James Tynion IV is known for writing compelling comic book stories in classic DC titles like Batman and Justice League Dark. But he unveils a new talent for horror, suspense, and mystery in Something Is Killing The Children. This is a story about small towns and large numbers of children killed by monsters that cannot be seen by adults.
The shocking premise sets the tone for the outstanding series published by Boom Studios. Readers who begin the series may think initially that they know what type of story this was before the end of the first issue. Instead, they will discover there is always more to the story and new developments to surprise and delight with every unexpected turn.
This article will contain spoilers.
10 Erica’s Last Name Is Slaughter, Or Is It?
Erica arrives in town after a phone call from St. George. Erica meets the sheriff of Archer’s Peak in the third issue. The sheriff is alerted to Erica’s suspicious presence by Tommy Mahoney. His sister Sophia is one of the missing children and Erica gave him $50 for a private booth in the Applebeans restaurant where he is the manager.
Tommy tips off the sheriff who arrests Erica and at the police station he examines her license. On it, her name reads Erica Slaughter, and when he asks if it is her real name she says yes. But the sheriff points out that the license is made out of paper and not even laminated. He suggests she could have made it at a Kinko’s.
9 James Finds His Friends In The Ravine
Erica finds James when she arrives in the town of Archer's Peak. She's not there to hurt him but she read the police report. She knows what he saw and she needs him to tell her. James is afraid, even after Erica reassures him that it's OK for him to doubt what he saw or be afraid to tell her.
James struggles and then begins telling the part of the story when he is looking for his friends. He finds their bodies in various states of trauma. And then he sees the monster. He has never been so scared of something or horrified at what a creature can do.
8 Erica Was Once Like James
In the first issue, Erica received a call from St. George. This is a secret order that Erica updates and contacts for information. Erica was trained by the House of Slaughter. The history of the house is still shrouded in mystery.
Eric joined the house when she was the only survivor of a monster attack. The House of Slaughter brought her into its fold and trained her to kill the monsters that stole her family. This shocking development surprised readers and sets the stage for Tynion's upcoming spinoff House Of Slaughter.
7 Erica’s Doll Contains A Monster
Erica wears a backpack and inside there's an octopus stuffed animal. When James asked Erica why she has the octopus she tells him to not ask about the octopus. By the end of issue one, Erica sits her doll on the bed in her motel room and says she needs information.
When she opens the door for the sheriff a floating creature hovers above the octopus. It has a small body like a child and tentacles extending from its hips. It shimmers yellow gold but only Erica and the reader can see it. The sheriff only sees Erica.
6 It Started As Truth And Turned Into A Dare
Issue #1 opens with a great question for the reader, truth or dare? James is with his friends and Noah and two others are playing the classic game. They mock James when he chooses truth. Then James tells a scary story about being home alone and turning off the lights while it was dark out.
Then he sees a terrifying monster down in the ravine behind his house. The same ravine behind all of the houses where the boys live. When Noah calls James a liar he responds by asking truth or dare. On the next page, James is in an interrogation room talking to a detective and swearing that he made the whole thing up. It can't be true because none of it is real.
5 Only Children Can See The Monsters Naturally But Adults Must Be Altered First
When James discovered the dead bodies of his friends he saw the monster that killed them. Later, James asks Erica why he could see the monster she explains that it is because he still has enough of a child’s mind that he still believes in scary monsters.
James argues that Erica is wrong. He points out that she is older and she can still see the monsters. She explains that there are ways to change the way someone sees. When Tommy places himself in danger because he can’t see the monster Erica alters his perception and Tommy sees what Erica and James have already seen.
4 The Similarities Between Young James And writer James Tynion
James Tynion IV has dark brown hair and wears glasses. James is the name of the young boy who tells the scary monster story at the beginning of issue #1. This James also has shaggy brown hair and wears glasses.
A popular writing exercise involves taking a moment from the past and changing a significant decision or action. The result is often a powerful experience that fans of Marvel’s What…if? And DC Comics’ Elseworlds will recognize and enjoy. Now, the only question is if the two James are one and the same.
3 James Had A Crush On One Of The Boys Who Died
It's difficult to imagine the pain and struggle that James is experiencing. Tynion does a wonderful job voicing James' thoughts and struggles. Artist Werther Dell'Edera captures the emotions of James in the woods, in the interrogation room, and when he is sitting down at the Applebeans table with Erica.
James admits that he wishes that somehow the death of his friend Karl is a dream. When Erica mentioned that James might like him more than friends James responds that Karl didn't think so. James is blamed for the death of his friends in the absence of any other explanation. Not only did he lose his friends, but he also lost a crush who could have been a lifelong friend, and now he is a pariah in the place he calls home.
2 An Innocent Man Takes The Fall For His Town And His Family
Tommy Mahoney is introduced in issue number two. His sister Sophie is one of the children still missing. He is the manager at Applebeans. His mother is a grieving person who continues to break a little more each day her daughter is missing.
Tommy meets Erica when she uses one of the booths at Applebeans and pays him $50 for privacy. He suspects her of being a killer at first but eventually helps her on her mission to stop the monsters. But when the Archer's Peak is too damaged and has seen the monsters. Erica’s secret society plans to kill them all to keep the truth a secret.
Tommy realizes that the only way he can save the town is to give them someone to blame it on. Tommy's admission will keep others from asking about the monsters and the townspeople will be safe.
1 Erica Walking Out Of The Woods Covered In Blood In The First Issue
First, there is the girl sitting in the red wagon with no legs and only one arm and a patch over her left eye. She hears the sound of crunching footsteps and looks towards the woods. In one panel there is nothing.
In the next panel, Erica is standing wearing black pants and a white tank top smeared with blood her arms and hands are covered in blood and she wheeled two machetes dripping red. Her face is covered by a black mask that covers her nose and mouth. The next six panels show Erica walking over to the girl in the wagon dropping her weapons and drinking a bottle of water. It's only in the first panel of the next page that she speaks.