Comic Review: Locke & Key: Dog Days #1

Locke & Key: Dog Days #1

IDW Publishing

Writer: Joe Hill

Artist: Gabriel Rodriguez

It seems like it was just yesterday when I last visited the Keyhouse… When in fact it’s been a whole five-months! Yes, it was only recently that I read Joe Hill’s and Gabriel Rodriguez’s classic horror series, Locke & Key, but I’ve already missed it tremendously. It captivated me in a way that I wanted more – a lot more! – but still left me extremely satisfied.

So, how does this return to the Keyhouse fare? Well, read on and find out! (the tl;dr version is that it’s fantastic!).

The issue holds two different stories – the first one is set in the past, featuring the main protagonists’ ancestors. The other takes place after the end of Locke and Key: Alpha and Omega, featuring the OG cast. The name of this one-shot, ‘Dog Days’, is actually a reflection of that first story.

That first story features a structure the team has already used in the past, something akin to a time laps story. Each page consists of four vertical panels that moves the story, set against a backdrop of a bigger art piece. It showcases the current surrounding of the characters from a different perspective or focuses on the topic the characters are discussing. It’s a really cool and effective technique, allowing the artist to shine with some bigger art pieces, while also flashing out the characters and moving the plot at a comfortable pace.

Speaking of the characters and plot – they go from weird and kind of gross to adorable really fast. The featured characters are three young (seemingly) boys. The only named one is Lloyd, a really socially awkward child. He’s a weird little kid, constantly doing (and saying) some really uncanny stuff, serving as the main mystery of the issue. I’m gonna be honest, the character grossed me out. But the reveal at the end made me feel a bit stupid for not seeing it earlier and made me laugh out loud. A fantastically executed bait-and-switch.

I’m not going to discuss the second story much as I don’t want to spoil anything. But I will say that it was great seeing the old gang again. It’s been so long! A total of five months! Also, the story does feel like a potential tease of a new series. Maybe it’s just wishful thinking, but who knows? I don’t!

Now, I touched on the art a bit earlier, but I want to write a couple of more words about it. The art is fantastic! When I initially started reading Locke and Key, I wasn’t a huge fan of it. But over time it grew on me and I started to appreciate Rodriguez’s attention to detail and the overall style of the series. And this issue is bursting with that same great style and attention to detail. All those backdrops from the first story look marvelous, even though almost half of every page is “covered” by the panels. And the second story, which relies even more on visual storytelling, has some awesome pages.

My only complaint is that the colours are a bit washed out. It isn’t that noticeable in the first part of the issue as it has more variety in colours. But it’s noticeable in the second story. Yes, it’s in line with the rest of the series, but I would have still preferred a bit higher saturation, considering the feel-good aspect of it.

A trip back to the Keyhouse is always welcome, however brief it may be. If you are interested in the series and are considering grabbing this to check it out – don’t. It’s an issue that relies heavily on the stories that came before it, and it’s heavily focused on pleasing the fans. And it does a helluva good job with it.