Advance Review: A Fight On Two Fronts In ‘Something Is Killing The Children’ #34
by Tom Smithyman
Overview
It has taken far too long to get to this perfectly fine chapter, in which Erica Slaughter is fighting a war on two fronts. The issue moves along at a brisk pace and features some strong artwork. But where has this kind of storytelling been the last dozen issues?
Overall
8/10Finally, after 13-odd issues, it’s come down to this.
Something is Killing the Children, the once-great series featuring monster hunter Erica Slaughter, is FINALLY close to resolving its storyline in Tribulation, New Mexico. Had this story arc been tighter, it would have been fantastic.
After all, there are two monsters to deal with – one supernatural and one human. There’s the duplicitype, a shape-shifting creature that is eating Tribulation’s residents. And there’s Charlotte Cutter, a rival monster hunter who is charged with bringing down Erica – with extreme prejudice. The duplicitype, which now looks like Erica with a massive mouth on its belly, is motivated by hunger. Cutter, on the other hand, is far worse. She kills for the fun of it. And she’ll stop and nothing to kill Erica.
Unfortunately for readers, writer James Tynion IV has taken his sweet time to get to the point. The story began in issue #21, and aside from the deaths of a few minor characters, very little has happened in that time. Had this been a five-issue arc, readers would be clamoring for more. Now, they are just tired of the bloat.
That’s a shame given that this issue – the penultimate in the arc – is a pretty good one. The story moves briskly and there’s the sense that the stakes are higher than usual. Important characters may not make it out – and a cliffhanger ending only heightens that tension. Getting here, though, has not been half the fun.
Werther Dell’Edera’s artwork is strong, as usual. The duplicitype itself and Erica’s reaction to seeing herself in the monster – a clever play on the “who is the real monster” question this arc raises – are highlights. So is the insane Cutter’s cat-and-mouse game with the Gabi and Riqui, the two young women Erica is trying to protect.
After all this time, the creative team only has one more issue to wrap up the story, before taking a break. Unless it’s handled with immense care, it will – astoundingly – feel rushed.
Something is Killing the Children #34 will be available for purchase tomorrow.
