The body count is growing and so is the fear that is starting to consume the townspeople of Archer’s Peak. Writer James Tynion IV and illustrator Werther Dell’Edera continue to play with our minds, asking just what is murdering off kids in Something is Killing the Children #3. Erica Slaughter looks to be the angel who can save the adolescence of Archer’s Peak just as long as everyone stays out of her way long enough for her to do something about it.
The Story
Something is Killing the Children #3 starts off brutally strong with the title of the book well emphasized as five more kids meet their unfortunate demise. Meanwhile, Erica Slaughter is held up in an interrogation room at the sheriff’s office for questioning, which in fact is the second time that we’ve seen someone being questioned now by the authorities. Tynion’s writing this issue remains as solid as the two before it. Three issues in and we still haven’t got a clue to what is exactly going on — and that’s a good thing.
Fear of the unknown is the driver of this story and Tynion has executed that theory very well thus far. There are only three people who have the answers: Erica Slaughter, a stuffed octopus, and whoever the person Erica called on the other end of the telephone. The pacing of the issue moves at a solid beat and feels like you’re watching a Steven Spielberg/Duffer Brothers horror TV show. The interrogation room scenes are some of the best and the dialogue throughout is top-notch.
Evil Illustrations
Dell’Edera’s illustrations work so well with Tynion’s writing. It’s dark, gritty, and holds a dark revering power to it that adds just the right bit of depth the story needs. You can feel the stress and fear in panels like the opening scene where the little girl is scared for her life against the monsters in the dark, or through his solid pencil work in brilliant panels where Erica Slaughter is being questioned by the police officer.
You can also see Dell’Edera’s great use of character facial expressions and body language. Another great feature about Dell’Edra is he takes the same approach as director Ridley Scott did in Alien movies, not giving us many scenes with the monster which helps build upon the mystery of what they are and where they come from. On top of that, he has a great eye for positioning. He shows that he knows the importance of panel sizes and how it influences each scene.
The Verdict
Something is Killing the Children #3 is a superb read that further builds upon the mystery and depth that both Tynion and Dell’Edera are looking to create. The writing is very solid, the pacing on point, and the art is where it needs to be. You’ll definitely want to get your hands on the first two issues and check out such a creepy, mysterious, and engaging series.
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