Villordsutch reviews Locke and Key: Alpha #1…
“In the second-to-the-last issue of Locke & Key, the damned and the saved alike will make their final stand in the Drowning Cave, in a clash of blood and fire. The shadows have never been darker and the end has never been closer. Turn the key and open the last door; it’s time to say goodbye.”
We come to a close of the Locke and Key saga and we are left with a battle between Good and Evil and it feels like a definite ending too. The casual reader will feel a bit lost with what is happening here, thus making this comic one to avoid if you have never read Locke and Key. This is a bit of a shame as this comic could be classed as a “Packed Double Issue” with the amount of story being wrapped up to bring it to a close. For the readers that have stuck with the brainchild of Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez throughout their many back issues I’m unsure whether the ending will be a happy one as it arrives. Though, as with all good things, it has come to an end.
I’m sorry to say but I do have a negative. I don’t wish to be pick at what is a good issue and I actually feel like a fussy parent at this moment; jabbing my finger in the ribs of my child as they only achieved an A instead of an A*. My thorn is that the amount of talking throughout this issue is too much, making the comic feel bloated; occasionally, you feel a panel will explode due to the pressure of the speech bubbles. Every so often when a cut scene occurs to a place where we meet the shards of the remaining story and characters, above ground, it allows you to have a breather before you burrow back down to the caverns for more yapping.
Again I want to highlight that this is just a small picky problem that I had; other than that this is a corking comic and I would say a perfect end to this tale. To be honest it’s what you come to expect for the mighty force of Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez. Joe Hill, he who has great story writing in his DNA, has penned a perfect end to this tale building up to climatic rush as opposing forces go face to face. Painted across the pages is the fantastic work Gabriel Rodriguez , which still reminds me greatly of The Preacher – each panel has life and detail in the smallest of places.
Again if you haven’t read Locke and Key before don’t buy this issue as it’ll spoil it all for you. However, for those of you that are keen fans, enjoy.
Villordsutch is married with kids and pets. He looks like a tubby Viking and enjoys science fiction. Follow him on Twitter.
Originally published September 13, 2013. Updated April 11, 2018.
