[BOOK REVIEW] Locke and Key: Alpha and Omega by Joe Hill

Title:  Locke and Key:  Alpha and Omega 

Author: Joe Hill

Artist:  Gabriel Rodriguez

Genre:  Horror / Family / Supernatural

Year Published: 2014

Year Read:  8/21/2014

Publisher: IDW Comics

Series: Locke and Key #6

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 16+ (Gory Violence and Strong Language)

Introduction:

I have been reading Joe Hill’s magnificent “Locke and Key” series for years and now we finally get the ultimate finale for this wonderful series!  I have been wondering for years about how this series was going to end and whether or not I would be impressed with the results.  Well, I have to say that this is one volume that really defines the meaning of “DRAMA BOMB FINALE” and it has exceeded my expectations far more than I expected!

What is this story about?

In this volume, Lucas “Dodge” Caravaggio (who is now in Bode Locke’s body due to his own body getting destroyed in the previous volumes) has now obtained the very key he was looking for: the dreaded key that would open THE BLACK DOOR!  Lucas then comes up with a dastardly plan to get most of the high school students to go to the Drowning Cave so he could summon up the demons on the other side of the door to overtake the Locke Kids’ world!

Can Tyler, Kinsey, Scot, Nina and Rufus stop Lucas from unleashing all the demons into their world before it is too late?

What I loved about this story:

Joe Hill’s writing: I have said it once and I will say it again, Joe Hill’s writing continues to amaze me as he brilliantly wove both horror and comedy into one volume!  I really loved the way that Joe Hill developed the Locke Kids throughout this series as they went from being heartbroken about the death of their father to trying to save everyone from Lucas’ malicious plan while slowly getting over the death of their father.  I really enjoyed the character interactions that the Locke Kids had with their classmates since we mostly saw the Locke Kids interacting with each other more often than they interacted with the other students and I loved the way that some of the relationships (especially between Kinsey and Jamal) had developed even further during these past few volumes. I also loved the way that Joe Hill had all the hanging plot threads established in the previous volumes come together in this volume.  While I was reading this series, I had been wondering for so long about what Lucas was really looking for and what his true intentions are for using the missing keys and when I found out in this volume, I was absolutely blown away with terror and sadness.  I especially loved the way that Joe Hill ended this book as it was pretty bittersweet and yet it fits perfectly with the sweet and horrific tone of this series.

Gabriel Rodriguez’s artwork:  Gabriel Rodriguez’s artwork is as usual beautifully drawn as he does a brilliant job at drawing the expressions on the characters’ faces, especially whenever they are shocked or frightened which happens quite often in this volume!  I also loved the images of the shadow creatures that attack the protagonists since they look truly frightening as they take forms of various creatures such as wolves and skeletons and they are probably the most realistic characters in this volume!

What made me feel uncomfortable about this story:

For anyone who does not like gory violence and strong language, this volume is filled to the brim with images of characters getting cut in half and blood spraying everywhere and that might be a bit too disturbing for anyone who does not like violence.  Also, this volume has some strong language such as the constant use of the “f” word, even though the language in this volume is not as strong as the previous volumes.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, “Locke and Key: Alpha and Omega” is a fantastic finale to an otherwise brilliant series and even though I am sad that this series has come to a close, I am glad that we got one awesome ending to a highly acclaimed series!

 

[BOOK REVIEW] Locke and Key: Clockworks by Joe Hill

Title:  Locke and Key:  Clockworks

Author: Joe Hill

Artist: Gabriel Rodriguez


Genre: Horror /  Fantasy


Year Published: 2012


Year Read: 2013


Series: Locke and Key #5


Publisher: IDW Comics

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 16+ (Gory Violence and Strong Language)
 

Introduction:

After reading the previous four volumes of Joe Hill’s highly acclaimed graphic novel series “Locke and Key,” I was trying to figure out for the longest time about what the Locke kids’ father, Rendell Locke, knew about the keys that are located in the Lovecraft house.  Well, let me proudly say that “Locke and Key: Clockworks” will reveal everything about the origin of the keys and the main villain himself!

What is this story about?

Even though Tyler and Kinsey Locke managed to defeat Lucas “Dodge” Caravaggio in the last volume, it turns out that Lucas now possesses the body of the youngest Locke child, Bode!  Not only that, but Tyler and Kinsey stumbled upon a mysterious key that would allow the kids to time travel and it was then that they decided to explore their deceased father’s past.  What would Tyler and Kinsey find and will the revelation destroy them or will it help prepare them for the battle ahead?

What I loved about this story:

Joe Hill’s writing: Wow! Joe Hill just continues to amaze me with his dramatic and emotional writing on the “Locke and Key” series!  Over the course of the series, I have been wondering about how the Locke kids’ deceased father was connected to the keys that the kids discovered in the house.  So, imagine my delight when I came across a volume that would reveal everything about Rendell Locke and his connection with the keys! I loved the way that Joe Hill used the time travelling aspect of the story to reveal to the audience about how the past would affect Tyler and Kinsey and the upcoming battle that they will have to face.  I also loved the fact that Joe Hill brought so much emotion in this volume as I really felt traumatized when I saw how the past events that happened to Rendell really affected him and his friends for many years.  I also loved how all the pieces are coming together in this volume as there were vague hints about how Lucas ties into the Locke kids’ father’s past and it was great to see those hints being put to full circle here.  Joe Hill had done a fantastic job at making this volume truly frightening and intense as I was literally on the edge of my seat whenever the Locke kids were going on these frightening adventures to discover the truth about their father.

Gabriel Rodriguez’s artwork:  Gabriel Rodriguez’s artwork as usual, greatly captured the dramatic feel of this series.  I really loved the way that Gabriel Rodriguez illustrated the characters’ facial expressions as their expressions of being frightened and angry truly shows in the most effective way!  I also loved the way that Gabriel Rodriguez illustrated the gory scenes of the characters being killed as I found myself cringing at the murders because of how detailed and gruesome they are shown.

What made me feel uncomfortable about this story:

Probably the only issue with this book is the strong language and the gory violence.  Even though the strong language in this book does not show up as often as in the previous books, there are still mentions of the “f” and the “s” words littered in some of the panels.  Also, there is some strong violence in this volume which includes characters having their heads cut off and blood splattering all over the panels.  This might be uncomfortable for anyone who does not like seeing gore in any graphic novel.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, “Locke and Key: Clockworks” is definitely what I would call a “WHAM” volume as everything is finally revealed about each character and the result is ALARMING!  Now that I know everything about the main villain and the characters’ pasts, I am definitely looking forward to reading the sixth volume of this series!

 

[BOOK REVIEW] Locke and Key: Keys to the Kingdom by Joe Hill

Title:  Locke and Key: Keys to the Kingdom

Author:  Joe Hill

Artist:  Gabriel Rodriguez


Genre: Supernatural / Horror / Family


Year Published: 2011


Year Read: 2012


Series: Locke and Key #4


Publisher: IDW Comics

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 16+ (Strong Language and Gory Violence)

 

I have been reading Joe Hill’s fantastic “Locke and Key” series for awhile and so far, this series has been nothing but brilliant so far and I am enjoying every single story coming out of this series!  The fourth volume “Locke and Key: Keys to the Kingdom” is an Eisner nominated book by Joe Hill that proves to be the huge turning point for this series as Zack Wells, who turns out to be Lucas Don Caravaggio in a new body, starts showing his true colors!  “Locke and Key: Keys to the Kingdom” is a brilliant volume that will definitely turn the tides for this series!

There are a total of five chapters in this volume and here are the chapters:

Chapter One: Sparrow:

In this chapter, Joe Hill makes a tribute to Bill Watterson’s famous comic strip “Calvin and Hobbes” by detailing a story where Bode tries to make new friends but there appears to be a key that can turn anyone into a wolf and Zack happens to obtain the key to transform himself into a wolf and attack Tyler and Kinsey! Meanwhile, Bode is able to transform himself into a bird and has crazy adventures in his bird form!

Chapter Two: White

When an elderly woman named Erin Voss started acting crazy every time she is near something white, Kinsey encounters the subject of racism, while she is curious about how Erin Voss knows about her father Rendell.  So to approach Erin Voss, Kinsey finds a key that allows her to change the color of her skin.  But what secrets is Erin Voss hiding?

Chapter Three: February

During this month, the Locke kids go through so many supernatural activities where they are attacked by various monsters.  Meanwhile, the kids try to tell their friends about the keys, but they end up facing the consequences of their actions.

Chapter Four: Casualties

When Rufus, Coach Whedon’s son is visited by the ghost of Sam Lesser, he finds out that Zack Wells is not all he is cracked up to be and Rufus must find a way to warn the Locke kids about Zack.

Chapter Five: Detectives

When Tyler discovers something foul about Zack Wells, he goes to find out more about Zack Wells and his connection with the murders in the town.  Unfortunately, Tyler will soon realize that Zack might be up to some sinister tricks that could endanger his family!

Oh my goodness!  Did I mention before that this series just keeps getting better and better every time I read them?  The fourth volume in the “Locke and Key” series is definitely no exception to this as it serves to be a huge turning point for our favorite Locke kids!  Joe Hill has once again done an excellent job at balancing the supernatural nature of this story with the everyday problems that the Locke kids have to face after the death of their father.  I loved the way that Joe Hill portrayed the relationships between Tyler, Kinsey and Bode as they all care about each other and it was great seeing them protect each other from any danger that comes towards them.  I also loved seeing the relationships that the Locke kids have with their friends, especially Kinsey with Jamal and Scot as they are extremely close with each other and I loved the dialogues that Joe Hill sets up between the three of them as they are extremely funny and thought-provoking to read.  I also loved the tension that Joe Hill builds up with Zack Wells as it seems that his true nature is beginning the show in the most terrifying way possible (there was one scene where Zack seems to do something to a person that made me really cringe – you have to read it for yourself!)  Gabriel Rodriguez’s artwork is as always truly dramatic and gorgeous to look at as all the coloring is dark which fits the gloomy feel of this story and I loved the way that the characters look semi-realistic which really gives the story a more mature feel.  I also loved the way that Gabriel Rodriguez was able to portray the Locke kids as characters from “Calvin and Hobbes” in the first chapter “Sparrow” and the artwork in that chapter truly portrayed the spirit and humor that came from the “Calvin and Hobbes” comics.

As with the majority of the “Locke and Key” series, this volume has extremely strong language and many violent and disturbing scenes that would cause anyone who is not used to gory images to feel uncomfortable.  I have mentioned before that there was a little scene where Zack does something horrible to another character and it might disturb many readers (it definitely disturbed me a bit, although the artwork was fantastic for that scene).

Overall, “Locke and Key: Keys to the Kingdom” is a brilliant volume that really turns this series to a new direction and I cannot wait to see what will become of the Locke kids at this point!  Now, I am definitely excited for the fifth volume “Clockworks!”

[BOOK REVIEW] Locke and Key: Crown of Shadows Volume 3 by Joe Hill

Title:  Locke and Key: Crown of Shadows Volume 3

Author:  Joe Hill

Artist:  Gabriel Rodriguez


Genre: Supernatural / Horror / Adventure


Year Published: 2010


Year Read: 2012


Series: Locke and Key #3


Publisher: IDW Comics

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 16+ (Strong Language and Disturbing Moments)
 

Oh my goodness!  This series just keeps getting better and better every time I pick up a new volume on Joe Hill’s fantastic “Locke and Key” series!  In the third volume “Crown of Shadows,” we are introduced to the more mysterious and haunting adventures of the Locke kids and how well they are trying to get on after the death of their father.  “Locke and Key: Crown of Shadows” is definitely a brilliant follow up to the second volume “Head Games” that fans of the “Locke and Key” series will love!

Now that Kinsey has ridden herself of all her fears and pain in “Head Games,” she is now a new person as she takes dangerous dares without fear and no longer mourns over the death of her father.  Also, it seems that Zack Wells has found the Shadow Key and is planning on using the key to find the legendary key to the well house while dealing with the Locke kids.

I have to say that I enjoyed this volume even more than the first and second volumes (although I still loved the first two volumes just as much).  After reading “Head Games,” I wanted to see what Kinsey would be like once she removed the fear and the pain aspects of her nature from her head.  What I got was a truly unbelievable and a bit unnerving experience from seeing the change in Kinsey’s character.  When Kinsey was first introduced in “Welcome to Lovecraft,” she was a wreck after the death of her father and it was sad seeing her be all moody and upset at everything life threw at her.  Joe Hill however has done an excellent job at portraying Kinsey’s new personality as Kinsey is now a confident and brave girl, which was a huge change from her moody personality early on.  I also loved the way that Joe Hill crafted the mystery surrounding Zack Wells and his ambition in finding the key to the well house that could possibly put his plan to fruition.  Since we still do not know what Zack’s true plans are regarding the keys, it was interesting seeing Zack collecting most of the keys in the Lovecraft house and discovering what each key does and in this volume, we are introduced to the shadow key which brings people’s shadows to life and boy, was it truly a terrifying experience in seeing the powers of the shadow key!  Gabriel Rodriguez’s artwork is truly effective in this volume as the colorings on the artwork are bleak, which is a perfect mood for a story that is based on horror elements.  Probably my most favorite images in this volume were the images of the shadow creatures as they look frightening and they have sleek dark skins that make them look beautiful and terrifying at the same time.

For anyone who does not like strong language and disturbing content, this volume has extremely strong language and it might be best to skip over the dialogues that have strong language if it is troubling to read through.  Also, there is some disturbing content in this volume regarding the scenes where the shadows start overtaking the Locke kids’ house and that might be a bit disturbing to some readers.

Overall, “Locke and Key: Crown is Shadows” is a truly awesome volume that brilliantly develops the characters even further and would keep any reader in suspense throughout the whole volume!  Now, I am off to read the fourth volume, “Keys to the Kingdom!”

[BOOK REVIEW] Locke and Key: Head Games Volume 2 by Joe Hill

Title:  Locke and Key:  Head Games Volume 2

Author:  Joe Hill

Artist:  Gabriel Rodriguez 

Genre: Supernatural / Horror / Fantasy


Year Published: 2009


Year Read: 2012


Series: Locke and Key #2


Publisher: IDW Comics

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 16+ (Strong Language and Gory Violence)

After reading the first volume of Joe Hill’s fantastic “Locke and Key” series, “Welcome to Lovecraft,” I wanted to see more adventures from the Locke siblings, Tyler, Kinsey and Bode!  But after reading the second volume of the “Locke and Key” series, “Head Games,” I got even more than I bargained for as I not only saw more adventures starring the Locke kids, but we also got more background information on the mysterious “lady in the well” or is known as Zack in this volume!  “Locke and Key: Head Games” is definitely one fantastic follow up to the first volume that fans will easily get into!

The story starts off with an old man named Joe Ridgeway who happens to be one of the teachers at the Locke kids’ school and how he relates to the audience about how he lost his true love to cancer years ago.  However, the story starts to pick up when Joe Ridgeway soon discovers the dark secret of Zack Wells, a new student who had mysteriously transferred from another school and how he does not seem like a normal student. We also start to learn more about Zack Wells and how he is mysteriously tied to a man named Lucas Don Caravaggio who knew the Locke kids’ father.  Also, the Locke kids find another key that can open another door to your head!

Alright, so now that I have pretty much summarized this volume without spoiling too much from the story, here are some things I liked about this volume!  For one thing, I really enjoyed the way that Joe Hill explained the background history of Lucas Don Caravaggio, a young man who seems to have known the Locke kids’ father in this volume.  It was really interesting learning about how Lucas Don Caravaggio is connected to the mysterious Zack Wells since that seems to be essential to the plot of this series so far and I loved the way that Joe Hill is trying to alert the readers about Zack’s secret plans for the Locke kids without really spoiling too much of his plans.  It is true that I wanted more adventures with the three kids Tyler, Kinsey and Bode and we did get more adventures starring these three kids, especially when they found the head key, but Joe Hill also continues their story on how they are still coping with their father’s death and yet are becoming close friends with Zack Wells (despite not knowing his true intentions for being with them, which brings so much tension to the story). Gabriel Rodriguez’s artwork is as always gorgeous to look at and I loved the colorings that he puts on the artwork as they are a bit dark and dreary which fits the mood of the story and I also loved the facial expressions on the characters as you can see the frightened expressions whenever they are terrified of a certain situation (and believe me, it happens quite often in this volume!).  Also, I loved how Gabriel Rodriguez actually has some surreal imagery in this volume, especially when we take a peak inside the character’s heads and see how they view their lives!

For anyone who does not like strong language or violence in graphic novels aka comics, then be forewarned that this volume contains a bunch of language and some gory violence.  Although this volume was not as violent as the first volume, there are still some scenes where people are murdered and there is a lot of blood being shown during these murder scenes.  Also, some readers might be a bit disturbed at the idea about characters being able to open up their heads even though it does not hurt the characters when they do this.

Overall, “Locke and Key: Head Games” is a brilliant follow up to the first volume and has done an excellent job at explaining not only the Locke kids’ current situation, but it also reveals the back story on Lucas Don Caravaggio that proves to be a huge focus on the “Locke and Key” stories in the future.  I am definitely looking forward to reading the third volume in the “Locke and Key” series, “Crown of Shadows!”