Locke & Key: …In Pale Battalions Go… #1 is a bit of a domestic caper. John, the oldest son of Chamberlain Locke, feels compelled by what he sees as his duty to join the way. He’s young and American, though, which is one roadblock. Another is that he’s attempting to join the Canadian forces and needs access to a certain one of his parents’ magical keys to do so. His efforts and quelled early in this issue, and the rest of the story focuses on the boy’s journey of trickery, magic, and manipulation in an effort to do what he believes is the right thing to do: use the keys to fight. Joe Hill impresses here not only by delivering another memorable Locke & Key story but by creating a comic in his well-known universe that feels entirely different in tone from the original series while still feeling consistent with it. This one is more of a quiet story of intrigue that ponders violence and duty rather than the page-turning and mind-bending horror of the original. However, it’s an interesting read that shows Hill’s versatility.