Advance Review — ‘Something Is Killing The Children’ #42 Plods Along
by Tom Smithyman
It’s been a long time since Something is Killing the Children was really good. When it was good – during the first 20 issues or so – it was amazing! Amazing as in the best series of the decade. Those days are long gone now, it seems.
After subjecting readers to an overly long and largely uninteresting story in issues #21-39, writer James Tynion IV seems to be repeating that recent history in the new tale, “All Her Monsters.” This flashback story, now two chapters in, moves at the speed of sloth. Then again, readers are probably used to that by now.
This time around, young Erica Slaughter is not yet the monster hunter we know her to be. Instead she is an apprentice to Jessica. That’s fine. Tynion has jumped around time periods before with some success. But practically nothing happens in this issue. The first several pages are consumed by two minor characters seemingly out of Clerks. (In addition to his usually great horror writing, Tynion is adept at crafting small talk for his creations.) Then there’s an extended – and I mean exteeeeeennnnnddddeeeeeddddd) middle section where Erica and Jessica banter with a hotel clerk. The hotel owner and sheriff discuss Jaws next.
You see where this is all going? That’s right, nowhere. And very slowly!
There is some good news. It’s not a lot, but we’ll take whatever we can get at this point. Once again, the two young women are investigating a series of child disappearances. That means monsters, and we actually get to see them – for all of one page or so. Still it gives artist Werther Dell’Edera that chance to show off, if only a little. (His designs for a more mature Erica are so iconic – where a swath of hair is always covering one of her enormous eyes – that seeing her younger with shorter locks is a letdown.
Dell’Edera doesn’t have much to work with, as has been the case for several issues now. So any chance to see him depict a supernatural creature is exciting.
But don’t expect to be excited by much else in this issue. It really feels like this series’ best days are behind it. And that’s the real shame here.
Something is Killing the Children #42 will be available at comic book shops and digital platforms on June 11th, from Boom! Studios.
Overview
If you are looking for action, adventure, interesting characters, and monsters, this is the series for you – assuming you are reading issues #1-20. This title has largely fallen flat since then, moving along at a painfully slow pace and leaving readers with the feeling that the series’ best days are well in the past.