WOTN Review: Something Is Killing the Children #4 (Boom! Box)

The Hunt Beings in Something Is Killing the Children #4

Something Is Killing the Children #4 continues the dark and disturbing tale of a town plagued by monsters. But as with many monsters, only the children they hunt can see them. That’s where Erica Slaughter comes into play.

Erica has earned her last name due to all the monster hunting she has done. The fourth issue in this series will finally give readers a glimpse into her hunting practices. All while raising the overall tension.

If you’ve been following the series until now, you know how dark and graphic it can get. And Something Is Killing the Children #4 is no exception. The series may focus on a monster hunter, but do not doubt how long the monsters have had to hunt.

Writing

Something Is Killing the Children #4 has a unique blend of elements. The introduction isn’t funny, per se, but infused with an odd sense of humor. It’s that sort of morbid humor that makes you chuckle. And it essentially sets the tone for this entire issue.

James Tynion IV has been telling us a twisted tale until now. And just when you think that the series can’t get any darker, he throws another curveball at you. That’s the pattern established so far, and it doesn’t look keen to change.

That being said, this glimpse into Erica’s hunting practices was fascinating. Her character has been written with an alarming amount of stoic calm. She’s the perfect monster hunter in that sense. But it also explains why they felt compelled to introduce other characters for us to follow.

Something Is Killing the Children #4 is a surprisingly complex issue. There are so many plots and subplots revolving around each other. And each and every one of them serves to build the tension of the series. It’s starting to get mighty spooky over here.

Art

Something Is Killing the Children #4 is full of brilliant and disturbing artwork – just like the rest of the series up until now. It’s vibrant and intense, but also not afraid to show just how graphic it can get while hunting monsters.

There are a lot of interesting elements shown in this issue in particular. For example, Erica’s ‘hunting mode’ outfit completes her look. It’s simple and yet highly dramatic. Then there are the other humans in her life (or rather, in this town). Their expressions fill in a lot of blanks.

Those are not the only notable elements, however. The monsters shown in this issue are… quite simply fascinating. They’re disturbing and disproportioned, making them monstrous in every sense of the word. And yet…it’s hard to not want to see more of them.

Werther Dell’Edera (artist), Miguel Muerto (colorist), and Andworld Design (letterer) all worked together in wonderful cohesion for this issue. The artwork shown is disturbing and graphic while also peculiarly compelling. And if that isn’t the perfect descriptor for this series, then I don’t know what is.

Conclusion

Something Is Killing the Children #4 was just as eerie and alarming as fans could have hoped for. The pace is speeding up, and that means Erica has only so much time to complete her hunt. But that also means that fans are about to finally start getting some of the answers we’ve been looking for. As well as a few more questions to throw into the mix.

This review was originally written for Word of the Nerd, but has been ported over to Quirky Cat’s Fat Stacks now that the site has shut down.

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