If you are not familiar with writer Joe Hill’s (HEART-SHAPED BOX) beloved series LOCKE & KEY just yet, maybe this plot synopsis provided by the book’s Wikipedia page will spike your interest:
After the gruesome murder of their father, the Locke kids, Tyler, Kinsey and Bode move with their mother Nina to the ancestral family home, Keyhouse. They soon discover that the house is full of secrets when they start finding magical keys which hold impossible powers such as turning people into ghosts, or being able to erase someone’s memories. They are not the only ones who know of the keys; a demonic creature known as Dodge is also after the keys, with the goal of opening the Black Door, which will allow the demons of hell to enter our world.
Believe it or not, writer Joe Hill (son of horror-master Stephen King) along with artist Gabriel Rodriguez (NOS4A2) have been working on LOCKE & KEY since 2008 and have gathered quite the fan base over the years. The story of LOCKE & KEY has always been planned to have a beginning, middle, and end in sight all structured within a 3-arc storyline. For those of you who have missed out thus far, don’t fret too much because you can catch up on all the eerie goodness with the collected volumes. Below is a list of all the collections out now along with what arc they belong too:
Arc 1: LOCKE & KEY, Vol. 1: WELCOME TO LOVECRAFT (Issues #1-6; Complete)
Arc 1: LOCKE & KEY, Vol. 2: HEAD GAMES (Issues #1-6; Complete)
Arc 2: LOCKE & KEY, Vol. 3: CROWN OF SHADOWS (Issues #1-6; Complete)
Arc 2: LOCKE & KEY, Vol. 4: KEYS TO THE KINGDOM (Issues #1-6; Complete)
Arc 3: LOCKE & KEY, Vol. 5: CLOCKWORKS (Issues #1-6: Complete)
So that leaves the second part of arc 3 titled OMEGA & ALPHA. This is where things may get a bit confusing seeing how this last act is a bit different than the way things have been for LOCKE & KEY’s release schedule. Issue #1-5 of LOCKE & KEY: OMEGA have all been released and wrap up the “OMEGA” portion of things and the “ALPHA” bit will consist of two large-sized issues to conclude the entire series. If you’re not into collecting single issues (and why not!?), you can rest easy knowing that the series will conclude in a sparkly collection that will be titled LOCKE & KEY, Vol. 6: OMEGA & ALPHA (concluding Arc 3) and will consist of issues #1-5 of the “OMEGA” run (complete) and the 2 over-sized issues of “ALPHA” (complete) mentioned above. Confused yet? If you are a patient nerd, just buy volumes 1-6 of the trade paperbacks and you will be good to go. I could have just said that to begin with, but that would be boring now wouldn’t it!?
The main point here is that LOCKE & KEY is a very worthwhile read that has just been brought to my attention recently. I have only read a few issues now and am hooked! The series is coming to an end very soon and now is the perfect time to catch up on all that has happened in the world of LOCKE & KEY so you can pretend you have been a fan all along when the final two over-sized issues are released.
Expect the final issues of LOCKE & KEY to start landing in your local comic shop August 2013. Until then, get your ass to your local shop and catch up already! I know I will!
In the San Francisco area looking for your next LOCKE & KEY comic book fix? If so, Check out MISSION: COMICS & ART. They’ve got you covered!
