Locke & Key (edit title)

• Rated 2 stars

“The story is interesting up to a point but I guess I'm just not enough of a horror fan to enjoy so much bad stuff happening to this one family. I don't understand the use of "Lovecraft" in the title as anything other than a cheap marketing trick that further degrades his great name with modern adaptions and inspirations not worthy of it.

Although I am intrigued by the episodic nature based on different keys but unless Head Games (volume 2) is less physical horror and more nameless, shapeless terror of the unknown I probably won't continue the series.

The hardcover edition is very nice with one of those built-in bookmarks I appreciate so much.”

• Rated 4 stars

“cpauley929 said: 4 stars
I had this one recommended to me, but it's taken me a while to get to it. I really wasn't sure I'd enjoy it all that much, but I was silly to worry. This is a great comic, with great artwork. A family moves in with their uncle after the father is murdered by a former student. Each child has their own pent up secrets and feelings about how their father died. The house they move to, Keyhouse, has many secrets of its own. What else would you expect from a town called Lovecraft.

The story is dark, disturbing and violent, so if those things turn you off, don't pick up this book. But if you love good horror, and a good dark mystery, definitely pick this one up. There are lots of elements of the supernatural as each key opens a different kind of door. Some open to different worlds, some change you as you walk through the door. The kids in the book are developed really well, and there is still so much more to learn about them. I loved it, and can't wait for the next one. The only reason it has 4 stars is because I know there is so much more to come, and I'm expecting it to only get better.
”

• Rated 4 stars

“I had this one recommended to me, but it's taken me a while to get to it. I really wasn't sure I'd enjoy it all that much, but I was silly to worry. This is a great comic, with great artwork. A family moves in with their uncle after the father is murdered by a former student. Each child has their own pent up secrets and feelings about how their father died. The house they move to, Keyhouse, has many secrets of its own. What else would you expect from a town called Lovecraft.

The story is dark, disturbing and violent, so if those things turn you off, don't pick up this book. But if you love good horror, and a good dark mystery, definitely pick this one up. There are lots of elements of the supernatural as each key opens a different kind of door. Some open to different worlds, some change you as you walk through the door. The kids in the book are developed really well, and there is still so much more to learn about them. I loved it, and can't wait for the next one. The only reason it has 4 stars is because I know there is so much more to come, and I'm expecting it to only get better.”

• Rated 5 stars

“new stpry from Joe Hill with all the creepiness you expect and great artwork to boot.”

• Rated 0 stars

“dark, macabre, violent
upper level HS”

• Rated 0 stars

“Pretty good. I'll keep reading when more come out.”

• Rated 5 stars

“Brilliant creepy graphic novel from Joe Hill. Strange and wonderful. Reminiscent of both Stephen King (Joe Hill's dad) and H.P. Lovecraft. Great illustrations. Don't miss this one.”

• Rated 5 stars

“Great comic series!”

• Rated 4 stars

“Joe Hill continues to impress with the kick-off of a new comic book series. It's a thrilling read, full of horror and magic and characters we care about.

There's a part of me that wishes this was a stand-alone collection. Still, as the start to a series Hill has laid the foundation for something that could potentially be epic. ”

• Rated 4 stars

“From Ra for All: http://raforall.blogspot.com/2009/01/what-im-reading-january-2009_31.html

I will begin with Joe Hill's newest work, Locke & Key: Welcome to Love Craft a horror graphic novel, illustrated by Gabriel Rodriguez. This is the first of a planned series following the Locke family's return to their ancestral home in New England after the murder of their father. This is no ordinary home, however. There are doors that when opened have you drop dead and turn into a ghost (you don't stay dead) and a demon itching to be set free in an abandoned well. The illustrations are beautiful, but graphic. Hill's story mostly follows the 3 Locke children (a grade school boy and teen aged boy and girl). Thus, the story is both about the children's grief, coming-of-age issues and the evil force stalking the entire family. In true horror fashion, the conflict is resolved, but the evil lives on, in this case taking the form of a teenage boy who has befriended the Locke kids. This is a satisfyingly creepy read.

For readalikes, you could try the graphic novel versions of Hill's Dad's (Stephen King) Dark Tower series. Neil Gaiman's Sandman series of graphic novels would also be a good choice here. In terms of novels, Gaiman's The Graveyard Book or Neverwhere, both combine the supernatural evil element with a coming-of-age story much like Locke & Key. The works of Bentley Little are also a good bet for those who enjoy the popular "small town horror" subgenre. For those interested in horror in general, here is a link to my previous posts on what is new in the world of horror.”