Comics You Should Be Reading: Locke & Key

When I decided to check out Locke & Key, I made the mistake of only grabbing a few comics. It looked interesting enough, and I figured I'd flip through them the next time I was bored and looking for something to read. One hour later, I had devoured every issue. I was completely immersed in this world, completely attached to these characters, and didn't know how I was supposed to wait to read what came next. I can't remember what I thought Locke & Key would be like. Maybe a neat little comic about a haunted house, or a spooky story about cursed keys. Whatever my expectations were, what I got was so much more.

Locke & Key is one of the most imaginative, engaging comics currently on the market. Writer Joe Hill has built a world that feels incredibly vibrant and full. There are so many ideas in this comic that are only teased at, but it feels like every element of the comic has a complete story behind it. The universe is full of magic, but there's a believably to it that makes even its most fantastic elements resonate. It'd be easy for a comic about a strange house and magical keys to feel cliche, but Locke & Key is something wholly original, from the way its keys are used to the way the story unfolds.

What really separates Locke & Key from so many other horror comics out there is its characters. At times, they feel painfully relatable, and even minor characters feel fully fleshed out. Any character in Locke & Key, even the ones who have only had a few lines, could easily carry a comic all their own, and I'd love to see Hill spin out some characters and develop them further. The characters sometimes make the dumb decisions that all horror characters do, but they feel like natural choices for the character, not unnatural stupidity for plot convenience. It's what keeps them likable and sympathetic, and what grounds the story in the real world.

The art of Gabriel Rodriguez is yet another element that makes Locke & Key so special. I don't think I fully appreciated his work when I first started reading the comic, but every time I re-read my issues, I become more aware of how wonderful his art really is. There are entire stories told only in his backgrounds, and his facial expressions say more than line after line of dialogue could. At one point in the comic, he changes his style to one similar to that of Bill Watterson. It's extremely effective, and it's a testament to his talent that he can utilize a variety of styles without making his art feel like someone else's. Colorist Jay Foto really understands how to bring Rodriguez's work to life, using bright, lively colors that make his panels pop.

Even if you don't normally like horror comics, you should give Locke & Key a chance. There's plenty of subject matter here worthy of a scary tale, but more than anything, it's a story about a family. The relationships between the members of the Locke family err more on the site of painful than saccharine and sweet, but it feels truly authentic, and makes you want to see the family find happiness in spite of everything else. The series is often touching, but those moments come from strange and sometimes twisted places. Sometimes this comic is tremendous fun, and sometimes, it absolutely breaks my heart, but I always enjoy reading it, even the issues I've already read many a time.

I'd recommend Locke & Key to fans of horror, fans of mystery, fans of fanciful tales and everything else in between. It's just a well-written, well paced comic that never fails to suck me in. Locke & Key is somewhat unique in that its stories are told in volumes, which makes it a great book to catch up with in trade. You get a complete, satisfying story in each volume. Just be prepared to go looking for more immediately after you finish what you're reading. Locke & Key is currently in the middle of its fifth volume, Clockworks, and will conclude with volume 6. You can get a peek at the first issue of Locke & Key here, and Locke & Key, Vol. 1: Welcome to Lovecraft can be found on Amazon or at your favorite comics retailer.

By Marceline with 2 comments

Comics You Should Be Reading: Green Wake

There's no comic quite like Green Wake. Were I pressed to compare it to something, I'd name Silent Hill- both are set in mysterious, horrific towns that seem to draw you towards them. That understand the worst things about you, and the best ways to haunt you. Towns that, for most who come across them, there is no true escape.

The series primarily focuses on Morley Mack and Kreiger, whose unusual appearance has yet to be explained. Like many tales, this one opens with a murder. But as Mack and Kreiger begin their investigation, we soon learn that Green Wake is not an ordinary place. The town's strange nature is revealed to the reader gradually, at a pace that will make them more curious rather than leave them irritated. Some questions receive answers quickly, some are built into bigger mysteries, and some solutions are only teased at. And as readers start to learn more about Green Wake, they may become more and more reluctant to understand the truth at the center of it.

What I love about Green Wake is that in spite of all its strangeness, it's a true detective tale at its heart. When I read it, I feel like David Lynch decided it might be fun to try adapting a Dashiell Hammett classic. Writer Kurtis J. Wiebe, who also created the madcap, mad science gone wrong action series The Intrepids, does a beautiful job of setting the scene with his gripping prose. Every character in Green Wake, even the minor ones, has a clear voice and leaves the reader wanting to know more about them and what brought them to the town. The more I learn about Green Wake, the more fascinating its residents become, and now that the series is an ongoing, I hope we'll have the chance to hear plenty of their tales.

Green Wake was originally intended to be a miniseries, and had ended at issue 5, I would have been satisfied. The town still has many, many mysteries, but character arcs were sufficiently wrapped up, and readers were given enough information to develop their own theories about the town's nature. The series' new start keeps what was great about the original series while taking it in a new direction. In issues to come, it appears we'll be getting more of an ensemble cast, and I expect the introduction of new characters will only deepen the town's mythology. Issue 6 of the series gave us a few tantalizing pieces of information that I think will play a big role in the issues to come.

The art plays as big a role as the writing when it comes to establishing the town's atmosphere. Riley Rossmo's scratchy, dreary style is ideal for the town, and his beautiful shading and colors give readers a real sense of what living in Green Wake would be like. There's more detail in his work than you might notice at first glance. His backgrounds can be surprisingly intricate, and his facial expressions and body language are absolutely incredible. I mentioned before that Wiebe gives every character a unique voice, and I feel like his work shines its brightest near the end of the first storyline, and Rossmo layers on top of that, giving them little tics that make them feel like living, breathing people. I'm excited by the way certain changes to the town since then have changed his style, and I hope future issues give him more chances to experiment.

Now is the perfect time to start reading Green Wake. One storyline has just concluded and another has just begun, so readers can get some gratification before diving into a new sea of mysteries. Green Wake isn't a series for everyone- it's dark, violent, often grotesquely so, and town's unfathomable nature is sure to frustrate some readers. But for anyone who appreciates an unusual, eerie tale, who loves to try and figure things out or just be lost in a mystery, Green Wake can't be beat. Both its art and its storytelling are masterful, and its characters are wonderfully constructed. Green Wake is truly different from every other comic on the market right now, and that's what makes it a must read.

If you're interested in catching up with Green Wake, you can read the first issue for free here. You can also grab the Green Wake Volume 1 TP off Amazon or from your local comic shop.

By Marceline with No comments

Comics You Should Be Reading: Daredevil

Daredevil is a character I've never really been able to get into. On paper, he totally seems like the sort of hero I'd enjoy. I'm a big fan of street level superheroes, and I really dig the super senses gimmick. But when I've tried to pick up a Daredevil comic and read, I haven't really enjoyed myself. It's not that the stories are bad- I've tried some of the most acclaimed Daredevil runs- it's that they weren't fun to read. When I've read Daredevil, I've felt like the writers are more interested in showing me how miserable Matt Murdock can be, and aren't as concerned with showing me how awesome he can be. There's plenty of room in the world for a good, angst ridden cape comic, but that's not the sort of Daredevil I want to read.

So why exactly did I wind up picking up Daredevil? The amazing first issue cover helped, but mostly, I gave this a chance because of Mark Waid. Waid has written a ton of terrific stories- Tower of Babel, Kingdom Come, and Born to Run, just to name a few- and I'm willing to give anything he writes at least an issue. And after how great Daredevil's been? I'm going to advise you do the same.

The first issue of Daredevil is incredibly accessible, even if you've never read a Daredevil comic in your life. The basics are laid out for the reader within the first page, and more recent backstory is provided in a natural way as the story progresses. More important than any of that, though, is how much fun this version Daredevil is. Matt Murdock seems determined to squeeze every drop of joy out of life he can, and there's this gleeful energy every time you see him wearing his horns. In past Daredevil stories, artists have gone for a static, photorealistic look, but here, it's pure kinetic energy. Mark Waid's writing does plenty to show readers what a cool character Daredevil is, but Paolo Rivera's art takes it to the next level- he renders the world as Daredevil sees it beautifully, and gives fans some of the best looking pages in comics right now.

But where I really fell in love with Daredevil was in that same issue's second story. While visiting his father's grave with Foggy Nelson, Matt turns to Foggy and says this:

Those were the exact words I needed to hear at exactly the right time. I've been having a pretty miserable year myself- not Daredevil-tier misery, but I felt like life was going out of its way to find ways to take a crap on me. I needed to be reminded that I couldn't keep wallowing in my own unhappiness, and maybe more importantly, that I didn't *want* to keep wallowing in my own unhappiness. It was both sobering and inspirational, and while I usually take my inspiration from the likes of Captain America and Superman, I was more than happy to take Matt Murdock's words to heart here.

Since then, Daredevil has only gotten better for me. From the brilliant scene when Daredevil wields Cap's shield in issue 2 (it's "like touching a Stradivarius") to the Kirby channeling flashback scenes in issue 3, every issue has been a blast to read and left me with a smile on my face. The comic is only 4 issues in, and Waid's already wrapped up some storylines and set-up some great new ones. I like seeing Matt just being Matt as much as I love watching him fight as Daredevil, and I'm really enjoying the book's supporting cast, especially Foggy. The twist on Matt Murdock's lawyer background is good enough to carry a comic on its own, and all the other great moments readers get are just a beautiful bonus.

The action scenes in the book are exquisitely choreographed, and I'd love to get a look at some of the scripts.  There's great panel to panel storytelling, great movement, and no shortage of interesting foes for him to go up against. We've already seen him fight Captain America, a villain made of sound, and a lion, and I can't wait to see where the book takes him from here. Sometimes, when a comic throws so much awesome at me right from the start, I get concerned the book will start to lose steam over time, but that's not the case here. Mark Waid's vision for both the character and the comic is so clear, and I have complete faith Daredevil is only going to get better from here.

I honestly can't imagine a person who wouldn't enjoy this comic. There are so few characters out there that seem to enjoy what they do the way Matt Murdock does in this book, and that enthusiasm is absolutely contagious. This book makes my life a little bit brighter each month, and just seeing each issue's newspaper style recap is enough to put a grin on my face. I am not going just just recommend you pick up Daredevil, I'm going to recommend you pick up two copies- because there's probably someone who will love the heck out of it too.

By Marceline with No comments