Something is Killing the Children #2 is published by BOOM! Studios. It is written by James Tynion IV with art by Werther Dell’Edera and colors by Miquel Muerto.
I’m so mad I didn’t jump on issue #1 when it debuted. I mean, I still managed to get a print copy of it because the workers at my local comic shop love me (big shout out to New Dimension Comics). I even got the Jenny Frison variant (I love her artwork so much), but I didn’t write a review and I’ve been kicking myself for it ever since. This time though, I obviously did. Because you’re reading it right now.
I really like how James Tynion IV titled his series. If you’re wondering what it’s about, literally just read the title – Something is Killing the Children – some kind of monster is in fact, killing children randomly and gruesomely. No one knows how or why. Police are baffled, families are distraught, friends and classmates are terrified, but no one has even the slightest inkling of what is going on. Except one girl, Erica Slaughter (what a name). Despite her nonchalant attitude, James (the boy who survived issue #1) has decided to keep following her around.
Not only because he wants to help stop the monster that brutally murdered his friends, but because Erica is the only other person who believes him and knows for a fact he telling the truth. Erica, it seems, has a unique job. She is a person specifically sent in by an unknown organization to dispatch these monsters. We don’t know who she works for, we don’t know how they know about these monsters, or why the monsters exist and where they come from, what we do know is Erica has fought a number of these things and that this quiet, little town isn’t the only place of Earth they’re lurking.
If James is going to be a character that sticks around, I hope he starts pulling his weight soon. It’s not that I dislike him, he just doesn’t really bring anything to the table right now except not being dead like his friends are. He doesn’t feel like he needs to be such a pivotal character anymore. He survived the attack but other than that, he just kind of asks Erica questions she gives vague answers to or doesn’t even answer at all. James Tynion IV is an incredible writer and has created some awesome characters, so I’m sure he has some kind of purpose, but I just don’t see what it is. Not yet, at least. What I’m the most intrigued about though is that octopus doll that Erica carries around with her. I won’t spoil it, but after that final page? Yeah. I definitely need to know more about that thing.
Since I didn’t get to say it in an initial review, Werther Dell’Edera’s art and Miquel Muerto’s colors are fabulous. I love the overall design of the environment and characters, but I especially love the monsters. So, big props to them – fantastic work, guys.
OVERALL SCORE: 8.5 / 10
Make sure to check out Something is Killing the Children #2 at your local comic shop!
Happy reading!
