It’s been a long road for Netflix’s Locke & Key. The show spent years in production hell, with stalled pilots at Fox and Hulu, and was, at one point, even set to become a feature film. Luckily for fans of horror comics everywhere, Locke & Key has finally found a home on Netflix and will debut on February 7, 2020. The streamer recently released a first look at the expansive horror series and if it’s possible, we’re even more excited.
Of course, this inspired us to put together a list of all the reasons we cannot wait for the terrifying trip into the heart of darkness from the minds of Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez.
Keyhouse Manor Looks Incredible
Let’s start with the picture that sparked this piece: that gorgeous snap of Keyhouse Manor. If you haven’t read the incredible comic series by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez, it centers on a young family who have to move to the strange mansion after their father dies in a brutal home invasion. The image that Netflix released is imbued with the spooky charm that is intrinsic to a great Locke & Key adaptation plus it implies that the show’s Keyhouse Manor is a real practical house which is nothing less than magical.
Locke & Key is One of the Best Horror Comics Ever Made
IDW
It’s not hyperbolic to call Locke & Key one of the best horror comics ever made. Gruesome, heart wrenching, bittersweet and beautiful, scary and sweet, it’s a total joy to read. Following the exploits of Tyler, Bode, and Kinsey as they explore the beautiful and strange Keyhouse Manor which is home to some mind-bending keys which are intrinsically connected to the family and the tragedy that brought them to the house. If you like atmospheric and beautiful chillers with the occasional splash of gore and supernatural mystery then you’ll fall in love with Locke & Key, and if Netflix does the comic justice then we’ll be in for a treat.
We Need More Prestige Horror Shows
Netflix
Whilst there are plenty of great prestige TV shows, we want more horror! We’re lucky that the genre landscape is changing and platforms like Shudder have been delivering with projects the incredible Creepshow reinvention and Channel Zero. Even Netflix has offered up some awesome choices like Dark and The Haunting of Hill House, but we’re ready for even more. If you’re a Joe Hill fan you might have checked out AMC’s spooky N0S4A2, which was based on his novel of the same name, and if not, then Locke & Key is the perfect introduction to his work.
Netflix Isn’t Afraid of Getting Really Weird
IDW
Locke & Key is a strange book. And we mean that in the absolute best way. It spans centuries and timelines, it features mind bending imagery and psychedelic concepts. It’s a horror story that features ghosts, time travel, dimension hopping, murder, and a whole lot more. Luckily, Netflix isn’t scared of taking on weird and experimental projects which makes the streamer a perfect fit for the long gestating adaptation of the popular IDW comic.
Artist Gabriel Rodriguez Crafts a Visual World Unlike Any Other
IDW
One of the things that we’re undoubtedly most excited about when it comes to Locke & Key is seeing how the creative team bring Rodriguez’s vision for Keyhouse Manor and the Locke kids to life. It’s hard to express the unique, trippy, and boundary pushing work that the artist did in this book. From beautiful character moments and exciting staging to the utterly expansive magical world that he creates within Keyhouse itself. Rodriguez does nothing less than sequential alchemy within the pages of Locke & Key and we want to see that brought to the screen.
Writer and Series Developer Joe Hill is Horror Royalty
William Morrow and Company
Joe Hill has been writing best-selling horror for years at this point and if you haven’t read his prose work like Heart Shaped Box, Horns, and The Fireman, then you’re missing out. Not only has he had his vampiric horror novel N0S4A2 adapted by AMC, but he also happens to be the son of Stephen and Tabitha King. If you’ve read Locke & Key and can’t get enough of his horror comics, keep an eye out for the new genre imprint that he’s launching at DC Comics.
If They Get This Right Locke & Key Could Run For a Long Time
IDW
Like most comic series, Locke & Key has a lot of source material to pull from. So if the creative team do a solid job at adapting the fan fave book, then there’s a potential for a few seasons. The full series spans six volumes alongside a run of eight one-shot comics. If we imagine that the first season will take from the first and possibly second arc, then there’s a good chance that we could see at least 4 seasons of Locke & Key if all goes well. We need a new long running comic book show in our life, so this is something that we really love about the potential of the show.
Locke & Key hits Netflix on February 7, 2020.
Header Image: Netflix
