Locke & Key: Welcome to Lovecraft, #3 -- Joe Hill & Gabriel Rodriguez
Hooray! Just when I was hoping for a Kinsey story, I turned the page, and voila!
It's been three months and three days since her father's murder. One of the first things that Kinsey did after the family moved to the East Coast was change her appearance. In an attempt to stay under the radar—"I don't want to give people one more reason to stare at me"—she got rid of her dreads, piercings, and activist t-shirts. She doesn't even recognize her own reflection anymore, but staying unnoticed is paramount.
Meanwhile, Sam Lesser puts his gifts from Toilet Lady to use... and escapes.
Artwork? The bracelet that Kinsey's father gave her is the only thing that survives her reinvention—she even wears it when she's running track—which is a really nice touch.
Storyline? Kinsey's desire to remain invisible is especially poignant given her guilt about the day her father died: "When they came to kill us, I wasn't heroic. I wasn't brave. Later on, they found bruises on my little brother's throat. That's how hard I was squeezing to keep him quiet." Of course, she doesn't think about it from Bode's perspective: regardless of motivating emotion, in grabbing him and hiding, she very probably saved both of their lives.
In addition to the super characterization, writing, and artwork, the stealthy introduction of multiple mysteries totally has me hooked: How will Kinsey's bracelet factor into the storyline (a key is incorporated into the engravings on it, which would suggest that it's related to the house somehow), and what was her track coach's history with Rendall Locke? What's the deal with the Water Lady? Speaking of, Sam Lesser kind of got screwed by the Water Lady: will he continue to do her bidding, or will he attempt revenge? And, of course, what's the deal with the house?
Keep going? Obvs.
Previously: