Renée Ahdieh

In modern-day New York City, a ragtag group of rebellious teens throws its annual raucous Weimar bash filled with debauchery, booze, and bloody knuckles. Going for the first time is Locke Vinetti, a newcomer to this band of bored rich kids -- a loner who usually prefers to escape into the world of his alter ego comic book creation, . Under the tutelage of the group's charming but unpredictable ringleader Casey, Locke has learned to express his art, and his angst, in ways he never thought possible. As the violent energy of Deadlocke continues to storm up inside of him, Locke must learn to control his newfound strength at the risk of losing Renee, the darkly beautiful girl of his dreams. Determined to prove that Deadlocke's rage will overpower Locke's love, Casey provokes Locke in a brutal rooftop battle where their lives, and their souls, hang in the balance. Based on the Simon & Schuster young adult novel by Christopher Krovatin, Deadlocke teams comic writer Arvid Nelson () with Nick Stakal () in a story of a young man coming to terms with his own demons in a search for his true identity. --