Locke & Key, Vol. 1: Welcome to Lovecraft

Holy hell, this was impressive. I haven't read a lot of graphic novel horror as of yet, and I wasn't sure how it translated over. How do you build up tension and unease when the reader can see the entire page at once? Well, Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez figured it out. Let me tell you. This graphic novel is intense! If you're not comfortable with blood and violence, you may want to stay far far away from this series.

So much is packed into this first volume. Welcome to Lovecraft introduces readers to the the ill-fated family and their home, Keyhouse. A home filled with all sorts of magical doors, and a centuries old evil lurking within. I loved this first volume. The characters managed to be perfectly vivid, despite the short time I had to get to know them. Bode is absolutely my favorite. The concept of a child, someone who hasn't been jaded by life yet, being a perfect vessel for evil? Well, it terrifies and intrigues me at the same time.

Oh, and the panels. While I'm not usually a fan of caricature art in comics, it fits this story perfectly. Rodriguez expertly creates atmosphere that twines with the dark and evil plot line, making for a deliciously creepy read. Again, if you can't handle violence and blood I'm warning you now to stay away. These panels are tough to look at sometimes. Some of them are disturbing even. I had quite a few instances of uncontrollable shivers.

A great start! Volume 2 awaits.