1. It Ends Perfectly
I think one of the things that we've been burned by a lot in pop culture is the thing that falls apart in the third act, the last season, or just the plain ending. Well, no fears of that with Locke & Key. With the final issues, Locke & Key Alpha gives us first an action-filled crescendo to rival any blockbuster ending sequence. When I was reading the first issue I was left breathless and gasping with each page turn. With the second issue, which serves as denouement or epilogue, I was on the verge of tears. It's hard to stick the ending, especially with such a massive work as this. Here the creators deliver, and it is a rewarding reading from start to finish. All loose ends are tied up, characters are given satisfying resolutions, and we are given a sense that while this world and these characters go on, the specific story that we needed to hear has been told. Most importantly, it works on the level of coming of age story. It's a story about dealing with not just your own teen stuff, but also your family history. We are, inevitably, our parents' children. We have to face their dreams, their limitations, where they were from, and how those things shaped how they raised us. It's a coming to terms with the world we know as youths, the frightening world of being an adult and losing the magic of youth, and all the dark spaces between.