3. Amazing Images
Locke & Key has some of the best pages in comics. Coupling Hill's wild imagination with Rodriguez's prowess, we are treated to images that we have never seen before. Rodriguez shows us that he can do anything. From quiet, heart-wrenching moments to suspense-filled sequences, to pure joy and whimsy, he hits it right every time. His characters are distinct and visually interesting. They all have these unique looks to them. One of the enjoyable things about the images, especially because of how so much of this is dialogue driven drama, is how expressive Rodriguez draws the characters' faces. They are active and vibrant and convey loads of emotion. We look at one of the characters and we can tell not only what they are trying to convey, but also when they are hiding something. Especially fun is Bode's big eyes and how that character is used to show a child's wonder and imagination. Rodriguez devotes just as much work to his backgrounds, making them feel real and lived in. Designing Keyhouse must have been a work of great creativity, and he brings it to life. All of these great images are in service of the story. Hill's spot-on dialogue with Rodriguez's visual storytelling makes reading the comic feel easy and natural. This makes reading and re-reading rewarding, when you start taking note of the way that they break pages down and go from panel to panel.