This week marks a major event for many fans of the Locke Family’s battle against the forces of darkness. IT’S ALMOST OVER! Locke & Key: Alpha is the final series in the story of a house, keys, dark, light, and the strength of friends and family.
I picked up this book this week having never read any other issues in this series but knowing that Joe Hill is Stephen King’s son. I love the Master of Horror and looked forward to seeing what his son could dish out. The first cool thing I noticed, other than the awesome cover, was a very nice summary of the story so far in black and white on the inside front cover. This was useful, but I still had to surf the net for a few minutes to get the gist of what was going.
This is a huge story beginning in February of 2008 and ending in just one more issue. Locke & Key: Alpha #1 is the first issue of a 2-issue series that wraps up the Locke & Key series. After five different 6-issue story arcs, the five-issue Omega series, and two one-shot books, Locke & Key: Alpha #1 delivers a solid story, action, tears, and only left me wanting to read every other issue in the rest of the series. I figure, with 38 other issues to read, either single issues or graphic novels, I would be busy for a while.
I almost hate to tell too much of what happens, because people die… and, even from the little I knew about the characters when they died, it was sad to lose them. This book is really the peak of a long running story and so many things culminate in this final battle. Dodge, a demon possessing the youngest Locke child, Bode, looks poised to get everything he wants as the Black Door has been opened. All the players are on the scene, some in the caverns under Keyhouse and some in the house itself, but all fighting for their lives.
The artwork of this book is very crisp and only adds to the unique and compelling story. There is one battle, in particular, in the first few pages, where there is a fight with this shadow demon and the use of light and darkness makes it a great fight. I am hooked.
Knowing this is the next to last book of this story is sad, in a way, but I am glad that I got to be part of it as it happens. I was even more hyped when I heard that Universal Studios had picked up the movie rights and that Alex Kurtzman and Robert Orci, the same folks that brought us Transformers and Star Trek, were working on the script. Sounds like we could see a Locke & Key movie very soon.
This book may not be for everyone, as there is some graphic language and violence. Plus, this is a giant-sized issue, so the cover price is twice regular size issues, but, if you are a fan of H.P. Lovecraft, Stephen King, or Clive Barker, you will love Locke & Key: Alpha #1.
