This was a good week in comics for me.  I had at least three strong contenders for Pick of the Week in my stack, each with a lot to recommend them. But ultimately, the decision was easy. This standalone final issue in the third Locke & Key miniseries showcased all the things that make this book one of the very best on the stands today.

After the “Giant Size” action of #5, this issue brings the focus back down to earth with a short story featuring the matriarch of the Locke family. Nina has been quietly descending into alcoholism as the adventures of her children occupied the foreground. Here we see her inability to deal with her husband’s death come to a head in one destructive booze-fueled breakdown. Joe Hill brilliantly weaves the mysterious keys into the plot while letting the all-too-realistic family drama drive the story in this issue.

And let’s not leave out the incredible Gabriel Rodriguez. I cannot possibly overstate how good this artist is. I’d never seen his work before this series, but from now on will be buying any book he draws purely on the merit of his name on the cover. His style is the perfect combination of simplicity and realism, almost cartoon-ish but full of detail and weight. But his real gift lies in storytelling. Every issue of this series oozes with tangible suspense – created by this phenom from Chile’s panel layouts.

Seriously. I pity the fool who isn’t reading this book.