Warning! Major spoilers for Locke & Key.
Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez’s beloved comic book series Locke & Key had a difficult journey from page to screen. The rights to their work bounced from studio to studio for nearly a decade before it landed at Netflix for good. Needless to say, some things from the comic book series got lost in translation.
The Netflix adaption of Locke & Key follows the main plot points of its original source material pretty well. Both version of the story chronicle the Locke siblings returning to their father’s ancestral home after his murder. They find a plethora of magical and mysterious keys hidden all over the house.
Beyond the basics, the Netflix adaptation varies a bit. Netflix’s Locke & Key has a different tone than the comics, along with taking some liberties with characters and plot points. Here’s a breakdown of the biggest changes between the Locke & Key show and comic books.
Locke & Key: Comics Vs. Netflix Adaptation
One of the biggest departures from the comics that long-time fans will notice is the change in tone. The Locke & Key comics are much darker than the the Netflix show. The show relies more on the drama in the Locke kids’ lives than the horror elements of the original comic, making this adaptation more of a YA story. But despite the fact that show is heavily focused on the lives of the Locke family, parts of their lives are changed from the comics as well.
For one, the Lockes’ mom, Nina, is in the throes of alcoholism instead of six years into recovery, as she is in the show. Because of that, Nina is not as involved in unlocking the mystery of the keys in the comics as she was in the show. The role of the kids’ uncle Duncan was also changed quite drastically. In the comics, Duncan is heavily involved in the Dodge storyline. But in the show, Duncan remains on the outskirts of the story. Elements of perhaps the most vital part of Locke & Key — the titular keys — are also changed for the show.
The comic book series features a few dozen keys, whereas the show only shows twelve. A few of those twelve keys were even invented specifically for the show. The Matchstick Key and Mirror Key were not featured in the comics. The Identity Key was not featured in the comics either, because it is a combination of the Gender and Skin Keys from the original story. The Netflix adaptation includes a number of other small changes, such as a different cast of supporting characters. However, a number of these changes, namely the lighter tone that Locke & Key takes on, did not go over well with fans. Ultimately, it will be up to the higher powers at Netflix to see if this impacts a potential second season.
More: What To Expect From Netflix’s Locke & Key Season 2
