All the way back in February, IDW Publishing announced Locke & Key: Hell and Gone by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez, a crossover between Locke & Key and DC Comics' Sandman Universe. While additional information has been scarce after the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic brought the comics industry to a halt, Hill has finally provided fans with more details on the crossover.
"For years, we've been talking about doing a Locke & Key/Sandman crossover, and we're finally doing it," the Locke & Key co-creator told Den of Geek. "That's actually finally happening."
Hill confirmed that his and Rodriguez's next Locke & Key story, In Pale Battalions Go, will lead into the Sandman Universe crossover. "There's a new Locke & Key story coming out called Locke & Key: In Pale Battalion Go, about World War I," he said. "I think the first issue of that comes out in August. There's three issues in all, and it sets off the Locke & Key/Sandman crossover, which is called Hell and Gone."
Hill also revealed that Sandman writer/co-creator Neil Gaiman -- who curates DC's Sandman Universe imprint -- is acting as a consultant on the crossover. "He's definitely consulting, whether he likes it or not, since I email him whenever I have a question," he quipped. Still, the writer confesses he's hesitant to collaborate with anyone other than Rodriguez when it comes to Locke & Key.
"It's funny about Locke & Key, because it's been so exciting to develop the TV show and work with Carlton Cuse and Meredith Averill," Hill said. "They're amazing writers and they've got an amazing team of writers. About the comic though, I'm very jealous. I haven't really let anyone fool around in the Locke & Key space. It's just me and Gabe. It will just be me and Gabe on the Sandman crossover."
Then, of course, there's the matter of whether or not Hell and Gone will actually meet its previously announced launch window of October, given all the delays that have taken place in the comic book sphere. According to Hill, the crossover's first issue is more likely to arrive two months later. "You know how comics work," he said. "The fantasy was that the first issue of Hell and Gone would come out in October. More realistically, I think we'll probably see it in December." He also revealed that the crossover will most likely be comprised of two oversized issues. "32 pages or 48 pages, something like that."
Launching with the "Welcome to Lovecraft" arc in 2008, Hill and Rodriguez's Locke & Key follows the Locke siblings, as well as their mother -- who return to their ancestral home of Keyhouse following the murder of their father. Meanwhile, published under DC Comics' Black Label -- previously DC Vertigo -- the Sandman Universe was launched in 2018 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Gaiman, Sam Keith and Dringenberg's original Sandman comic book series for Vertigo Comics (which, like Locke & Key, is headed for a Netflix adaptation). The imprint features various titles, with each series featuring a different creative team and being overseen by Gaiman himself. Notably, Hill currently curates a horror-themed DC Black Label imprint of his very own: Hill House Comics.
Locke & Key: Hell and Gone is written by Joe Hill and illustrated by Gabriel Rodriguez. The Sandman Universe crossover is expected to go on sale this December from IDW Publishing and DC Comics.