Locke & Key, Vol. 1: Welcome to Lovecraft
Ratings252
Average rating4
My goodness, this was really good. There was no hanging around; we got into the good stuff right away, which is always appreciated. There was gore, good illustrations, and a strong storyline, which ticks a lot of my boxes. This was my first time reading anything by Joe Hill. I didn't even realise who he was when I purchased this book or that I grew up with his father by my side. I look forward to more.
I loved the style of the paintings in this comic book. And the story is full of action, even though a little bit scary and quite brutal. I am curious about the next 5 books, which I will definitely read soon as well.
This is the first book I have read by Joe Hill and it definitely won't be my last. When I read graphic novels I can sometimes feel like I'm missing some of the story but that wasn't the case with this one. The author sucked me in immediately. I never felt like I needed more information.
It was easy to distinguish between each of the characters. None of them felt similar and they were all fleshed out. Right from the beginning I was attached to the characters and felt for them. Hill just has a way with words. The illustrations were amazing and they depicted the story perfectly. The story as well as the illustrations was a little gruesome but it wasn't overly done.
Overall I really loved this and can't wait to continue on with the next one very soon.
an amazing plot! and the layout and detail of the artwork has not strayed into the realm of “I can't tell where to look next for the storyline!!!” which I don't like. I'm putting that down to “my generation”.
Definitely creeped out with the visual violence.
I honestly have no idea how I feel about this graphic novel. I really don't enjoy the art style but am intrigued by the concept. Parts of the story are interesting while others just fall totally flat.
It is beautiful. But - it hops too much, and there's too many questions, and too few answers. I like the premise, but not the story telling.
Intriguing! I'm looking forward to seeing where this one goes. A really strong first volume.
While I think the story here is interesting, the art style and the way it is being told just aren't for me.
I'm glad I tried it out and I think I know who I can recommend it to if it comes up at work, but yeah it just isn't my style.
wayyy too bloody for me, I prefer more mystery and puzzle than gore and violence.
Best comic book ever!
This is a story of a house with doors...each door can take you to another place , dimension , life or even change who you are one you enter it .
The story is soooo engaging , i was barely able to put it aside to deal with life ..
The artwork is amazing ! you can feel and hear the characters only by looking at their eyes !
I don't read a lot of comic books , but i absolutely loved this one , and i definitely will read the rest of the books in this series... !
I'm finding it jumping around a bit, but I can tell already this series will be good. It's a little unclear about who the antagonist is and where they came from, but I imagine it will clear up.
A comic written by Stephen King's son, with a blatant Lovecraft callout? Creepy house with magic keys? Mysterious entity in a well? Are we surprised that I like this?
Upon finishing this, I immediately borrowed the next volume (thank you ComiXology Unlimited!). Can't wait to see what happens next!
I originally got this as an Audible book. Yes - a comic book adapted to audio form. It works better than you'd think, but not well enough to stand on its own, in my opinion. I would recommend reading the comic first, and if you love it, check out the audio version so you can appreciate the great vocal performances without being too confused. Also, it would be a shame to miss out on the fabulous art by Gabriel Rodriguez!
Listen, reviewing this incredibly fantastic run as separate volumes is a dumpster fire. What good exactly is giving volume three 5 stars when it's part of a six volume series? I will say off the top that this is one of my all time favorite long running graphic novel series. Over the span of 35 issues Hill and Rodriguez tell a gripping horror story filled to the brim with a huge host of characters that nonetheless feel fleshed out and wonderfully realized. Rodriguez' artwork never flags, never feels like midway through he's just phoning panels in to meet an issue deadline. The artwork is intricate, interesting and ambitious. Hill avoids over dialoging and other traps traditional authors might fall into making the transition to comics. The two together have crafted a brilliant piece of work that understands the medium it's in.
Which is to say I'm not sure how well this is going to make the transition to TV. I mean in this the first volume we see Rendell Locke violently murdered by two students. The rest of the family barely escape death, the mother is raped and the eldest kills one of the perpetrators. And yet in the aftermath after the family has moved across the country to the family's Keyhouse Estate the youngest Bode seems remarkably well adjusted and still in possession of a wide-eyed innocence and curiosity. The eldest are still quick to trust new friends and are no more mopey than any typical highschool teen. In comics that gets a pass for the sake of the medium and it's need to push the story forward. On TV - that's going to feel weird and may require some handwringing and inserted family drama which slows down the pacing. It's not going to be an easy transition. Speaking of transitions... I guess I'll continue reviewing these across the volumes. Not all are 5 stars, I figure the entire run averages a 4.25 stars overall.
It's Joe Hill. Of course, I'm going to like it. So we'll see how the next volume goes.
Kinsey is so great.
Kinsey is still so great. Obviously, I reread it, and I'm on the second volume now. And obviously, I've changed my rating, BECAUSE IT IS SO BLOODY GOOD.
Just AMAZING story, and the art makes a delight to read the story, giving a balance to the terrifying story.
The art in this was amazing. So creepy and dark. But I am really intrigued to see what is going on at Lovecraft. I also really want to know more about the keys.
I also appreciated how each character had their own issues that they were dealing with and how that all added to the overall story.
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.