Nerds That Geek Graphic Novel Review: ‘Locke & Key: The Golden Age’

Written by Zeke Perez Jr.

​The newest collected edition of the Locke & Key series arrives in an astounding hardcover on April 26th - and it’s a must-own for longtime fans of the franchise, for folks looking for more backstory and detail on the Locke family, and even for newcomers who enjoy fantasy and horror. I personally fell into the latter category when I read it, but Locke & Key: The Golden Age provides so much content, depth, and stellar artwork that not only did I feel up to speed, but it left me wanting to dive further into the Locke world. 
 
The Golden Age collected edition from IDW Publishing brings together work spanning over a decade from writer Joe Hill and illustrator Gabriel Rodriguez. It has a lot to offer, featuring a variety of narrative styles as it includes two short stories (“Small World” and “Open the Moon”), a complete three-part miniseries (“...In Pale Battalions Go…”), the two-part crossover with DC Comics’ Sandman Universe (“Hell & Gone”), and an exclusive, previously unpublished short story from Hill and Rodriguez (“Face the Music”). It also boasts dozens of variant covers and art designs from across the included issues. 
 
Locke & Key centers on the Locke family, stewards of Keyhouse for over 200 years. Keyhouse, a New England mansion with a magical history and many reality-altering keys with their own unique powers, has new trials and secrets that come to light. The stories within this collection focus on Keyhouse in the early 20th century, as the Locke family ancestors use the keys in World War I battles, ultimately opening a sinister door between two worlds. 
 
The “Small World” and “Open the Moon” prequels serve as great character development and set the stage for the power of some of the keys. “Small World” is a little lighter, yet still a fun adventure and a great look into some family dynamics. “Open the Moon” is much more poignant and emotional. The third short story, “Face the Music”, is a fascinating addition to the book, especially for longtime fans of the franchise. The tale introduces the Orchestra Key in a whimsical storyline. The background of how “Face the Music” came to be is intriguing in its own right: it developed as part of a vinyl record project that Hill and Rodriguez were working on. That project never came to fruition and the short story was never released there or as a single issue, so fans can see it for the first time in this hardcover. 
 
The tone of the collection turns grim and bleak as it moves into the war storyline of  “...In Pale Battalions Go…”. The story challenges the ideals and motivations of the Locke family, as John “Jack” Locke attempts to use the keys to participate in World War I and to do his part to defeat evil. Unfortunately, a ripple effect is ignited with dire consequences for the future. That carries us into “Hell & Gone”, the crossover with Neil Gaiman’s Sandman Universe. There, John’s brother Mary must try to make right by the family to set things straight for the future. The jump into the Sandman Universe and the inclusion of its characters vastly broadens the impact and scope of the Locke’s world.
 
The talents of Hill and Rodriguez are on full display in this collection. The stories that are included balance each other out well emotionally, as well as in length and style. The writing meshes well into the broader DC and Sandman Universes. The art perfectly fits the world and the story being told too, as Rodriguez’s depictions of people and of the horrors they face are realistic and chilling. Together, the writing and art perfectly marry horror, fantasy, speculative historical fiction, and mystery. 
 
It’s pretty rare that a collected edition can be a culmination of many years of work while still taking the story into uncharted and bold territory. It’s also rare that a collection can feel familiar to fans of the series after so many preceding story arcs, but still feel like a great entry point to new readers thanks to all of the character development and backstory given in the prequel issues. Locke and Key: The Golden Age accomplishes all of the above and more. As someone new to these stories and universes, I can’t wait to read more. I can only imagine what this collection will mean for fans who have been with the Locke family since the beginning. 

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