Locke & Key, Vol. 3: Crown of Shadows

This is the 3rd graphic novel in the Locke and Key series. The 4th,  Locke & Key Volume 4: Keys to the Kingdom HC , comes out July of 2011. This was an excellent installment in this series; this story just keeps getting more and more interesting. I think this was my favorite one yet, which is really saying something since I have loved them all. I should also mention that the hardback version of this is just beautiful; even has a lovely ribbon to keep track of your place in the book.As the Locke children's mother is incapacitated by grief and forced to deal with yet another loss, the Locke children are left to fend for themselves in a house where things are becoming increasingly strange. Dodge continues his search for the Black Door Key and summons an army of shadows to torment the Locke children. The Locke children are forced to fight for their lives against the shadows within.This is just such an interesting, if profoundly creepy, series. Every installment introduces new mystery to the storyline and every installment introduces strange new keys that do fantastical things. I am so excited to see what each new key does, and so interested in how this battle between the living and the dead, between Dodge and the Locke children will play out.This is definitely a novel for adults, some of the things in here are disturbing. The mother of the Locke children continues a rapidly increasing descent into misery and spends a lot of time drinking and being generally useless and tragic. The Locke kids struggle along as well as they can. It is interesting to see some of the affects from  Locke & Key: Head Games  and how they played out in this book.I was thrilled by the fact that this installment cranks up the level of fantasy quite a bit. When Dodge uses the Key of Shadows and summons and epic army of shadows things get really awesome.The artwork is incredibly beautiful and the shadow army lets the illustrators show off even more of their considerable talent. The story ended well enough, but I am still desparate to see what will happen next.Overall just an outstanding addition to this series. These books just keep getting better and better; more and more engaging and interesting. I can't help but feel that this is all building up to something incredibly tragic and I am desparate to know what will happen next. This is one of the few graphic novels I will go out and buy new in hardback; they are definitely keepers. The hardbacks are very beautiful with a lot of attention to detail to the quality of the book; making this book something that is a pleasure to hold in your hands and read. I can absolutely not wait to read  Locke & Key Volume 4: Keys to the Kingdom HC !

Another excellent volume. As good as this series is, I actually dread getting to the last volume, I have been enjoying it immensely.

It's no surprise that Joe Hill is pumping out stories of the macabre, right? And he sure is doing it as well as his Dad (Stephen King) with Locke & Key.I was first attracted to Locke & Key when I was reading a February 2011 New York Post article about comics and graphic novels that have been or will be turned into movies or TV series. Locke & Key will be one of the latter with a potential pilot episode airing as soon as the end of this year on FOX. So I thought that I'd get "the real story" from the actual author prior its release as a TV series. And so far, after Books 1, 2 & 3, I am not disappointed. (EDIT: 7/2011 - Fox has scratched the Locke & Key pilot - see link in the comment section of this review.)Locke & Key is violent at times, bloody at times, scary at times, disturbing at times, but most importantly it is very well written. After tragedy struck and took away the father in the Locke family, they relocate from the West Coast and move into a big old spooky mansion in, where else but..."Lovecraft", MA. And you can bet your bottom dollar that in a mansion in a New England town called Lovecraft created by the spawn of Stephen King...thar will be ghosts! And it turns out that there are more than just ghosts; there are keys hidden all over this spooky mansion that unlock amazing powers for the holder of the key(s).While well written, in Book 1 there were some recycled themes and predictable moments that I thought might take the series to a, well...predictable place. But as Book 2 and 3 unfolded, or should I say unlocked, there's more of a cool uniqueness that's really got me hooked and looking forward to digging into  Locke & Key Volume 4: Keys to the Kingdom  due to be released this year.The Locke & Key series is an excellent read for fans of the Fantasy or Horror genres. And I'm now really looking forward to the TV series. It seems like it has a promising  Supernaturalish  chance of succeeding with  War of the Worlds / Sarah Connor Chronicles  writer Josh Friedman joining on to help Hill get it "out the door" and onto TV.

This series just keeps getting better and more mind boggling! I love the keys so much! I love that their mom knows what's up and what the keys do, at least some of them. When she found the one that was for the magical medicine cabinet, I knew she was going to do what she did! BUT I did not expect what happened after that when Tyler and Kinsey were cleaning up and found the ashes and the black key that the wellhouse lady/Zack is looking for in the ashes with him that's crazy! But it makes so much sense. I also LOVED the fight with the shadows that was so cool! And I loved that they used the one key to help hide the shadows from Bode to protect him it was so wholesome and cute. I cannot wait to see what happens next!

Libro bellissimo, ma arrivato leggermente danneggiato agli angoli come anche gli altri due prima. Dovete usare un imballaggio più adatto. Solo per questo una stella in meno.Per il resto niente da dire, qualità del libro (hardcover) fantastica, bei disegni, storia sempre più coinvolgente

It should go without saying, that if you haven't already read  Locke & Key Volume 1: Welcome to Lovecraft HC  and  Locke & Key Volume 2: Head Games HC  then you must before purchasing this.Volume 3 faultless continues Hill's story and Rodriguez' amazing complimentary artwork about the Locke family, and the happenings around the Keyhouse. I'm not going to spoil it all for you - if you've got to volume 3, I'm guessing you already know what all this is about - suffice to say - the story is still flawless quality.The hardcover edition of this is again beautiful, with the stock picture not doing it the justice it deserves.There are again the sketches of parts of the Keyhouse, and another great introduction, this time from Brian Vaughan. The hardcover price is only £1 or so more expensive than the paperback, so for an edition that you're going to want to read repeatedly (trust me on this) treat yourself to something aesthetically beautiful *and* more robust, as the hardcover edition undoubtedly is.I can't wait for my volume 4 to arrive. If you do like Locke and Key and you haven't already tried  CHEW Omnivore Edition Volume 1 HC  then it's well worth a purchase. Locke & Key Volume 1: Welcome to Lovecraft HCLocke & Key Volume 2: Head Games HCCHEW Omnivore Edition Volume 1 HC

I review most of what I read or watch these days and I have to be honest and say nothing is harder to review than Locke and Key because it's pretty much impossible to talk about any of the storyline without giving anything away and if you have read parts 1 and 2 you will know that it's just too good a storyline to waste for anyone.What I will say is it's probably the best comic/graphic novel I have ever had the fortune to read. Joe Hill's storyline is simply outstanding and Gabriel Rodriguez's artwork matches it in every way. I would honestly say they were a perfect match and I only hope they do more stuff together as well as keep Locke and Key going.If your reading this for some reason but haven't read the first two then please do It's not the type of thing you can pick up half way through and you will miss out on so much. Start at the beginning. If you've made it this far I'd be surprised if anyone ever reads this review as it's just too good to care about opinions lol. I just wanted to give it the stars it deserves. An easy 5.

There is something special about this series where the horror of real life overrules the horror that is going on with the keys. It is almost as if the family dynamics breaking was the true tragedy going on reflected in the hunt for the keys.

This story is unravelling. The family is falling apart. More keys are popping up everywhere. I am looking forward to seeing where this goes.