Locke & Key
LOCKE & KEY
THE COMPLETE SAGA
JOE HILL · GABRIEL RODRÍGUEZ
IDW Publishing · 2008–2013
🔑 37 ISSUES · 6 MAIN VOLUMES · 976 PAGES
Additional Collection: The Golden Age (232 pages)
Writer: Joe Hill
Artist: Gabriel Rodríguez
Colorist: Jay Fotos
Genres: Dark Fantasy · Supernatural Horror · Mystery · Family Drama · Gothic Fiction
Status: Main Series Complete
🗝️ ABOUT THE SERIES
Locke & Key is a dark fantasy and horror comic book series created by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodríguez.
Following the brutal murder of their father, Tyler, Kinsey, and Bode Locke move with their mother to Keyhouse, an ancestral mansion in the fictional town of Lovecraft, Massachusetts.
Within its walls, the children discover a collection of magical keys, each capable of bending the laws of reality. Some unlock doors to impossible places; others can alter identity, manipulate memories, separate souls from bodies, or grant extraordinary abilities.
But the keys are connected to a sinister history stretching back generations, and a malevolent entity known as Dodge is determined to claim their power.
As the Locke family uncovers the secrets of Keyhouse, they must confront grief, inherited trauma, ancient evil, and the consequences of decisions made long before their birth.
Blending supernatural horror with a deeply personal family tragedy, Locke & Key explores memory, identity, sacrifice, growing up, and the power of imagination.
📚 THE COMPLETE MAIN SERIES
01 — WELCOME TO LOVECRAFT
2008 · 168 pages · Issues #1–6
After their father's murder, the Locke children arrive at Keyhouse. Young Bode discovers the Ghost Key and encounters a mysterious girl trapped inside a well.
The family's new home proves to be far more dangerous than anyone suspects.
02 — HEAD GAMES
2009 · 160 pages · Issues #1–6
The discovery of the Head Key allows people to open their minds, remove fears, transfer knowledge, and manipulate memories.
Meanwhile, Dodge infiltrates the family's lives under a false identity.
03 — CROWN OF SHADOWS
2009–2010 · 152 pages · Issues #1–6
The sinister history of Keyhouse continues to unfold as Dodge searches for the Omega Key.
The Locke children face increasingly dangerous supernatural threats, culminating in a confrontation with an army of living shadows.
04 — KEYS TO THE KINGDOM
2010–2011 · 152 pages · Issues #1–6
The Locke children discover new keys and experience increasingly extraordinary transformations.
As their enemies draw closer, childhood innocence gives way to difficult choices, sacrifice, and the growing consequences of their discoveries.
05 — CLOCKWORKS
2011–2012 · 160 pages · Issues #1–6
The Timeshift Key reveals the history of Keyhouse and the origins of its supernatural power.
The children discover the secrets of their father's youth, the creation of the keys, and the terrible events that gave birth to Dodge.
06 — ALPHA & OMEGA
2012–2013 · 192 pages · 7 issues
Collects:
- Omega #1–5
- Alpha #1–2
The concluding chapter of the original saga.
Dodge finally approaches the Black Door, threatening to release the forces sealed beneath Keyhouse.
The Locke family faces its greatest tragedy and a final confrontation that determines the fate of the keys and their inheritance.
✅ END OF THE MAIN SERIES
🕰️ THE GOLDEN AGE
07 — THE GOLDEN AGE
Stories originally published 2011–2022
Collected Edition: 2022 · 232 pages
A collection of prequel stories exploring the lives of the Locke family during the early twentieth century.
The collection follows Chamberlin Locke and his descendants through extraordinary adventures, personal tragedies, and the horrors of the First World War.
COMPLETE CONTENTS
01 · Small World (2016)
An unusual birthday gift introduces a dangerous creature into Keyhouse.
02 · Open the Moon (2011)
A moving story of love, loss, and the Moon Key.
03 · Face the Music (2022)
An additional story about the Locke family, first collected in this edition.
04 · ...In Pale Battalions Go... (2020)
Issues #1–3.
John Locke attempts to use the magical keys during the First World War, with devastating consequences.
05 · Hell & Gone (2021)
Issues #1–2.
A crossover with Neil Gaiman's Sandman Universe, following Mary Locke's attempt to rescue her brother from Hell.
Note: The crossover is optional for readers interested only in the independent Locke & Key mythology.
📖 OTHER SHORT STORIES
Several additional short stories exist outside the principal collections.
Grindhouse (2012)
A violent Depression-era crime story set at Keyhouse.
In the Can (2009)
A very short, humorous story originally published in IDW's tenth-anniversary comic.
Nailed It (2019)
A short epilogue involving Tyler Locke and the restoration of Keyhouse.
Dog Days (2019)
A standalone adventure involving the Animal Key.
These stories are not necessary for understanding the principal saga.
📦 COLLECTED EDITIONS
KEYHOUSE COMPENDIUM (2021)
976 pages · ISBN 9781684057764
Contains all six main volumes in one book.
MASTER EDITIONS (2015–2016)
Volume 1: Welcome to Lovecraft + Head Games
Volume 2: Crown of Shadows + Keys to the Kingdom
Volume 3: Clockworks + Alpha & Omega
HEAVEN & EARTH (2017)
72 pages
Contains:
- Open the Moon
- Grindhouse
- In the Can
Important: Open the Moon is also included in The Golden Age. Do not count it twice.
THE GOLDEN AGE (2022)
232 pages · ISBN 9781684057856
Collects the major twentieth-century prequel stories, including the Sandman Universe crossover.
✅ COLLECTION SUMMARY
Main Saga: Complete — 6/6 volumes
Main Series: 37 issues
Additional Collection: The Golden Age
Core Reading Order:
01 → 02 → 03 → 04 → 05 → 06 → 07
The Golden Age is best read after the original six volumes.
The original story has a definitive conclusion. Later publications expand its universe without changing that ending.