Something is Killing the Children

Last updated
Something is Killing the Children
SIKTC issue 1 cover.jpeg
Cover to Something Is Killing the Children #1 by Werther Dell'Edera (art) & Giovanna Niro (colors)
Publication information
Publisher Boom! Studios
ScheduleMonthly
No. of issues37 (as of June 15th, 2024)
Main character(s)Erica Slaughter
Creative team
Created by
Written byJames Tynion IV
Artist(s)
  • Werther Dell'Edera
  • Giovanna Niro (covers only)
Colorist(s) Miquel Muerto
Editor(s)
  • Eric Harburn
  • Gwen Waller (assistant)

Something is Killing the Children is an ongoing comic book series created by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell'Edera, published monthly by Boom! Studios beginning in September 2019. [1]

Contents

Publication history

Something is Killing the Children was announced as a five-issue limited series by BOOM! Studios in June 2019. [2] In August 2019, ahead of the release of its first issue, it was announced that the series had been promoted to ongoing due to "overwhelming early support from retailers and fans". [3] In June 2020, the series was nominated for Best New Series at the 2020 Eisner Awards, which was Tynion's first nomination. [4] [5]

Plot summary

Series synopsis from BOOM! Studios: [1]

"When the children of Archer's Peak begin to go missing, everything seems hopeless. Most children never return, but the ones that do have terrible stories—impossible stories 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 see what they can see. Her name is Erica Slaughter. She kills monsters. That is all she does, and she bears the cost because it MUST be done."

Spinoff titles

Enter the House of Slaughter is a one-shot released as a part of Free Comic Book Day 2021. [6] It functioned as an introduction to the series House of Slaughter [7] , which explores the secret Order of St. George that forged Erica Slaughter into a monster hunter. [8]

Book of Slaughter is a one-shot exploring the White Mask Maxine Slaughter. It was published December 28, 2022, and it is the first of the Books of Slaughter series. [9] [10] The second one-shot in the series, Book of Butcher, was published December 27th, 2023 and explored Maxine's journey from white to black mask. [11] A third and final one-shot, Book of Cutter, is yet to come out. [12]

The short story, "A Monster Hunter Walks into a Bar," is currently being serialzed in the horror anthology Hello Darkness in issues #1 to #6. The first part came out July 24, 2024. [13]

Awards and nominations

Award nominations for Something Is Killing the Children
YearOrganizationAwardResult
2020 Eisner Awards [4] Best New SeriesNominated
2020 Harvey Awards [14] Book of the YearNominated
2021 Eisner Awards [15] Best WriterWon
2022 Eisner Awards [16] Best WriterWon
2022 Eisner Awards [16] Best Continuing SeriesWon
2022 Bram Stoker Awards [17] Superior Achievement in a Graphic NovelNominated
2022 Ringo Awards [18] Best SeriesWon
2022 Ringo Awards [18] Best Single Issue (#20)Won

Reception and sales

Reception and sales for issues of Something Is Killing the Children
IssuePublication dateWriterArtistColoristLettererComic Book Roundup rating [19] North American retailer sales (first month)
#1September 4, 2019James Tynion IVWerther Dell'EderaMiquel MuertoAndworld Design9.3 by 19 professional critics33,648 [20]
#2October 16, 2019James Tynion IVWerther Dell'EderaMiquel MuertoAndworld Design8.8 by 13 professional critics24,644 [21]
#3November 20, 2019James Tynion IVWerther Dell'EderaMiquel MuertoAndworld Design8.5 by 9 professional critics17,353 [22]
#4December 11, 2019James Tynion IVWerther Dell'EderaMiquel MuertoAndworld Design8.8 by 7 professional critics16,079 [23]
#5January 29, 2020James Tynion IVWerther Dell'EderaMiquel MuertoAndworld Design8.4 by 9 professional critics14,047 [24]
#6March 18, 2020James Tynion IVWerther Dell'EderaMiquel MuertoAndworld Design8.5 by 6 professional critics14,365 [25]
#7June 10, 2020James Tynion IVWerther Dell'EderaMiquel MuertoAndworld Design8.9 by 6 professional criticsData not yet available
#8July 8, 2020James Tynion IVWerther Dell'EderaMiquel MuertoAndworld Design8.8 by 10 professional critics
#9August 12, 2020James Tynion IVWerther Dell'EderaMiquel MuertoAndworld Design9.0 by 7 professional critics
#10September 9, 2020James Tynion IVWerther Dell'EderaMiquel MuertoAndworld Design9.2 by 5 professional critics20,00025,000 [26]
#11October 21, 2020James Tynion IVWerther Dell'EderaMiquel MuertoAndworld Design8.7 by 5 professional critics39,00047,000 [27]
#12November 18, 2020James Tynion IVWerther Dell'EderaMiquel MuertoAndworld Design8.8 by 7 professional criticsData not yet available
#13December 23, 2020James Tynion IVWerther Dell'EderaMiquel MuertoAndworld Design9.1 by 3 professional critics
#14January 27, 2021James Tynion IVWerther Dell'EderaMiquel MuertoAndworld Design9.2 by 5 professional critics
#15February 24, 2021James Tynion IVWerther Dell'EderaMiquel MuertoAndworld Design8.8 by 7 professional critics
#16May 26, 2021James Tynion IVWerther Dell'EderaMiquel MuertoAndworld Design9.1 by 7 professional critics
#17June 23, 2021James Tynion IVWerther Dell'EderaMiquel MuertoAndworld Design9.2 by 5 professional critics
#18July 28, 2021James Tynion IVWerther Dell'EderaMiquel MuertoAndworld Design9.1 by 5 professional critics
#19August 25, 2021James Tynion IVWerther Dell'EderaMiquel MuertoAndworld Design9.2 by 4 professional critics
#20September 22, 2021James Tynion IVWerther Dell'EderaMiquel MuertoAndworld Design9.4 by 4 professional critics57,097 [28]
#21March 30, 2022James Tynion IVWerther Dell'EderaMiquel MuertoAndworld Design8.6 by 4 professional critics124,002 [29] [lower-alpha 1]
#22April 27, 2022James Tynion IVWerther Dell'EderaMiquel MuertoAndworld Design9.2 by 4 professional critics63,473 [30] [lower-alpha 1]
#23May 25, 2022James Tynion IVWerther Dell'EderaMiquel MuertoAndworld Design8.3 by 3 professional criticsData not yet available
#24June 22, 2022James Tynion IVWerther Dell'EderaMiquel MuertoAndworld Design8.3 by 5 professional criticsData not yet available
#25July 27, 2022James Tynion IVWerther Dell'EderaMiquel MuertoAndworld Design9.3 by 4 professional criticsData not yet available
#26November 16, 2022James Tynion IVWerther Dell'EderaMiquel MuertoAndworld Design7.8 by 4 professional critics
#27December 21, 2022James Tynion IVWerther Dell'EderaMiquel MuertoAndworld Design8.5 by 5 professional critics
#28January 11, 2023James Tynion IVWerther Dell'EderaMiquel MuertoAndworld Design9.1 by 5 professional critics
#29February 22, 2023James Tynion IVWerther Dell'EderaMiquel MuertoAndworld Design8.2 by 4 professional critics
#30March 29, 2023James Tynion IVWerther Dell'EderaMiquel MuertoAndworld Design8.7 by 5 professional critics
#31July 19, 2023James Tynion IVWerther Dell'EderaMiquel MuertoAndworld Design8.5 by 7 professional critics
#32August 16, 2023James Tynion IVWerther Dell'EderaMiquel MuertoAndworld Design8.9 by 5 professional critics
#33September 20, 2023James Tynion IVWerther Dell'EderaMiquel MuertoAndworld Design8.5 by 5 professional critics
#34October 25, 2023James Tynion IVWerther Dell'EderaMiquel MuertoAndworld Design9.8 by 3 professional critics
#35November 29, 2023James Tynion IVWerther Dell'EderaMiquel MuertoAndworld Design9.2 by 3 professional critics
#36April 24, 2024James Tynion IVWerther Dell'EderaMiquel MuertoAndworld Design9.1 by 6 professional critics
#37May 22, 2024James Tynion IVWerther Dell'EderaMiquel MuertoAndworld Design9.4 by 6 professional critics
#38June 26, 2024James Tynion IVWerther Dell'EderaMiquel MuertoAndworld Design7.9 by 4 professional critics
#39July 24, 2024James Tynion IVWerther Dell'EderaMiquel MuertoAndworld Design
#40August 28, 2024James Tynion IVWerther Dell'EderaMiquel MuertoAndworld Design
#0September 25, 2024James Tynion IVWerther Dell'EderaMiquel MuertoAndworld Design

Collected editions

Collected editions of Something Is Killing the Children
TitleMaterial collectedFormatPublication dateISBN
Something Is Killing the Children: Volume 1Something Is Killing the Children

#1–5

Trade paperbackJune 25, 2020 ISBN   978-1684155583
Something Is Killing the Children: Volume 2Something Is Killing the Children

#6–10

December 1, 2020 ISBN   978-1684156498
Something Is Killing the Children: Volume 3Something Is Killing the Children

#11–15

June 15, 2021 ISBN   978-1684157075
Something Is Killing the Children: Volume 4Something Is Killing the Children

#16–20

January 11, 2022 ISBN   978-1684158041
Something Is Killing the Children: Volume 5Something Is Killing the Children

#21–25

October 18, 2022 ISBN   978-1684158539
Something Is Killing the Children: Volume 6Something Is Killing the Children

#26–30

June 14, 2023 ISBN   978-1684159031
Something Is Killing the Children: Volume 7Something Is Killing the Children

#31–35

February 14, 2024 [31] ISBN   978-1608861484
Something Is Killing the Children: Volume 8Something Is Killing the Children

#36–40

October 30, 2024 ISBN   978-1684156283
Something Is Killing the Children

Deluxe Edition Book One

Something Is Killing the Children

#1–15

Deluxe hardcoverNovember 16, 2021 ISBN   978-1684157648
Something Is Killing the Children

Deluxe Edition Book Two

Something Is Killing the Children

#21–35

Deluxe hardcoverMay 21, 2024 ISBN   978-1608862184

Adaptation

In 2021, a TV series adaptation was announced to be in development for Netflix with the same name. [32] [33] In February 2023 it was announced that Dark and 1899 creators Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese had been hired to develop the adaptation after Mike Flanagan had departed due to creative differences. [34]

Notes

  1. 1 2 The sale numbers are the sum of two different cover versions of the comic.

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References

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  2. "BOOM! Announces New James Tynion IV Series Something Is Killing The Children with Artist Werther Dell'Edera". comicbook.com. June 18, 2019. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  3. "Something is Killing the Children is Now an Ongoing Series". previewsworld.com. August 20, 2019. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  4. 1 2 "2020 Eisner Awards Nominations". San Diego Comic-Con . 2 June 2020. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  5. "James Tynion IV on Twitter: "This is my first nomination ever at the Eisners. Some really nice news on a rough week."". Twitter . June 4, 2020. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  6. "FCBD 2021 ENTER THE SLAUGHTER". Free Comic Book Day. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  7. "House of Slaughter". BOOM! Studios. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  8. "Something Is Killing The Children Spinoff Series House of Slaughter Revealed (Exclusive)". ComicBook.com. Retrieved 2021-08-13.
  9. "BOOK OF SLAUGHTER #1 Announcement". BOOM! Studios. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  10. "Books of Slaughter Vol. 1". Simon & Schuster. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  11. "BOOK OF BUTCHER #1 First Look". BOOM! Studios. 2023-11-22. Retrieved 2023-12-05.
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  13. "HELLO DARKNESS #1 First Look". BOOM! Studios. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  14. "Harvey Awards Reveal 2020 Nominees". Harvey Awards . Retrieved June 25, 2022.
  15. "2021 Eisner Award Winners Announced at Comic-Con". Comic Book Resources . 24 July 2021. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
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  17. "The 2022 Bram Stoker Awards® Final Ballot – The Bram Stoker Awards" . Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  18. 1 2 "2022 Ringo Awards – Ringo Awards" . Retrieved 2023-11-25.
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  31. Announced upcoming release date.
  32. "'Doctor Sleep' Filmmakers Tackling Hot Comic 'Something is Killing the Children' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. 2021-07-09. Retrieved 2022-04-26.
  33. "Mike Flanagan No Longer Involved in Something Is Killing the Children Netflix Series". 2022-10-07. Retrieved 2022-11-27.
  34. Wiseman, Andreas (2023-02-23). "Netflix Re-Ups Overall Deal With 'Dark' Creators, Duo Board James Tynion Comic Series 'Something Is Killing The Children' With Boom! Studios". Deadline. Retrieved 2023-02-23.