Something is Killing the Children– if this title doesn’t grab your attention, I don’t know what will!

In a quiet Wisconsin town, children are disappearing. While most will never come back, a precious few escape and come back with horrifying stories of a monster in the shadows. The townspeople are distraught, so enter Erica Slaughter, who comes to Archer’s Peak ready to kill the monster on hand. This Goth looking Buffy The Vampire Slayer interviews a survivor and heads into the woods to kick some ass.

The world-building is intriguing, as you can’t help but wonder at Erica’s past and her intentions. There are hints that she belongs to a society of monster-killers, each with a small talking talisman- her’s being a purple octopus plushie. She has quite an interesting look, her side-swept bangs always camouflaging one of her eyes along with what looks to be a glowing implant in the side of her face. She often wears a mask to cover the lower half of her face, with a fang motif, that I have to admit would be a bad-ass print to wear on a facemask nowadays with the pandemic we are in the middle of.

The artwork is definitely atmospheric- gloomy, creepy and bloody. Drawn by Werther Dell’Edera, his work is sketchy and imprecise. There are many closeups of people, and some come off as grotesque with an emphasis on crosshatching to signify lines and shadows. When fighting the monster, the gutters become black, with an even darker color palette. Colorist Miquel Muerto keeps all the colors muted, as to signify the darkness of the narrative.

I’ve heard good buzz on this new series- on Goodreads, on NetGalley and even better the staff at my comic-book store, Graham Crackers, recommended it to me. It joins some books that have immediately hooked me in: Briggs Land (which Dell’Edera illustrated parts of V2), Locke & Key, Harrow County, Revival and Bone Parish. Thank you to NetGalley for an advance online copy so I could get in on what promises to be an exciting new horror series.

First off, I love the plot and the characters. I think each and every one of them were given a personality which I find very important in a story. When I started reading I wanted to know more and find out more. I really loved the bada** female lead, and the mystery behind her. Finishing this it definitely left me wanting more and I will be continuing the series.
I spend a lot of time reading graphic novels and manga, this one seemed like it wanted to be a crossover. I get a lot of Junji Ito vibes from the monsters and nightmare themes. Since it was an eARC, some of the comic strips extended across both pages and I had a difficult time reading them. I was not a very big fan of the art style, I can't pinpoint what bothered me the most about it unfortunately (perhaps it is just not what I am used to).
Overall, I think to enjoy these you have to have a specific taste for gore and horror as well as mystery. It may not be for everyone, but there is an audience.
Review will be up on my blog and Youtube at the end of the month/beginning of next month.

I liked it.

Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I requested this comic because I was interested in trying the genre since I'm not too familiar with comics based around topics like these. However I thought it was super interesting !
I really enjoyed the art style and the main characters. They weren't dull or annoying which is always a huge bummer when it comes to books/comics with annoying characters.

I really enjoyed the general plot line and thought the story had some very strong aspects to it, which made it very interesting to read!
I did hope for less of a stretch at some points however that's just a minor detail.

Would definitely recommend this comic!

Thank you to BOOM! Studios and NetGalley for the advance copy.

Something Is Killing the Children takes place in a small town where children have been going missing and found brutally murdered for a month and a half. We follow James, a young survivor whose friends were all killed, and Erica Slaughter, a mysterious, badass monster hunter who vows to stop the monster.

I adored this! The art is stunning. Every panel was so beautifully illustrated and colored (especially the full-page illustrations). I love the art style, and the monsters are so cool. The storyline is also phenomenal. I found myself completely invested in both James and Erica. The ending was the perfect blend of closure and set up for later volumes (which I will definitely be picking up). I honestly flew through this. It is both captivating and gorgeous, and I highly recommend.

CW: gore, blood, dismemberment, homophobic remarks, use of a firearm.

Something is Killing the Children, Volume one is absolutely insane! I loved everything about this graphic novel. The plot was so interesting and fast paced. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what was going to happen next. The novel is jammed packed with action and sets up so nicely for the next volume in the series. Erica Slaughter is such a badass character and I cant wait to find out more of her back story and whats killing the children in this town. The graphics in this novel are STUNNING and leaned to the story so well. I can't wait for Volume two to come out.

*Thank you to the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Something is Killing the Children follows the story of Erica Slaughter as she comes to the town of Archer’s Peak which has seen a bunch of gruesome killings. Erica stands out from the crowd from her big eyes, to her talking octopus, to her bag full of knives. She draws lots of attention from the adults of this world and that’s because unlike her they can’t see the monsters.
Something is Killing the Children starts off with violent action and runs use right through the next five issues at a breakneck pace. The story sets up the major plot of the world and the conflict Erica will face in it. Violence while gruesome stands out as you turn a page to see the red flashing out you know something bad has happened. Erica is especially well written spewing dialogue that shown how old hat she is at this. The different reactions people have to her from violently assaulting her to writing her off as crazy give the world a real feeling in regard to the monsters that inhabit it. This debut collection has me excited to read more and ready for the next section.

4 stars
What a heart pounding and graphic read. Something is Killing the Children is a horror graphic novel with interesting illustrations, exciting and disturbing mystery. It took me a little bit to get used to the illustrations they seemed to be quite rough and have sharper outlines than I am used to but after reading the whole volume I feel that it added to the atmosphere and danger the town and children face. I think the biggest complaint I have is the lack of backstory which seems to be the only complaint a lot of people have. We do not know where the monsters come from, are they created from the imagination of children? This organization in the graphic novel raises more questions and our Protagonists involvement with said company. I am hoping that we get more backstory in volume two. I will say the heroine Erica has to be my favourite part of the graphic novel, who is the badass chick with a machete and talking Octopi. Something is Killing the Children you come for the mystery and stay for Erica.
Overall, Something is Killing the Children looks to be a promising addition to the graphic novel scene, with intriguing designs and an badass heroine.

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.