Locke & Key Vol 1 by Joe HIll

Vol 1, Welcome to Lovecraft: Illustrated by Gabriel Rodríguez

At the onset of this novel, the Locke family is moving into an ancestral mansion on the East Coast to escape the guilt and memories of the murder of their patriarch.  The three children are trying to deal with the grief and figure out their new surroundings.  Son Ty is filled with guilt that he was the cause of his father's murder because he mentioned to a classmate that he wished his father was dead.  Littlest son Bode finds a door in the house that causes the soul to leave the body and become astrally projected.  He also finds a lady locked in a well house who convinced him to bring items that will free her.  To make matters worse, Mr. Locke's murderer escapes, and knows exactly where to find the family to finish the job.

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This story is dark and twisty, just as you would suspect from a family legacy of great works of horror.  I also appreciated the three completely different perspectives of dealing with grief and trauma we get from each child, as well as the how the mother tries to keep everything from falling apart.   I am extremely intrigued by the door of astral projection, as well as the lady in the well house.  There is some resolution at the end, but not enough to satisfy as this is clearly going to be sustained over the many volumes.  Rodríguez' artwork is masterful with gorgeous detail in the mansion, and a true haunting look to all the characters.  

There is quite a bit of cussing in this story, and obvious violence, with some gore, but done so more for the horror element than gratuitously.  This Eisner-winner is sure to find faithful audiences amongst teen horror fans.

Sara's Rating: 9/10
Suitability Level: Grades 9-12

Publisher: IDW
Publication Date: February 1, 2013​
ISBN: 9781600102370 (Paperback)

Tags: Rating: 9/10, Suitability: High School, Comicbooks, Horror, Magic, ​IDW