Review: Something is Killing the Children Volume 3

How is James Tynion IV able to be in so many places at once? Perhaps the “IV” in his name hints that there actually multiple clones of the writer, all working on different titles. One of his on-goings at Boom is Something Is Killing The Children, whose plot is exactly what it sounds like. It’s been a great ride so far, and the first major story arc wraps up here, in volume 3. So it’s the perfect time to jump on these first 3 trades if you’ve been missing out.

This volume picks up from the cliffhanger that ended the last one. Things are going very poorly for Erica Slaughter and the town of Archer’s Peak. So poorly, in fact, that some of her colleagues from the Order drop in to ‘help’. Erica is a fantastic character with a highly intriguing backstory. Fellow fans of hers will be delighted to hear that the next arc of SiKtC will be a flashback to her origin story. But in the here and now, she’s certainly in a bit of a pickle.

As horror comics go, SiKtC is up there with some of the best. It is truly chilling, in a very visceral way. It captures that feeling of being old enough to know that there can’t be anything out there in the dark, but having convinced yourself that there might be. Tynion is one of the most versatile and talented writers around at the moment. If I didn’t know that Wynd and The Department of Truth were written by the same person, I’d struggle to believe it. But in a strange way, SiKtC has enough in common with both (especially the latter) that it kind of makes sense.

Werther Dell’Edera’s art is fairly classic dark indie comics fare. It fits the vibe and the small-town setting well, bringing some horrifying scenes to life. Miquel Muerto takes on the tricky job of coloring a comic where most scenes take place in darkness, and excels at it.

SiKtC has been thoroughly enjoyable for these first 3 volumes. Tynion could have ended the story here; indeed, anyone who stops reading at this point will find it a satisfying ending. But we still have a flashback volume to come, and perhaps more present-day stories beyond that. It’s clear that he has some grand plans for this book, which could end up as one of the greats if done right.

Writing – 4.5 Stars
Art – 4 Stars
Colors – 4.5 Stars

Overall: 4.5 Stars

Writer: James Tynion IV
Artist: Werther Dell’Edera
Colorist: Miquel Muerto
Publisher: Boom! Studios

Author Profile

Yavi Mohan

Yavi Mohan is a comic writer (and more frequently, comic reader) based in London. He is frequently overwhelmed by the number of comics in his reading list, to the extent that it sometimes delays his reading. This list includes every issue ever published with Spider-Man as the main character.