Locke & Key, Vol. 2: Head Games [Hardcover]

Joe Hill (Author), Gabriel Rodriguez (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 29, 2009

New York Times bestselling writer Joe Hill and artist Gabriel Rodriguez, the creators behind the acclaimed Locke & Key: Welcome to Lovecraft, return with the next chapter in the ongoing tale, Head Games. Following a shocking death that dredges up memories of their father's murder, Kinsey and Tyler Locke are thrown into choppy emotional waters, and turn to their new friend, Zack Wells, for support, little suspecting Zack's dark secret. Meanwhile, six-year-old Bode Locke tries to puzzle out the secret of the head key, and Uncle Duncan is jarred into the past by a disturbingly familiar face. Open your mind - the head games are just getting started!

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: IDW Publishing (September 29, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1600104835
• ISBN-13: 978-1600104831
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 6.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #28,619 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #55 in Books > Comics & Graphic Novels > Graphic Novels > Horror

More About the Author

The author of the critically acclaimed Heart-Shaped Box and 20th Century Ghosts, Joe Hill is a two-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award, and a past recipient of the Ray Bradbury Fellowship. His stories have appeared in a variety of journals and Year's Best collections. He calls New England home.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Melancholic & Magical.. Subtley Existential Fantasy/Horror, September 26, 2009

By 

Dusty Bottoms "Dusty Bottoms" (Redding, CA USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Locke & Key, Vol. 2: Head Games (Hardcover)

Let's just say, we get to see into more than just Joe Hill's and Gabriel Rodriguez's heads. I don't want to give away any spoilers.. but 'Head Games' is a turning point for the 'Locke & Key' series and an airing-out of old mysteries & back story.. The Head Key is an inspired invention that allows the reader a fascinating and profound bout of vicarious living.. that also adds layers to the series and opens up new possibilities. 'Head Games' surpasses the previous volume of 'Locke and Key, exchanging a heart-wrenching climactic conclusion for mind-bending twists, and plot illumination.

'Locke & Key' explores the fear and wonder that accompanies the loss of innocence, and is layered with the subtle existentialism of the fantasy/horror genre. 'Locke & Key' is a character-driven series that gives us protagonists we can truly understand and empathize with. The series redefines the meaning of 'mischievous villain' and 'evil incarnate' for the comic industry, effectively portraying the diabolism and even perversion of manipulation, deceit and the violation of trust. Joe Hill's writing and creativity is of a caliber truly rare in fiction today, and Chilean artist, Gabriel Rodriguez's pencils are stunning, uncannily proficient at creating living & breathing characters and keeping a palpable tension that captivates you.

'Locke & Key' is a wonderful, magical & melancholic story.. and it wears the comic medium like a glove. It has the sprawl of a novel, but not the focus. Like Gaiman's 'Sandman, it is a somewhat epic tale of dark fantasy told in a series of episodes.. essentially a string of short stories connected by the same characters and larger, overarching concerns.

I recommend you start out with the first volume of the series.. if you aren't familiar with 'Locke & Key'. Our three protagonists are siblings.. Bode, Kinsey and Ty. After their father was murdered, they moved, along with their mother, into a possibly haunted house full of magic keys and who knows what else. The first volume not only lays the foundation for the story; it sets the mood.

The hardcovers are durable and as delightful to look at as their contents. The pages are thick and glossy.. which is only fitting for such a fascinating & elegantly illustrated story.

FYI: Joe Hill is actually Joseph Hillstrom King, son of Stephen King. also.. Dimension Films has picked up the film and television rights from IDW publishing for 'Locke & Key' considering the series as a potential franchise. The 'Locke & Key' series is planned to span 68 issues..

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Creepy, fascinating and completely engaging, April 22, 2011

By 

Karissa Eckert "Devourer of all books fantasy" (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Locke & Key, Vol. 2: Head Games (Paperback)

This is the second full length graphic novel in the Locke and Key series. The fourth installation, Locke & Key Volume 4: Keys to the Kingdom HC, is due out this June. This was an excellent continuation of the series. The drawings are fantastic and the plot is complex, creepy and engaging.

In this book the Locke kids are just trying to make it through school. They've become involved with the "new kid" Luke, who looks mysteriously familiar to some of the older members of the community. Meanwhile Bode finds a new Key, this one literally opens his head up. Now the kids all want to play games with shoving info into their heads and taking out all the bad stuff (like fear and sadness).

This book is super creepy. It wasn't as creepy as the first one (no serial killer this time) but there is still a high creepy factor here. Just the fact that Bode walks around with his head open is pretty darn strange. Again this book is not for the faint of heart; I think it covers almost every offensive/distasteful topic out there and is very violent...so definitely for adults.

The complex plot is getting more and more intriguing and intricate. I am just super curious to see what else they find in that old house and to see what happens with Luke and the Locke kids. The story is incredibly engaging and I read the whole thing in one sitting because it was very hard to put down.

The illustration throughout is phenomenal; beautiful full color illustrations, very detailed, and very beautiful...in a creepy way. It just fits the story perfectly. The book itself is just beautifully put together in hard cover format; a beautiful green silk ribbon to mark your spot and high quality paper throughout.

Overall I was even more impressed with this book than the first one. I am hooked on this now; I need to learn more about the creepy house and how everything fits together...but at the same time I am a little scared to find out the secrets that the next book will contain. Super creepy and definitely for an adult audience; but if you like the darker and creepier side of the paranormal then this book is for you. I cannot wait to read Book 3, Locke & Key V.3: Crown of Shadows HC.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Better than the first, March 12, 2011

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subzerorider (Orion, MI) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Locke & Key, Vol. 2: Head Games (Hardcover)

Head Games by Hill has exceeded my expectations with a fantastic followup to Welcome to Lovecraft. Nicely bound hardcover with a built in bookmark is just icing on the cake. The story line is amazing and the graphics are just as incredible. Together Hill and Rodriguez make an excellent team and should hopefully churn out many more books.