"Something is Killing the Children #12" Comic Review

A monster kidnapping and eating children was only the first of the problems facing the town of Archer's Peak. Since Erica Slaughter failed to contain this creature, leading to even more bloodshed at the hand of its spawn, her bosses at the Order of St. George are taking matters into their own hands, even if that means wiping the town off the face of the earth. Erica has to put these beasts down if she hopes to save the town and herself.

Something is Killing the Children #12 works on a few levels. Sure, the monsters are scary in and of themselves, but what really stands out in this issue is how imposing and frightening the Order of St. George is. These folks swoop in with expert efficiency showing they are fully capable of everything Erica fears about them. Moreover, they're willing to do it. That's the really unsettling part of it. They'd do it without a second thought.

Artist Werther Dell'Edera makes us feel every tense beat of this issue. There are very few moments for us to catch our breath. Erica returns from one battle only to jump headfirst into the next, albeit with a different kind of monster. I love how Dell'Edera fills double-page spreads with loads of smaller panels. It brings a fast pace filled with detail so you get this 360 degree look at a scene and every single aspect of it.

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My favorite part of Something is Killing the Children #12 comes when the Order reveals themselves in the town. They appear out of the darkness with only their white handkerchiefs covering the bottom halves of their faces visible. One panel they're far out and the next they're much closer. It conveys this intimidating and forceful tone that works well in solidifying their frightening nature.

There's some great, subtle color work from Miquel Muerto in this issue that really stands out. Those white hankies are one element. Later on, we get a closer look at these warriors so we see how their eyes glow in the darkness. It makes me wonder if they're not part monster themselves.

Writer James Tynion IV adds some new layers to the monsters and what they're doing in Archer's Peak. We're twelve issues in and we're still learning so much about this world. We're talking game-changing information that re-frames everything that came before it. This is the kind of stuff that makes you want to go back and re-read previous issues with a new set of eyes.

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Central to all of this is young James, the poor boy who can see monsters now after witnessing them tear his friends apart one evening. You can feel the heartbreak in his words and the heavy burden he carries with himself. It's survivor's guilt to an extent, not to mention a helpless feeling. Letterer AndWorld Design captures this well in a rare heart-to-heart between James and Erica.

Something is Killing the Children will grab you and never let go. This is a riveting horror comic that has never let up since it started. It's only getting more tense and terrifying with each issue and this one is no different.