Something is Killing the Children Vol. 1
James Tynion IV, writer; Werther Dell’Edera, illustrator; Miquel Muerto, colorist
BOOM! Studios, 2020
Children start disappearing in the sleepy town of Archer's Peak, and the few who survive the encounter have impossible stories about horrifying creatures. They are monsters, of the classic type that hide under children's beds, but they are definitely not imaginary. James is the sole survivor of a sleepover gone bad, but he was afraid to tell the police what he saw. When Erica Slaughter arrives in town, she convinces him to describe the monster that killed all of his friends, and assures him that she has come to kill the monster.
James asks if he can help, which inevitably winds up creating complications. Before long she has the older brother of another victim interested in her, as well as the local police. She also has a stuffed octopus that talks to her (only she can hear) and is apparently inhabited by some sort of spirit...and she works for a mysterious organization that she can contact psychically (although they also bug her by constantly calling her on the phone). In the end she manages to kill the monster and save the people with her, plus one child who was a captive. In the process we learn that the main reason adults are ineffective against the monsters is that only children can see them (and usually forget about them when they reach adulthood, or write them off as imaginary). But the bad news is, not only was the monster much bigger than expected, but it was a mother--and her children are on the loose.
In many ways this is an old-school monster story, albeit with some new occult twists. Dell’Edera's art is simple but expressive; it has a distinct Young Adult look. It is especially effective in the action scenes, and Erica's character design is both creepy and distinctive. Although I think it's aimed at a younger audience than me, I plan to see where the story goes. Volume 2 is already out, and Volume 3 will be out soon.
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