The free copy of this book was given to me by publisher via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

When the children of Archer's Peak—a sleepy town in the heart of America—begin to go missing, everything seems hopeless. Most children never return, but the ones that do have terrible stories—impossible details of terrifying creatures that live in the shadows. Their only hope of finding and eliminating the threat is the arrival of a mysterious stranger, one who believes the children and claims to be the only one who sees what they can see.

Oh yeah, that was definitely right up my alley. The art was nice to look at and the story was captivating which made this a real fun read.

This is your typical monster hunter story but there's some interesting and definitely unique world building going on that I really like. I can't wait to find out more about where Erica comes from and how this world of monsters works. Erica is a bad ass and I might be just a little in love with her.

My only issue was reading this as an ebook was difficult because some of the pannels took up more than one page, but it wasn't too bad that it made the comic completely unreadable. Overall, highly recommend if you're looking for a good horror/monster hunter story (though I didn't necessarily find this scary).

tws: blood and gore, seriously there's a lot of it on almost every page

A wild ride.

Something’s Killing the Children is a gritty, bloody horror that pulls you in right from the beginning. James is having a sleepover when an innocent game of truth-or-dare turns deadly. He tells them about a monster he saw and then it’s decided to go looking for it in the ravine.

James is the only one who survives that night.

You see, Archer’s Peak has a problem: children have been going missing and many are found dead. It’s the monster that did it, although James tells the cops that he didn’t see anything. Adults can’t see the monster anyway.

That’s when Erica shows up, a strong young woman with a job to do: kill the monster and save the kids. Or at least that’s what she hopes to do if the octopus doesn’t hinder her any further. So far she's good at it, but the lives she can't save obviously weigh on her.

James wants to help but he’s not a monster hunter, he’s just a kid thrown into a horrible situation. As if having the boy he was interested in suddenly torn apart, he’s now seen as a suspect, a freak and by some of the student body, a perverted murderer. He’s a character you really feel for because after reading this, I just want to wrap this kid in a blanket and keep him safe.

The writing is amazing, every character is distinct in a way that goes beyond the fact they all look different. They have different voices, different ways of speaking, of just being on the page. And it’s all paired with some truly amazing art.

Usually, gory horror isn’t my thing but this was a perfect blend of gore, story, and art. The three worked in sync to bring the best version of the story possible. I will absolutely recommend this to hardcore horror fans and to those just dipping their toes in the water. It’s worth the time to read, and earns a solid five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

It starts off chillingly. The plot is very strong and keeps the reader engaged and it was my favorite aspect of this graphic novel. The writing creates an excellent spooky environment; I’m glad I didn’t read this at night because of this.

Personally, the art leaves a lot to be desired and could be more precise. They seem more like rough sketches rather than final versions in this copy. The roughness adds a certain amount of grittiness to the story but I wonder how much more gripping the novel could be with sharper artwork. I love how the monster reminds me of Stranger Things, though.

The most challenging part of this was the panels that occupied two pages. It was confusing and frustrating encountering this in an eformat but I have hopes that it’s easier to navigate in a physical copy.

I thoroughly enjoyed this but be warned that it ends with more questions about the world than it answered leaving the reader hoping they'll be answered in the following volumes. I’m looking forward to learning more about the characters, monster origins, and the secret society in the following volumes!

Synopsis: In a small town, children are turning up dead. One kid witnessed an attack, and when mysterious stranger Erica Slaughter arrives in town claiming to know how to stop it, he’s determined to help her.

This was a lot of fun to read. I feel a bit bad saying that because, as the title suggests, this is a horror book about a monster murdering children. But it is also about killing monsters. There are plenty of moments, especially towards the beginning, that actually made me laugh. It was also suspenseful and engrossing--enough so that it kept me on my lunch break a bit long.

I enjoyed the main character (Erica Slaughter) quite a bit. (Though her look through most of the book reminds me of one of the Akatsuki from Naruto.) The coloring and the art fit really well with the story, and some of the minor characters had great designs.

I do think it tried too hard to be cryptic – the book raised a lot more questions than answers, and it came across as overly contrived at points. And I would love to see the chart/criteria used to classify monsters. It also felt like [possible spoilers ahead—skip to next paragraph] there was a lot of lead-up to ‘and then she did the thing’. The actual fight with the monster took about two pages, and felt fairly anti-climactic/overly easy for the 4.5 chapter lead up.

Overall, Something is Killing the Children was a thoroughly enjoyable book. I would definitely recommend it to graphic novel fans and horror fans alike.

Content Warnings: violence, gore, kidnapping

I really enjoyed this story. I really felt for James and everybody else in the town. I loved Erica a badass monster hunter, sign me up. I want to know more about her back story.

Something is Killing the Children is a creepy, gory graphic novel set in a small town. This story has a bit of a Stranger Things vibe since it's about a small town where strange things are happening and children are disappearing or winding up dead and dismembered.

One boy, on the night of a slumber party at his house, ends up being the only survivor amongst his friends after something attacks them in a ravine behind his house. The town is divided as to whether the boy killed his friend. Then a mysterious young woman arrives in town looking to track down what is killing the children...

I liked this. It was gory and there was some adult language so it is definitely for a more mature audience. I recommend this if you are looking for a creepy read with things that go Rrrrrrrrrrrrr in the night.

4.5 stars.

This was thoroughly enjoyable and I would 100% recommend this to anyone who enjoys dark, creepy, gory, horror comics. It gave me Stranger Things vibes and I’ve never even seen Stranger Things, but I think it’ll appeal to fans.

The name says it all. Something is killing the children. Then Erica Slaughter, one badass monster hunter, rolls into town to put a stop to it with the help of a kid who survived but whose friends didn’t. This shit is dark, and I love it.

There’s little about this volume that I can fault, to be honest. The story was engaging and exciting throughout and left me guessing and wondering. Each issue/chapter ended on a mini cliffhanger and I was always excited to continue. The characters didn’t feel cliché and I was able to invest in them all quickly. Our main girl Erica remains a mystery, but a few hints are offered which leaves me wanting to know more.

The writing was fantastic. I never felt like I was being given information I didn’t need. The dialogue was concise and to the point whilst still maintaining a level of humanity and an organic feel. Every panel is used effectively and builds tension.

The artwork is gorgeous. Vibrant but edgy. I love unapologetic gore in comics and there’s plenty in here to satisfy my taste for the macabre.

My only issue with this graphic novel was the layout. Because I was reading an e-copy on my phone, it was difficult to follow the panels half the time because sometimes they went down the page in a more traditional manner, and other times they stretched across two pages. I would read one page from top to bottom only to flick to the next page and realise I was meant to read it side to side. This caught me out several times and got a little annoying having to flick back and forth between pages to make sure I didn’t miss anything, but it didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the comic. In physical form, this wouldn’t be an issue and I’d love to buy a copy when it’s released and read it again without the hindrance of reading it on my phone.

But regardless, I’ll definitely be buying this because I enjoyed it so much. I’m proper hyped for the next one now because that cliffhanger was real, folks.

If I were to read this again in physical copy, it would likely get a full five stars. I want to see this as a Netflix show. Without a doubt, I’ll be reading future volumes. This easily makes my top 5 graphic novels.

Thank you Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is an interesting graphic novel about an invisible monster that is killing children in a small town. A strange young woman arrives in town to kill the monster and suddenly some of the townspeople are plunged into a battle that they cannot truly comprehend.

I enjoyed this first volume and I am looking forward to more as the story develops. It is quite clear there is a lot more to this story and the horrors that feast on children. The artwork is ok but a bit too dark for my liking. It is a good first volume and I enjoyed it enough to read more if there is more.

Copy provided via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Something Is Killing The Children Volume 1 by James Tynion IV is a beautifully constructed graphic novel. The artwork is very atmospheric and adds a darkness to the story that draws you in from the very first page and leaves you on a tantalising cliff-hanger at the end. I most definitely want to read Volume 2!
Highly recommended.

First of all I love Boom! Studio graphic novels and comics, they're one of my favourites as far as the art and story is concerned that's why I didn't hesitate to pick this one up.

The story is set in a small town where the children go missing. Some of them are never found and some of them are found in pieces. And then there is Erika, mysterious girl/woman, who is killing monsters. The whole story starts with James, our main character, and his friends having sleepover and playing truth or dare. When he is challenged to say what cared him lately, he tells them a scary story that happened to him. Next thing you know, he is alive at police station and his friends are torn to bits.

Wow that sounds like an episode out of Supernatural tw show.

It definitely had creepy or rather spooky and mysterious vibes. I'm used to very cute graphic novels but the art in this one was also on the darker side which I really liked. The artwork played really well with the topic of the story, you can find some haunting images there so if this is not something you prefer, I would stay away from this one. I, on the other hand, really appreciated it.

There was a lot of mystery and a lot of questions... but to some of them I'd like an answer. Obviously, there is this question why James got out alive and if there is anything special and who is Erika. But I think there could have been explained in the end of the volume maybe who are these monsters, why are they here, who is Erika, why is she killing them? It felt like a horor story but with no real background which I think was missed opportunity for the author.

Also we get a glimpse of background story to only one of the characters really, and it's not even the main character, it's Tommy, brother of a missing girl and he was by far the most interesting character of them all and I loved seeing his family and him coping with what was happening in the city, what had happened to them and I really liked it.

Honestly, I really liked it, it was captivating, disturbing and gruesome and the dark artwork and atmosphere just got me so if you're looking for something like that, check it out.

Thank you to Boom! Studios and Netgalley for the digital ARC copy of this book.

I will confess that I quite like James Tynion's works, having read The Woods, Backstagers, and many of his works for DC. I enjoyed this new series and would recommend it to my patrons but I also felt this book's story seemed rushed and a few of the characters disjointed or plain unlikable. The plot and story hooks are very good and engaging; you want to find out more and more as Tynion slowly drips out pertinent information. The art is very good and suits the story. I am very excited to see where the story will go from here.

This was a pretty solid story. I don't generally read graphic novels, but I really flew through this one. I hated almost every character, but the story was good enough to keep me caring. Can't wait to read the second one.

I received an ARC through NetGalley from BOOM! Studios for this adult horror graphic novel. James’s friends were all brutally murdered and he is the only survivor. Now he is in high school exile as the weird kid who might have killed all his friends. Enter, mysterious monster hunter Erica Slaughter who needs James and the sheriff to give her enough information to find the monsters lair. Erica is a tough chick, but she is also pretty odd.

The art is decent and the story is easy enough to follow. There isn’t a ton of substance, but if this series becomes anything like James Tynion IV’s other series The Woods, it will build with each consecutive volume and become an extremely intense story. I enjoyed The Woods and because of that I have full intentions of continuing this series and seeing what kind of world Erica Slaughter lives in.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first volume of the comic Something is Killing the Children! Personally I give it somewhere between 3.5-4 stars for story line, the art, & general content. Unfortunately the only character I even remotely liked or wanted to know more about was Erica Slaughter. Maybe James too & whatever that octopus stuffed toy really is? I'd say spoiler alert but there was so much set up I couldn't possibly give away a plot that was missing from this first volume. If the author was trying to make the deaths feel more real by providing family, friends & other side characters to fill things out, it didn't really pan out. I don't really read horror to feel the pain of loss anyway so honestly, I only need enough to get the plot rolling which should've been by or before the third chapter.

This all is coming across way more harsh than I mean. I wouldn't have given it as high a rating as I did if there wasn't something about it that pushed me to read & enjoy it it anyway. It has that "something special" to me that has attracted me to countless other graphic novels & comic book collections before now. Did I mention I love Erica Slaughter? Her appearance & portrayal were right down my alley. She matched my expectations from when I originally read Something is Killing the Children description when the individual comics came out. I just hope her back doesn't give out from carrying the entirety of this comic book series on it.

I do recommend Something is Killing the Children Vol 1's to those who are after gruesome comics & strong, mysterious, female, lead characters (who does use adult language just FYI for those out there looking for that info). I would consider it a good read & look forward to future installments. There is also some potential for a mysterious secret society who pulls the strings for this "monster hunting girl who has a dragon tattoo" & that sounds fun to me.

Incredible start to this series- I feel it's like Gideon Falls, but the execution (pardon the pun) is so much more intriguing and well-done! I'm sad that I now have to wait for the coming issues, but this was a beautiful treat and I can't wait to see what happens next.

Really spooky and cool graphics, however the plot was a little confusing/difficult to follow. I'll definitely read future volumes!

Though this is my first time with this author's work, I couldn't be more excited to jump right into the story because that cover and synopsis look exactly like something that I'd definitely enjoy. Unfortunately, even with a decent introduction to the characters and a quite intense opening, I found myself getting bored the farther I went into the book. Because yes, something is definitely killing these children, but I'm gonna need more than gritty illustrations and a vague plot to push me to keep going.

Review thanks to a free advance copy via Netgalley.

A mysterious monster is killing children. An anti-social monster hunter is tracking it down. Mix in the confused police, a boy trying to avenge the death of his friends and sharp writing for an enjoyable action-horror comic. Great artwork and layout. Not groundbreaking, but enjoyable and recommended.

Something is Killing the Children is very much in the vein of James Tynion IV's other series The Woods. Kids are in danger and something dangerous is in the forest. This isn't a unique or original concept, but both approaches are different enough that you don't feel like he's treading the same ground. The problem is Tynion is a hit or miss writer. The Woods was all over the place and lacked consistency in it's storytelling, and I'm afraid that in this story it feels almost amplified to the point where I don't care to read any more of this series after the first volume. There was no exposition or explanation, just setting up pieces in place to be played with later. With five issues of a comic you should at least be getting some solid worldbuilding instead just an impressionistic feeling of what could happen eventually if you wait long enough. And see as how weak the ending of The Woods was I'm not falling into this trap again. The artwork is even impressionistic. And not in a good way. I'm sorry if I actually like my people to look like people all the time and not to have big panels of jarring color that you're not sure what is going on. As for Erica our heroine, who literally has one of only two jokes in the entire comic with her address being the old west side DMV in Madison, Wisconsin, she looks like the demon in Brubaker and Phillips' Kill or Be Killed mated with a Margaret Keane painting. And as for Erica's "battle mask" well, it looks like the teeth of the Big Bad from the Buffy The Vampire Slayer episode "Killed by Death" which just so happens to be about monsters killing children that adults can't see. Coincidence? I think not.