The art and colours are the best Ive seen come out of the Sandman Universe. Some pages seem to barely contain the swirling kaleidoscope of chaos as realities are torn apart and stitched back together. The set pieces and visual elements are utterly mesmerizing, and there are quite a few details referenced from The Road to Nowhere. The heavy-handed dark shading and thick, black backdrop swallows this comic in darkness, with flares of colour illuminating the panels like the strike of a match.

Naomi Franquizs artwork is beautiful to behold, and the watercolors are so vibrant, offering rich textures. Ive been a fan of her work since Misfit City, and shes done a wonderful job keeping the spirit of the first Harrow County comics alive in her own style. I'm particularly struck by her emotive facial expressions and am also in love with Bernices look in this time period!

Aaron Campbells dark and dingy artwork makes you feel like youre flipping through an old Hellblazer comic. There are some absolutely gruesome panels, which help earn this series its mature rating, that you cant keep from trapping your gaze. To cap it all off, Jordie Bellaire lifts Campbells ethereal monstrosities off the page with a soft glow, revealing the horrors that lie in the dark.

The art just gets better with each issue; the team is really flexing their talent by taking all the right creative risks. There is such variety between the pages as the plot jumps around, yet it all ties together wonderfully. Spencer & Locke 2 #3 uses every inch of the page; you can tell they put in a lot of hours. The mutant snowmen were particularly creepy.I always really enjoy seeing more of Santiago's creative artwork. I'm also glad the snowman reference made a comeback. I recall seeing some murderous snowmen thrown into the background of an early issue, but as more of an Easter egg for Calvin and Hobbes fans. Lastly, I obviously love the Hero variant cover (feat. Mr. Rabbit); she is just channeling that Batman/Spawnenergy.

Nomen Omen #1 will be available in comic shops on October 2, 2019.

Going to the Chapel #1 is expected in stores on September 4, 2019.

The artwork continues to be stellar, and there is some great (and liberal) use of visual sound effects, especially during the first confrontation with the police. The panel layout is straightforward and consistent by necessity, as it serves to draw attention to the absurdity by letting it play out clearly and you rely on that consistent structure to help navigate the chaos. Liz Kramer ties the whole thing together with a distinctive palette, slipping the complimentary faded yellow/reddish purple into every detail.

It still impresses me how this comic integrates parts of their source material so organically, in both the plot and layout. For a comic with this kind of premise, the references can seem jarring and worked in. However, Spencer & Locke 2 has found its balance, and this issue has some great moments where they wove things in really well. We also see familiar faces from the funny pages, albeit in decidedly less funny situations. The tie was a nice touch, though.

Santiago lit it up in the final issue of Spencer and Locke 2. More than once, I found myself thinking I didnt need the text in some panels because the characters body language was so on point. The layout out must have been a challenge for this one. There was a lot to get through, but they utilize every inch of real estate — leaving just enough room to break us emotionally.

Tie that with their plans to dive into a new six-book cycle (squee!) after The Golden Age, Battlegrounds could be the last one-shot or more likely a primer for the World War Key arc. Either way, it seems the new run will be kicked off by the “unbelievable event” mentioned in the Dog Days footnote. With the TV series moving smoothly with Netflix after a few false-starts, we might have a lot of Locke & Key to look forward to in the coming years, and I am absolutely stoked!

Overall, this grand finale was a bit of a rush to the finish, but it still delivered a satisfying ending, with a few surprises thrown in for good measure.

Something Wicked #1 is set up to be a good entry point for new readers, but it's also deeply rooted in the last arc (the first volume is on sale now). Thompson starts off with the newest malevolence to threaten Greendale, but most scenes will have a greater emotional impact if you're familiar with the characters. That being said, you get more than enough context to orient yourself, and there is a short recap on the credits page if you need it.

As expected, the noir-inspired artwork from Joe Eisma is solid, and despite the controversial premise, I love his concept for the cover. He has also clearly perfected the raised eyebrow! I found the coloring a bit flat on a couple panels, but overall, I thought the matte style was a good choice.