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A review by universalbookworm
Locke & Key: Small World by Gabriel Rodríguez, Joe Hill
4.0
This instalment in the Locke & Key series was immensely enjoyable because of the combination of the prequel it lays out, the interviews included, and the rough drafts provided by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez.
A new key! With every new key in this story I’m more deeply enthralled with Keyhouse and the Locke’s role as guardians. The Little House Key as Hill names it in his original script was a very interesting tale with implications I hope we explored further.
There’s also an incredibly exciting interview included midway through Small World. In this interview both Rodriguez & Hill admit that they would love to work on a new full-length series and mention having sketched some of the details out. Though disappointingly, Hill admits that there isn’t anything official in the works at the moment.
The Script to Page section of the book was the most intriguing section. Included were the rough pages Hill writes when sketching out his comics which were incredibly detailed and also flawed. Which in my opinion was the beauty of including them. It helps make the creation process less intimidating and also more intimate.
Additionally, Hill also includes his written instructions to Rodriguez where he lays out his approximate vision on each panel in the comic. This was particularly groundbreaking for me because as a reader you can see how much thought and planning goes into each panel. Further, how much detail I wasn’t picking up on (the inclusion of an existing Shadow from the flagship Welcome to KeyHouse series), and makes me appreciate the intricacies of each panel even more.
I think this is an amazing instalment in the Locke & Key world that every existing fan will enjoy. However, I wouldn’t recommend this comic for readers new to the series. The best experience would be to read these after the original comics. Also, I think that there’s a wealth of knowledge here imparted by Hill and Rodriguez for aspiring writers and artists. So much can be learned from Small World, that I think any reader would find something that resonates with them. My only warning? Maybe stay way if you’re arachnophobic...
A new key! With every new key in this story I’m more deeply enthralled with Keyhouse and the Locke’s role as guardians. The Little House Key as Hill names it in his original script was a very interesting tale with implications I hope we explored further.
There’s also an incredibly exciting interview included midway through Small World. In this interview both Rodriguez & Hill admit that they would love to work on a new full-length series and mention having sketched some of the details out. Though disappointingly, Hill admits that there isn’t anything official in the works at the moment.
The Script to Page section of the book was the most intriguing section. Included were the rough pages Hill writes when sketching out his comics which were incredibly detailed and also flawed. Which in my opinion was the beauty of including them. It helps make the creation process less intimidating and also more intimate.
Additionally, Hill also includes his written instructions to Rodriguez where he lays out his approximate vision on each panel in the comic. This was particularly groundbreaking for me because as a reader you can see how much thought and planning goes into each panel. Further, how much detail I wasn’t picking up on (the inclusion of an existing Shadow from the flagship Welcome to KeyHouse series), and makes me appreciate the intricacies of each panel even more.
I think this is an amazing instalment in the Locke & Key world that every existing fan will enjoy. However, I wouldn’t recommend this comic for readers new to the series. The best experience would be to read these after the original comics. Also, I think that there’s a wealth of knowledge here imparted by Hill and Rodriguez for aspiring writers and artists. So much can be learned from Small World, that I think any reader would find something that resonates with them. My only warning? Maybe stay way if you’re arachnophobic...