Hill's 'Welcome to Lovecraft' is earth-shatteringly good

I just finished reading the critically acclaimed graphic novel, “Locke & Key: Welcome to Lovecraft,” and I was more than a little surprised by just how good this comic book series actually is.

How good is it?

Earth-shatteringly good.

Collected and published in hardback by IDW Publishing in San Diego, Calif. in October 2008, “Welcome to Lovecraft” was written by Joe Hill and illustrated by Gabriel Rodriguez. For those of you unfamiliar with Joe Hill, you won’t be for long. He’s the 38-year-old son of world famous horror writer, Stephen King, and I assure you that the apple hasn’t fallen far from the tree.

The hardback edition of “Welcome to Lovecraft” is a collection of a six-issue comic book miniseries that was published between February and July 2008. It’s the type of story that sucks you in and leaves you wanting a lot more in the end.

The story begins with members of the Locke family, who, after a family tragedy, move from California to their ancestral estate, Keyhouse, in the fictional town of Lovecraft, Massachusetts. Not long after they arrive, it becomes clear that supernatural forces are at work in their new home, especially when the youngest member of the family begins conversing with someone (or something) at the bottom of a boarded up, abandoned well.

“Welcome to Lovecraft” is the first book in the hardback series. The other books include, in order of publication, “Head Games” (Sept. 2009) and “Crown of Shadows” (July 2010).

A fourth part of the series, “Keys to the Kingdom” is ongoing and has yet to be published in hardback. The first issue of this six-issue comic series came out in August 2010, with the fifth and latest issue being released in March.

As mentioned, the entire series is wildly popular among comic horror fans and has garnered much critical acclaim. Among its honors, the series won the British Fantasy Award for Best Comic or Graphic Novel in 2009. During the 2009 Eisner Awards, the series was nominated for Best Limited Series. Joe Hill was nominated for Best Writer.

Fans of “Welcome to Lovecraft” will be pleased to hear that a television series based on the graphic novel is in the works. In February, filming began on a pilot episode, which may air (along with potentially 12 more episodes) later this year.

In the end, have any of you had a chance to read “Welcome to Lovecraft” or any of the other books or comics in the series? If so, what did you think about them? Which did you like or dislike? Which would you recommend? Let us know in the comments section below.