with Al and their father dead and Sam in jail and they're moving back to Lovecraft to the family

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home.

The family home is a strange place with special keys that activate the doors to do different things. Exploring what's going on is fun until a mysterious being in a well collide with Sam breaking out of jail.

It's not quite my thing. I'm not really a horror fan, I would like to continue with the stories and see what happens but I'm not sure I'm the market for this series. Fans of horror find this much more interesting.

The artwork is amazing!

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After their dad was murdered by a couple of deranged students, the remains of the Locke family relocate to the Keyhouse, the old family New England mansion, to try and get to terms with their trauma. They each carry guilt and horrid memories from the events, but aren’t really good at helping each

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other through them. Instead, they pretty much carry their own emotional luggage – and a heavy luggage it is.

But the Keyhouse isn’t the safe haven they would have hoped for (well duh, it’s situated in a town called Lovecraft for chrissakes!). It seems impossible to find your way in it without getting slightly lost – and soon stranger things happen. Bode, the six-year-old, finds a door which you die and leave your body if you step through. There is someone, or something, living down the old well. And it seems the house itself even might have something to do with the gruesome murder. This is by no means a place to escape the past. Quite the opposite.

This is a chilling book, working both with explicit splatter, and subtle eeriness. Carefully planting, showing the way, and changing perspectives, it becomes both a high-paced thriller and a deeply human drama, which I couldn’t help but devour. Rodriguez’ art, sort of naïve and glossy, shouldn’t work for horror, but by damn, it does.

I was prepared to like this after all the praise here on LT, but wasn’t really expecting one of my top reads of this year. A brilliant way to end 2012!

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Really good, really dark stuff. But clever with the weaving of different kinds of lore, Shakespeare, magic deities, haunted house...all very unique and interesting. Could this take over top spot in my GN heart for Sandman and Walking Dead?

Love this book. The graphic novel that sold me on the format. Beautiful illustrations. Engrossing story. Great character development. In short, nearly perfect.

I saw this sitting on a shelf in the library - so thought I would check it out. The story is very well done, the graphics are beautiful, in a gritty sort of way, and there is a deep creepiness throughout the entire novel. The story isn't for the faint of heart - it starts off with a very gory,

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senseless murder of the main character's father.

As the Locke Family moves across country to start a new life at there fathers old house, the youngest, Bode, finds a door that makes you a ghost... and discovers that their Dad's murder wasn't so random after all.

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