Children are dying and a new face in town is causing problems in Something is Killing the Children #2, out this week from Boom Studios.
Written by James Tynion IV and drawn by Werther Dell’Edera, colored by Miquel Muerto and lettered by Andworld Design, Something is Killing the Children #2 widens the lens on the town of Archer’s Peak as more of its inhabitants are introduced.
Muerto’s color pallette is bewitching and perfect for this story. The small town is gloomy and coated with a haze. Bright colors are seldom used and possess a darkness when they are. There is something so evil lurking in this town that the sun is afraid to shine.
Andworld Design does a phenomenal job with the lettering in this issue. Noises spill off the panel to show these sounds breaking through the silence. Everyone knows how loud even the quietest noise can be when it is completely silent. Archer’s Peak is eerily silent and the letters do an incredible job of expressing it.
Dell’Edera has designed very unique monsters for this story so far. We’ve only seen a few, but they’re creative and original. I look forward to learning more about their history, as well as the monster-hunting female lead and how she has stumbled into this life. His linework on the rest of the human characters is busy yet crisp and refined. There are shadows everywhere, especially under the eyes of these sleep-deprived characters.
We know the monsters can hide in plain sight, but we don’t know how or why some can see it and others can’t. So much emphasis has been put on the lead character’s eyes that it must have something to do with the something that is killing the children. As it stands, we still don’t know her name, so there is obviously a great deal we have yet to learn about her. Maybe she has some kind of cybernetic eye? Perhaps she ripped out some gifted child’s eyes and put them in her own head?
Tynion expands on the inhabitants of Archer’s Peak by exploring the effects the missing children are having on the community and the families. The citizens are on edge and there are no clues to what has been happening. Fear permeates in the air, evil lurks in the shadows, and no one has any answers. There is so much more to figure out about this small town and the horrors afflicting it. Why does this monster seem to just ignore the adults? I can’t wait to find out.
Tynion has created a more expansive universe than I would’ve expected after the first issue. The big-eyed, blonde leading lady has been talking to someone named “St. George” on the phone, and they seem to be giving orders and asking for updates, which leads me to believe she is part of a secret organization. A secret society of monster hunters sounds pretty awesome to me. After the last panel of Something is Killing the Children #2, St. George could be anyone or anything, and my money is on the ghost of an actual saint.
Something is Killing the Children is fantastic edge of your seat horror, and I’m sweating with anticipation for the next gruesome chapter. There is something larger at work here, which means there are plenty of ways to branch off and make sequels from this tale of terror. More monsters to kill, many other towns to explore, and countless problems to tackle across the face of this world. Tynion has created another money-making horror franchise with this one, I’m sure of it.
What do you think of Something is Killing the Children so far? What are some of your other favorite creature features? Let us know in the comments below.
