Locke and Key: Keys to the Kingdom/Joe Hill

Locke and Key: Keys to the Kingdom by Joe Hill (writer) and Gabriel Rodriguez (art) (Locke and Key vol. 4); graphic novel, horror; 160 pages

I've been waiting almost a year for this fourth collection of Locke and Key to arrive, and even if I was frustrated with the wait, I can at least say it was worth it. Utterly and completely.

The pace of the story changes dramatically in this volume: Instead of introducing one key per story arc, Hill has the Locke children finding new keys almost constantly. The threat of the Dark Lady is ramping up, as well, with more frequent threats appearing at times when their friend Zack is mysteriously absent. It's Ty that starts to put the pieces together; but the question is what to do once they have a flesh-and-blood villain to face.

There's a lot that happens in this story, and while I often found myself wanting more information on a particular incident or key, I never felt like the story was rushed. The ending was something I never saw coming, and has me eagerly awaiting the next volume. I just hope it doesn't take quite so long to publish!