With its third arc commencing, Locke & Key is back!  Joe Hill’s stellar tale about a grieving family, their home with mysterious keys, and the evil forces that seek to unlock the key’s power is a top notch read.

This issue is the slowest read thus far.  Dodge, a diabolical creature that has befriended Tyler, leaves his body and has a chat with Sam’s spirit.  We learn that Dodge used Sam to kill Tyler’s dad.  Sam and Dodge fight and talk, filling us in on details that will have a future bearing in this arc.  Hill uses too much dialogue to get his point across.  With so many ways to convey information in a comic book, a straight multi-page conversion failed to hold my attention.  My heart breaks as I write this because this has been one of my favorite books (and certainly still is).  However, this issue was disappointing.

Gabriel Rodriguez’s art is incredible.  His uncanny ability to convey emotion and intention in a wordless panel is a thing of beauty.  While he didn’t have much help from Joe Hill, Rodriguez could draw a rock and it would still look awesome.

The final pages lay the direction for the story and it should be a great chapter in a superb series.  While this issue was slow, the tension between Sam and Dodge sets the stage for the future. I’m looking forward to next issue… and some action.

4 out of 5

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