Blood of the Muse: Comic Break: Locke & Key Head Games #1 (IDW Publishing)

Comic Break: Locke & Key Head Games #1 (IDW Publishing)

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Locke & Key: Head Games
Issue: #1
Writer: Joe Hill
Artist: Gabriel Rodriguez
32 pp. IDW Publishing. $3.99

Reviewed by Paul Stotts

Loneliness. Terrifying to some, a relief to others. But losing a long time spouse occasions a feeling of loneliness that’s more intimate. A deeper, more personal loss. The loss of emotional and intellectual intimacy. What we wouldn’t do to have that person back! The one person who understands us. The one person who makes us feel complete.

And not just be left with memories of them. Because memories torture. They remind us of what was—and what is no longer. They are what’s left. Insubstantial. Fleeting. Fading.

Like ghosts.

And if anyone knows a thing or two about ghosts, it’s Joe Hill.

On the heels of last year’s wonderful mini-series Locke & Key: Welcome to Lovecraft, writer Joe Hill and artist Gabriel Rodriguez have returned with a new six issue set, Locke & Key: Head Games. And in the first issue, Hill and Rodriguez have already upped the ante.

Hill has consistently focused on grief in the series, examining his character’s various reactions to it. How do they deal with death? And with loss? Memories have played an important role also, serving as ghostly remembrances of a happier time. What happens when memories are more appealing than reality? When the past is more interesting than the present? Hill makes us feel this loss. A loss of hope.

Not enough superlatives can be heaped upon Rodriguez’s artwork. It’s fantastic. With each issue he’s consistently improved, refining his storytelling prowess. There is a double splash in the issue featuring the staging of Shakespeare’s The Tempest that is unbelievably detailed, a gorgeous showpiece that speaks volumes about Rodriguez’s enormous talent. I’m eagerly anticipating the next issue to see what Gabriel draws next.

Locke & Key has become synonymous with the highest quality. This issue doesn’t change that impression.

Final Grade: 86 out of 100