This series is so imaginative. And the further in you get, the more stuff it throws at you. I’m actually finding it really difficult to write about it because the more detailed it gets, the weirder it gets, and the more impossible it becomes to talk about.
Tyler, Kinsey and Bode have somewhat adjusted to living in Keyhouse, and to using the keys, but their mother is only falling apart harder and faster. The still mysterious Dodge is seeking the Omega Key, the key that will open up the black door. In his search, he uses any and all tools available to him, including flirting with Kinsey, using the keys he has managed to collect, and searching for new ones. That includes the Shadow Key, which allows him to do some pretty terrifying things with shadows.
The shadow parts were great, but my favorite parts were the ones with Kinsey and her new friends. Kinsey is fast becoming my favorite character (although I have a special place for Bode in my heart). I love that she turns away from the charming but empty Dodge (who she knows as her brother’s friend Zack) to be friends with Jamal and Scot. (There’s a running subplot concerning her fearlessness that is handled incredibly well.)
And while I’m still not the biggest fan of the style of the art, I can’t deny how talented Rodriguez is. There were several panels in here that made me gasp with how well they evoke emotion and fit the story. It made me laugh when he used up several full pages with single panels only, because of what was going on at the time (SPOILER: Tyler had used the Giant Key to become a giant–how could you fit that big of a guy into a tiny little panel? Answer: you can’t).
I have NO idea where this series is going, but I am totally along for the ride.
