Locke & Key
Issue: #4
Writer: Joe Hill
Artist: Gabriel Rodriguez
32 pp. IDW Publishing. $3.99
Reviewed by Paul Stotts
Joe Hill's and Gabriel Rodriguez' "Locke & Key" has been an incredibly enjoyable and effective horror comic over the first three issues. Filled with ghostly weirdness, shocking violence, and wonderful in-depth character study, the series has really turned into top-notch graphic literature.
The last few issues have each focused on different characters in the story, and this issue is no exception. Sam Lesser, the escaped murderer of Rendell Locke, is traveling to Lovecraft, Massachusetts to confront the surviving members of the Locke clan. Through the shifting of the narrative time frame, we get a peek into Sam's troubled background, and how Rendell Locke played a part in his life. This examination of Sam gives him a humanity, even though it is remarkably twisted. He is a monster, but there are reasons for his murderous behavior, a disconnect between Sam's perception and the world.
Hill does a wonderful job in exploring the psychology of a sociopath considering the page restraints in a comic book. Ultimately, this psychological exploration makes Sam seem more real, and his murderous rampage even more chilling. Sam is an example of those teenagers that commit horrendous and shocking acts of violence that stun us to the point of not comprehending how a young man can devolve to such a point of immorality.
Rodriguez continues providing beautiful art to the series, each panel meticulously crafted and furthering the story. He is adept at conveying mood and tension in his art, and we get so much information about the characters from his pictures alone. Overall, another top-notch, chilling issue in an amazing series.
Final Grade: 87 out of 100
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