Locke & Key: Heaven and Earth

You may remember that I did not care for the price of Locke & Key: Small World in relation to the amount of pages.  (Click HERE if you'd like to revisit my angst.)  Heaven and Earth, like Small World, is a collection of three very short stories involving the Locke & Key mythology.  Short stories may be an overstatement.  One of them is short.  The other two are downright minuscule.The first short involves the family introduced in Small World.  It is an excellently executed short story that will have you tearing up before you know it.  The second short, which is far shorter, focuses upon the children in the first after they've reached early adulthood.  Some gangsters come their way with rape and murder on their minds.  Let's just say the gangsters receive poetic justice.The third will be over before you blink, but it will bring a smile to your face, guaranteed.The book also contains photographs of Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez exploring the island they used as a model for the book.  They are candid, interesting shots with the guys joking around.  There are a few alternate covers that use actual crafted keys to replicate those found in the stories, which are actually very cool.Now that I've accepted the price point of these little additions to the Locke & Key story line, I'm not quite so upset.  As a Locke & Key fan, I would say that both Small World and Heaven and Earth are required reading.  I appreciate that they tried to fill in some space to better justify the price, but I personally would have much preferred one more story instead.

Heaven and Earth is a collection of a few one-shots Hill and Rodriguez made outside of the main run of the comics. What this essentially boils down to is two stories (yes, technically, there's a third, but it's really just a quick little tribute to IDW comics, and barely a story at all). The first, "Open the Moon," is an entirely different side of the Locke & Key world than we've ever seen, bringing a sweetness and warmth to the Keys that we've never experienced. It's a simple enough story, telling about a father whose son is dying slowly, and who makes a key to help him - but not in the way you might expect. What could so easily go to dark places instead becomes something deeply moving and crushing, becoming a portrait of love and what we do for our families."Open the Moon" is a genuinely beautiful tale...which makes the plunge into the second tale, entitled "Grindhouse," all the nastier. A pulp tale of bank robbers and a home invasion that was unprepared for Keyhouse, "Grindhouse" is nasty, mean-spirited, violent as all hell, and vicious, even by the standards of Locke & Key. It goes to some unpleasant places, but in a way that's true to the pulp tales that inspired it, and delivers some suitably dark paybacks.Is Heaven and Earth essential reading? Definitely not, and if you can't get it on sale, the cost for basically two stories is a bit high. But those two stories, on their own terms, are both fantastic, and examples of just how far Hill's imagination can take you.

Love Joe Hill

A couple of stories from different Locke generations. Including some familiar faces/names. Open the Moon was just beautiful. Grindhouse was okay. Not my favorite. It was amusing by the end though. In the Can was a funny one too! Very short though. Keys to literally EVERYTHING. lol. I liked the photos at the end of the inspiration for Lovecraft, Massachusetts and the authors and illustrators and real representations of the keys! The key rug is super cool!!

What more need be said?????? Hill is KING!Just a badass story with amazing graphic arts and visual representation. But I have to do two more words to meet criteria. LAME.

In this graphic novel you get to read about the locke family. Some of the stories are better than others.

The book was packed well and was in a good state. Value for money.

Awesome stories from the terrifying world of Joe Hill's Locke & Key. Fantastic cover & extras.

Vous avez aimé Locke & Key? Ceci est juste une tentative d'argent facile surfant sur la vague du succès du comics. 3 histoires courtes, deux avec un scénario et une seule dessinée convenablement. La deuxième histoire est tellement mal dessinée et inintelligible quand les antagonistes parlent français (édition originale oblige) que ce volume est juste bon pour allumer un barbecue.

Great , original story lines about the magic keys. Good acting and settings - the mansion where the action takes place is fantastic. I can't wait for Series 2!

The only down side is how short the stories were. Great quality, expands the Keyhouse universe without making any changes or ruining future story lines. 100% recommend and will share with friends. The art and stories are masterful. Triple the stories, as well as showing the softer side of the keys and hinting as to why adults were stripped of their knowledge.

Liked most of it if only the read can be longer. Too short a story for a hard cover edition.

Great graphic novel. 3 shorts stories that uncover the Locke ancestors adeventures and new keys.