Locke & Key, Vol. 6: Alpha & Omega

The story is fantastic and the art is great. I knocked a star for slur usage. Joe Hill needs to find a better way to indicate 5e lapses in a villain’s character than the use of slurs. The liberal and abundant use of the R slur is not necessary, get a thesaurus man. Also the use of the T-slur when talking about the gender weaponization of the main villain/antagonist was unnecessary. There are other more creative ways to say what was said and have a villain use language intended to manipulate and hurt characters than to use TERF language and talking points in a self referential way. I feel like Joe Hill’s story telling could benefit from a little more actual understanding of the minority communities that he so lightly uses really harmful language about.And, Mr Hill, it’s THE SCHOOL of the Art Institute of Chicago. You used the name of the museum, not the professional art school. IYKYK, and apparently you don’t. You’re far from alone, so that’s a side note.I loved this series. I think that the author could make more sensitive and informed language choices. And needs to read more up to date gender ideology. Great story teller tho.

Alpha & Omega, the sixth and final installment of the spectacular Locke & Key series, brings the story of the Locke Family and Keyhouse to a compelling and devastating close. Dodge, now inhabiting young Bode Locke's body, has the Omega key and nothing can stop him from using it. As Kinsey Locke and the other students head to the Lovecraft Academy prom, the demonic Dodge gathers shadowy forces of his own and enacts his evil endgame. The shadow monsters attack. Hope diminishes. The damned and the saved alike make their final stand in the Drowning Cave.The final showdown of Locke & Key is a spellbinding one, with a devastatingly high body count and a number of personal sacrifices. Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez do not pull their punches, and each one lands square in the reader's gut. The closing chapter of this volume (and thus, series) is a quiet epilogue that focuses not on the plot but rather the characters as they attempt to heal and cope with loss. This series has always been more of a character exploration, so naturally there are some final chances at redemption. The Locke family struggles to find peace with the traumas of the past, and there are legitimate efforts as closure, at recognizing that life will move on beyond the end of this book. Alpha & Omega is a beautiful final issue, with so much blood and death and horror and more pathos than you can shake a box of Kleenex at! The ability of Hill and Rodriguez to shift so effectively from the brutal havoc of the climax to the hushed grace of the ending is a testament to this wonderfully imaginative series.One cannot give this series enough praise. Hill is a genuine a master when it comes to intertwining plots and creating a multidimensional story. Moreover, embedded within this final volume are Nazi velociraptors and, even more notably, Joe Hill's winking nod to his father's classic first novel Carrie.At this point, I'm remiss to think of anything I haven't already said about the series. I know, classic cop-out line right there, but it's the god's honest truth. Joe Hill's writing is purely top-notch and Gabriel Rodriguez’s art continues to blow my mind. Unlike most other comic series, Locke & Key encompasses both great story AND great artwork. The ending is satisfying one. Joe Hill had a clear vision for this story, and it was well executed from start to finish. The overarching plot is intricate, intense, dramatic, heartbreaking, and suitably complements the comic medium. With the saga concluded, Locke & Key is a series that will be sorely missed.

So I skipped writing reviews for the last two books and added them to this final one. If you want a truly sticks with you storyline, this is the graphic novel series for it!! The story drags you in as soon as you read Welcome to Lovecraft. It keeps getting better and adding depth to the many layers of the characters and the various keys. Just when you thought you understood the bizarre keys in the story, a new 2 appeared.This is definitely a graphic novel worth reading and the fantastic artwork does amazing work adding depth to the story with every page turn. I just hope Netflix doesn't ruin the novels with their series. To be honest, a friend started watching the show and it got me to check it out, watched the trailer, started reading the novels once i discovered it was a graphic novel. Read it, it won't disappoint!The conclusion was amazing and none of our was what you thought out would be. Can't wait to read the book about the different keys!

I'm surprised that there is a review for this title from someone who hasn't read the rest of the series - I imagine if you are reading this, you're either wondering if you should wait for the price to drop on Volume 6, or if you should start reading the series now. So, if you haven't yet, go back and start reading Volume 1. You'll be lucky in that you won't have to wait several years to see its conclusion!I've read quite a bit of Joe Hill's work. His short stories are great, but I've always felt that his novels tend to drop off a little bit as you get closer to their conclusion. Locke and Key, however, does not disappoint - I think Hill knew exactly where he was heading when he started out with this series. Volume 6 is very moving, and manages to wrap up all the story lines in an entertaining way. I imagine no one who has been keeping up with this series will be disappointed with its ending. If you've read Joe Hill's other work, you'll know what to expect, for the most part, though he seems to be getting better at fleshing out the endings of his tales. I must admit, however, that the only real let-down is that I was kind of hoping there would be more of a reason for using the name "Lovecraft" in the Locke and Key universe. Now, if only AMC would pick up the pilot...

I'd never read a graphic novel/ comic book? Before this series. I was drawn to it by the netficks show and was tempted to try.If the show was that good then the source material should be good too.I was not prepared for how good this would be though. Fascinating plot and characters that kept me totally addicted all the way. The art style I wasn't sure I'd like but it really grew on me.Thank you soo much for a fantastic read! Xxx

I got in from work and this book had arrived so I sat down and spent a very enjoyable two hours finishing off the Locke and Key saga and I wasn't disappointed. The big worry for me and I'd imagine most people was what if the ending didn't live up to expectations but for me it was executed with perfection. I would never ruin the ending for anyone so I won't be giving any spoilers. All I'll say is that the storyline is great and their is some very touching moments along the way. The artwork is stunning as usual and it's the perfect length. It didn't feel like it was rushed or dragged out. As much as I'm always sad to see something I love finish I do prefer it when it ends gracefully rather than burns out. A fantastic series in whole and I hope Joe and Gabriel work together in the future.

This one will really hit you in the feels, it is hard hitting, doesn’t soften the punches and will have you hooked until the end and just a little further. The choices, the heartache and the horror of both natural and supernatural means will hit you to the core. An amazing ending that leaves me really looking forward to the shorts.

Such good twists and turns, the Netflix series leaves so much out but I thank them for turning me to the originals and taking me on this wild ride of the Locke family and all the keys the encounter! Although I’m late to the party I guess it’s always better being late to it than never turning up!

I discovered Joe Hill's Locke & Key fairly recently, so I raced through volumes 1-5, only to have to wait for volume 6. This wasn't easy as the story is compelling reading.What's to say here that differs from the previous volumes? Not so much without going into plot details, which I don't want to do ... The artwork is superb, as usual. My only worry was that the ending would be a bit of a let-down compared with what had come before. I can state categorically that this is not the case.If you've read 1-5 I'm not sure why you're even reading this review. If you've not read any of them, pick up volume 1 and I guarantee you'll be hooked. The good news is that it only gets better the further into the story you get!