Joe Hill has commented that he always saw Locke and Key as breaking into three 2-part acts, which means that Crown of Shadows represents the first part of Act II of the story. And if Act I was all about the Locke children coming to understand the nature of their new home and the gifts that the keys provided, Act II seems to be about the entity only known as Dodge and his/her efforts to get the mysterious Omega key. Dodge is a fascinating character, and Crown of Shadows uses Dodge's enigmatic nature to maximum effect, increasing our unease as he works his way into the Locke's lives while simultaneously revealing himself to be a dangerous, implacable foe. Without giving too much away, Crown of Shadows is about Dodge's first major effort to get that key, using supernatural abilities to bring forth demonic and horrific forces against the Locke children. It gives artist Gabriel Rodriguez a chance to shine, filling the page with dark visions that tap into the horror aspects of Locke and Key before giving us a deeply satisfying payoff that couldn't be done in any other format. And if all that's not enough, Crown of Shadows delivers a devastating emotional payoff at the end, hitting you with a plot thread that Hill's kept simmering before letting it explode when we're least ready for it. What it proves is that Locke and Key has become gripping not only as horror or story, but on a character level, as we've become invested in these characters and their emotional health. And while it's clear Dodge won't give up here, it's also clear that the Locke family is beginning to heal, and to do so in a way that might leave them stronger than they were before. And I'm excited to see it happen.
- Josh Mauthe
- Josh Mauthe