Locke and Key: Totally worth opening

I had really waffled about getting the third tier of the recent IDW Comics bundle on Humble Bundle. But getting it would get me the full run of Locke and Key and I had heard so much good about it. So I got it.

And it was the right choice. I burned through all six volumes of Locke and Key in a few days and it was great. 

Locke and Key is the story of three siblings who move into a mansion that turns out to be full of magical keys. Which might sound like it will be like Five Children and It or Half-Magic. However, the name of the town the mansion is Lovecraft and the comic book really delivers on that promise.

Locke and Key is a blend of psychological and cosmic horror. The cosmic horror is more subdued, more of an intrinsic part of the background than something that the characters constantly confront. But it is what is really driving the plot.

A big part of the appeal and plot comes from character development. Tyler, Kinsey and Bode are all deeply damaged from the horrible incident at the beginning that leaves their father dead and their mother raped. And their healing journey includes plenty of bad choices and backsliding. Which makes their victories all the more powerful.

I was surprised to learn that Joe Hill, the author, is actually Stephen King's son. (And while he really was named after the activist :D) This has gotten me a lot more interested in seeing what else he has written.

I've tried to minimize spoilers. Which is a shame because it would've been really fun to have talked about them. :P But Locke and Key is really good, a coming of age story with magic keys and horrible monsters.