Author: Joe Hill
Artist: Gabriel Rodriguez
Series: Locke & Key #1
Pages: 168
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…
Horror/Terror: Understanding the difference between terror and horror is not that hard. Deciding which one has the more weight in the first volume of Locke & Key is another matter. I will align my opinion to that of the majority and say this comic is mostly horror. I could invest sometime explaining both genres, but this lady over here does a much better job than I could manage.
Dark, Gore: If you have only seen the TV show that has adapted these comics, those badges could come as a surprise. Sam Lesser is a much darker character than his Netflix counterpart, with plenty of bloody scenes and uncalled cruelty. I would even say this first volume is more about that guy and his thirst for blood than the house and its keys. So, if you were expecting to find something light as in the TV show, you should look elsewhere. That could change in the following volumes, though.
Overall it is a rather enjoyable comic with an outstanding art that mesmerized me from the beginning. I would have prefered a little more about the keys, but I guess there is still plenty of time to get into that.
