Locke & Key, Vol. 1: Welcome to Lovecraft by Joe Hill
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

How can seeing so much blood and gore translate, to me, as a story without enough action?

So, instead, I decided to read this first volume as a psychological study that included the Locke's keys as wish fulfillment and everything bad coming at them as the regular subconscious horrors. Was I more impressed? Yes.

Is this all I'm getting out of the too-slowly developing tale? Hell no. I want to see where the magic takes me and Bode and all the siblings, or where it doesn't take them. The door was nice and ominous. The keys are just a little too mysterious and under utilized in the first volume, but I'm not giving up yet.

Honestly? If I wanted something stretched out, more full development, I think I might have enjoyed this much, much more as a well-crafted novel and not as a comic. I've always been a fan of horror, and the drawing of suspense before we're fully invested is some of the best features of the genre. This is doing it, too, but I'm off-skilter with this one's pacing. Either draw out the characterizations much more, or give me a in media res that doesn't rely on butchery.

Is it just me, or is anyone else tired of opening up a book to read a murder being committed before I've begun to care for any of the actors?

I am not giving this a three-star, because it doesn't deserve that disservice. The art was great and the story is very good, so far. I love the lady in the well, but I can do without the knock-knock jokes. Everyone besides Bode seems to be walking around like zombies, and the kid's dead half the time. What's up with that? Ah, I'm sure things'll change later. Like I said, I'm invested. I'm also just grumbling. I'll get over it.

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