Something is killing the children vol 1 by James Tynion IV

Illustrated by Werther Dell'Edera, colored by Miguel Muerto 
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James and a few of his friends go into the woods one night on a dare, but James is the only one who comes back out alive. He swears a giant monster killed his friends, but everyone believes James did it. Tales of monsters attract Erica Slaughter to the town of Archer's Peak, a mysterious fighter who travels around killing monsters. She enlists James’ help far enough to help locate the monster, but despised telling him anything more. Even stranger, Erica often talks to a stuffed octopus toy and seems to be getting information from it.  Other locals believe Erica may be the cause of the children going missing.  The local sheriff gets involved, as well as others whose family members have disappeared in the woods.

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If you're looking for a pretty badass female lead character, Erica Slaughter is it.  She's going a take-no-nonsense attitude, and also bucks the rules as much as possible.  She isn't invincible, however, and shows some genuine fear at the monster plaguing Archer's Peak.  There are quite a few mystical elements Tynion sets up in this story that are completely unexplained, so there is plenty to keep readers interested in to volume two.

Dell’edera’s monster is extremely creepy.  There are some very scary elements throughout the story, and between Dell'edera's pencil illustrations and Muerto's muted colors, the effect is of a horror film through a brown or pink filter where the audience strains to see what might be lurking in the shadows.

BOOM! says this is a teen 13+ title, but this title doesn’t belong in any middle school. There are lots of f-bombs, and plenty of illustrations of children’s bodies in various stages of dismemberment. There is a lot of blood, and some pretty horrifying parts. This has been likened to Stranger Things, but it’s a little more gory than the show.

​Sara’s Rating: 8/10
Suitability Level: Grades 10-12

Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Publication Date: May 26, 2020
ISBN: 9781684155583 (Paperback)

​Tags: Rating: 8/10, Suitability: High School, Comicbooks, Horror, Action Adventure, BOOM! Studios