I was pretty excited to read this, despite the artwork not being my usual type. However, I felt let down by the storyline and I didn’t really care what was going to happen to the characters. I didn’t connect with our MC as much as I wanted to and parts of this comic felt really rushed.

I do think a certain audience would enjoy this comic, it just wasn’t for my tastes personally.

Some children are disappearing. The few who return tell stories about terrible creatures. Everything seems lost until an outsider arrives stating that only she can end the monsters.

"Something is Killing the Children" would make a great TV series! We do not have many answers in this first volume, and the story seems to be much deeper than it is initially presented. At times, I remembered "Killing Eve" a lot. In general, it is a comic that is worth reading.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of this HQ.

My Review: Cool concept, not enough gore
For a novel about monster hunting, I was expecting a lot more bloodshed. However, this is just the first issue and it sets the story up well for the future.

The Pros: What worked for me

I liked that the story was fast-paced but left a lot of mysteries for the reader to want to discover. There are so many avenues for this story and I am quite curious as to what the next issue will bring.
The art is decent – not too polished or beautiful but it works for this type of story.

The Cons: What I didn’t like

I WANT MORE MONSTERS. GIVE ME MORE GORE!
I wish the author and illustrator had spent more time on the fight scene because that was what I was looking forward to the most.

My review is short because the issue was a quick read. I liked what the story had to offer, and it gives major Stranger Things vibes – so I’m definitely going to be checking out the next issue. If you’re looking for an interesting and supernatural-themed graphic novel, give this one a shot! Solid 3/5 stars from me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This was just an ok book for me. While I enjoyed it while I was actually reading it, if I had to put it down for any reason I would just completely forget I was even reading it. I ended up reading it over the course of a couple weeks because I would just forget about it until I stumbled on it again.

A digital edition of this graphic novel did not read well as the pages could not be laid out to see two pages at a time. Overall, the plot seemed very Stranger Things-esque but nothing really jumped out about this being "original". The artwork felt more like I was looking at a movie story board than reading a graphic novel.

This story is excellent for fans of Stranger Things. Very creepy, very good at setting the mood and tone of the small Wisconsin town where everyone knows everyone else.

Something is Killing the Children, with its gruesome title and captivating cover, has all of the initial hallmarks of a gripping graphic novel read. From the cover’s depiction of monster-infested woods, unexplained events and a woman ready to fight back I was expecting this story to keep me on the edge of my seat and awake at night.

Unfortunately, that’s not what happened.

Instead, Something is Killing the Children moved at a slumber-inducing pace that seemed to detract from the story’s attempt to build an intense atmosphere. The images were sufficiently gruesome (in a light horror kind of way) and the gore was present early on in the story. As you’d expect from a GN of this genre. The images’ dark tones and vivid splash of red were eye-catching however they failed to truly gain my attention. Once I’d read a section of the story I wasn’t inclined to go back to stare at any particular spread (as I’d usually do, if in awe of the artwork).

While the story attempted to weave multiple facets of the mystery surrounding the monsters’ appearance in the town – the lost children, James’ near miss while his friends were murdered, the police investigation – this wasn’t very effective in keeping my interest. The characters were hard to connect to and with the exception of Erica Slaughter I wasn’t overly invested in their story.

The mystery around Erica and her appearance in the town was the most interesting part of the story and kept me reading until the end. That said, I wouldn’t say I’m interested enough to read Vol. 2. It was a decent horror read but not one I’d read again therefore I’m rating it 2.5 stars.

2.5 Stars

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing the ARC. Something is killing the children in Archer's Peak, and it needs to be stopped. Collecting the first 5 issues of Something Is Killing The Children, Vol, 1 is a fast and exciting read that leaves me excited for the next volume. I loved the art style and thought that the story was interesting and left me wanting to know more about the world of Erica Slaughter.

With a slight sci-fi and "Stranger Things" feel, "Something is Killing the children vol. 1," is the start of a classic, monster-killing horror series.

This bind-up of the first five issues brings us to the small town of Archer’s Peak, where children are disappearing and no one knows why. Except for James, that is, who witnessed the death of his friends at the many hands of a monster that adults can’t seem to see. Haunted by his memories of that night, James joins forces with the mysterious new woman in town, Erica Slaughter, who seems to know more about the monsters than anyone else.

The art style of this series is something I haven’t quite seen before, a little sketchy and grim, mixed with a classic-comic-book style. The way frames overflowed and covered whole, two-page spreads was an interesting tactic that took some getting used to (mostly because of my PDF version), but created another dynamic level to the story that I enjoyed, even if it didn’t seem to serve any specific purpose. Dark and ominous, but for its splashes of red, this book has no problem jumping right in and highlighting the gore, although it’s not realistic enough to stir much of a scare in anyone who isn’t diving into horror for the first time.

Erica Slaughter is an interesting character, who ends up being at the complete center and driving force of the story. Alone, she supplies not only the majority of the plot but almost all of the tension and suspense. In fact, the mystery of who she is, where she came from, and why she has devoted her life to chasing monsters is honestly the only thing that kept me reading. Oh, and the stuffed animal octopus, which was actually the most interesting part of it all, even if we only brush the surface of what the heck its deal is. The other characters are either underdeveloped, serve only a particular and stereotypical horror-trope role, or both.

The pacing in comparison to almost any other work in this genre is also very slow. Part of this is because we know too much at the start of the story, when the monster is almost immediately revealed. The rest is because of its predictability and the limited tension that rides mostly on readers waiting for a fight scene. Although the art style is well-suited for horror, and has a certain dark charm, the scenes don’t depict action particularly well, and end up feeling somewhat stagnant, especially for a series that relies on the bad-assery and cool factor of a monster-slayer beating up creatures. If the five issues hadn’t been all together, I can’t say I would’ve continued after no. 1. A story like this needs more of a hook to get readers to keep buying issues…and Something just didn’t have it.

Still, I believe 100% that this series would get better in following volumes based on how this one ends. But, after being given so little in this beginning installment and feeling very much unafraid, I can’t say that I would take the time to keep reading.

With a nice art style but forgettable, and lacking in action, I rated "Something is Killing the Children vol. 1," 2.5 out of 5 stars. However, fans of the "Sabrina" comics may like this.

Thank you to Netgalley and Boom!Studios for an early copy in exchange for an honest review!

Very interesting book. I'm eager to read the rest of the series. Erica is a very interesting character shrouded in mystery. James is a boy desperate to save his town, and I'm curious to see how he develops through the books. The art is well done, though in the beginning I got the boys confused and by the end I still got two of the adult males confused.

Definitely recommend to anyone who likes spooky things.

This was an incredibly fast-paced and action packed comic; definitely easy to zoom through in one city. We are dropped right into the story, with missing children and monsters living in the woods. I admit I have so many questions about these monsters and the people who hunt them but I guess that just means I'll have to pick up vol. 2 when it's available.

Thank you to NetGalley and BOOM! Studios for providing me an advanced reader copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, and this may be obvious from the title, if depictions of children being harmed are triggering for you I would not recommend you read this book. The art does not shy away from showing graphic depictions of the injuries the monster inflicts on its victims, so read at your own discretion.

Anyway, I've been looking forward to reading this series for a while and feel it surpassed my expectations. I enjoyed that the story contains a fair amount of mystery, by the end of the first volume we still understand very little about this world and the monsters that lurk in it.

The pacing was done well and effortlessly grasped my attention. These first issues were mostly plot-motivated, but I look forward to learning more about our protagonists. Specifically, I'd like to learn what drives Erica, and how she became involved in the monster-hunting business. It seems clear that this volume is just an introduction, and a substantial amount of worldbuilding has already been planned. I definitely intend to follow along with this story as it continues to develop.

Trigger/Content warnings: body gore, murder, loss of loved one, gay slurs
Representation: queer male MC

I loved the concept. I loved the art. But this was really missing something for me.

After reading The Backstagers from Tynion IV, I was really curious to see what he would do with horror. And while I wasn't upset, I was a little disappointed. In The Backstagers I loved and adored the characters and their relationships and their subtly woven in backstories. And while this is a completely different genre, I wanted more of that.

The characters in Something is Killing the Children, to me, felt like they just could have been a lot more. Because of this, I just didn't find myself as engaged in the story as I really wanted to be.

I'll be honest, while I think I would enjoy, I don't think I will seek out the sequel to this series.

Comics are not my usual go-to but this was awesome. The heroine of the comic, Erica Slaughter is badass. I love that the comic has such a strong feminine role in it.

This comic contained the perfect blend of graphic violence and horror. Overall the illustrations were beautiful.

This was a great start to the series and I look forward to reading the others.


I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Something is Killing the Children Volume 1

By: James Tynion IV

4.0/5.0




I knew nothing about this graphic novel before picking it up. The cover, title and description gave me badass Nancy Drew/Riverdale/Stranger Things vibes. The art style was very nice. The color choices were great and really popped. I loved how the flashbacks were shown in different colors. It was easy to follow and that’s coming from a beginner graphic novel reader.

When I first saw the creature, I was captivated by it. It looked part human, but also completely different. I think it would be a cool novel to turn into a video game. Throughout the novel, I was wondering what made a person able to see the creature. I had a few theories, but loved how it organically came into conversation between Erica and James. It didn’t feel forced at all. I wish this wasn’t just volume one. I want to see how the cliff hanger is resolved and how the changes as the story progresses. I will definitely be looking out for the rest of the series.

Author’s Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/JamesTheFourth?

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Something-Killing-Children-Vol-1/dp/1684155584

Barnes and Noble: https://m.barnesandnoble.com/w/something-is-killing-the-children-vol-1-james-tynion-iv

This review will be posted on my blog May 26, 2020.

*thank you to Netgalley, James Tynion IV and BOOM! Studios for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*


1.5 stars.

I couldn't decide between 1 star or 2. So I chose 1.5 because it wasn't bad, it just wasn't for me. I didn't connect with the story and the artwork just isn't my style. I did like parts but not a lot of it and not enough to increase my star rating. I guess I was expecting it to be scary to a degree but I didn't feel that at all. Unfortunately this is a miss from me but it does seem to be quite well liked so I hope you all make up your own mind and take this review as just my own opinion.

I will add though that I do really like the cover despite that I didn't enjoy the artwork overall. The cover is rather eye catching which is what got my attention in the first place.

Expertly paced with great world building and an excellent tone. I will 100% pick up the next volume.

It's difficult to find good horror nowadays it seems. Especially difficult for graphic novels, making illustrations of the unknown can be risky. But this series is able to instill fear and unease seemingly effortlessly.

I don't even know what to say. I don't think this book was meant to be read by me. I've seen so many good reviews, but I just wasn't a fan of the comic. It wasn't about the drawings, they were neatly made and I like them a lot, I was more about the story itself. It was so empty, I couldn't connect with it.
I'll give it 2/5 stars because I liked the drawings.

I really liked the graphic design of this comic with very dark tones that perfectly reflect the horror of the story. This first volume remains very mysterious and offers few answers to readers.
The main character is a strong woman whose very little is known. And I want to follow her in the following volumes.