Difficult to put down, Locke & Key: Omega #2 continues to be a remarkable and touching family drama. If you didn’t think it were possible to feel more for he flawed Locke family, you will by the end of this issue. Hill and Rodriguez are making it hard to come to terms with the fact that these are the last issues of the “Locke & Key”.

WRITTEN BY: Joe Hill
ART BY: Gabriel Rodriguez
PUBLISHER: IDW Publishing
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: December 19th, 2012

A powerful demon named Dodge hopes to unlock the mysteries of the Black Door. If the Black Door is opened, Dodge will discover a hidden passageway to another dimension. Lurking in the shadows, monsters of hate and madness want to cross over from their dimension to ours. With the Omega Key in the hands of Dodge, nothing can stop this creature from bringing forth her demonic kind. While many lives have been lost and so much blood has been spilled, a mentally handicapped teenager stands alone to confront Dodge.
Writer Joe Hill focuses on the problems and mental state of Rufus Whedon to bring out an emotional truth. Because he is mentally challenged, Rufus has a difficult time expressing himself, especially his emotions. After dealing with such a personal tragedy, Rufus has to create his own fantasy world, where giant robots and walking dinosaurs exist. Because he is lost in the real world, Rufus is right at home in his imagination. Through creative uses of flashbacks and a comic-within-a-comic, readers understand Rufus wants to be the hero he always dreamt of.

Through such clear and concise dialogue, Hill conveys an honest portrayal of people in pain. Tyler and his mother are trying to deal with their own personal demons. Both have fallen on hard times as they feel the burden of their survivor’s guilt. In a picturesque scenario, mother and son communicate their failures as waves are crashing in the background. Tyler is opposite from Rufus because he can communicate his own personal loss. Tyler and his mother know how much they have screwed up, but they don’t blame each other.
Even after so many issues, Gabriel Rodriquez can still impress readers with his visual layout of the Keyhouse mansion. When Rufus enters the building, the first thing he does is look up at the ceiling, which has a magnificent stained-glass window. Rodriquez illustrates the stained glass with religious and medieval symbols, such as an angel and knight. There is immense detail to the architectural design of the ceiling. With just one sight and you will surely be in awe of Rodriguez’s incredible talent.

The best part of the issue is Rufus’ thrilling escape from unreality to reality. With the help of Jay Fotos’ colors, readers are able to distinguish both sides of reality and unreality. Fotos enhances the sci-fi feel with grayish tones, while focusing on harsh colors to represent reality. Notice the similarities and differences as Rodriquez recreates the same poses in these side-by-side panels. Though characters are doing the same thing, Rodriguez is able to depict how Rufus wants to see himself and how he really is.

“Locke & Key: Omega” #2 keeps readers on the edge of their seat. As the “Locke and Key” series heads towards its final chapter, steaks are higher than ever. Having been a fan since the beginning, I’m anxious to find out how it all ends.

4/5 Skulls

Reviewed by – Jorge Solis