Summary
Boom Studio’s hottest book gears up for a second volume spilling the tea on the origin of Erica.
This review of Something Is Killing the Children #16 contains some minor spoilers.
If there is one comic series that is just begging for a TV adaptation, it’s SIKTC. It has to be one of the hottest comics on the shelves just now, and not because it has a variant cover that everyone wants (although it does that too) but because it has a great central premise, a well-developed protagonist, a deep mythos slowly revealing itself, and a story that involves monsters, hidden organizations, and lots of gore.
There was a short hiatus between the last issue and Something Is Killing the Children #16. Issue #15 concluded the first arc of the story, and writer James Tynion announced that issue #16 would begin the origin story of Erica, the monster hunter we had been following for the past two years.
When I heard that this would be the focus of the second volume, I wondered if perhaps the comic series had surpassed expectations, and the idea of an origin story was proposed to allow the book to continue while the creative team could work on a second full storyline. I could be wrong, but I get the feeling the series may have finished with issue #15 if it hadn’t been so well received.
So we have issue #16, and let’s face it, it was always going to be a tall order to try and follow up on such a well-loved first run, but the good news is there is that the high-quality entertainment of the first run looks set to continue.
We are instantly transported back to Erica’s past, and we find her at 12 years old, where she has killed her first monster and is recruited and transported to her new home: The House of Slaughter.
Erica’s family has been murdered, and she is escorted to her new home, despite the proper protocol of such an affair, not being followed.
This premise looks like it is setting up a sort of coming of age story for Erica, as she contends with her training, her mentors, and the other members of the hidden society that she will become so integral to.
This issue is a great jumping-on point for new readers, and Boom Studios looks set to market the hell out of this property.
I’m pretty sure that it has already been optioned, so picking up original copies of the first few issues is going to be pricey, but if you feel this book is for you, you can pick the trade up for a decent price.
In the meantime, jump on the bandwagon with Something Is Killing the Children #16. It’s a great introduction to the series, and I have a feeling that this run will be another great arc for this title.
