Something is Killing the Children volume 4 acts a prequel to what was in the previous volumes. Volume 4 not only shows the beginnings of Erica Slaughter, but you get even more information about the inner workings of the house of Slaughter and order of St. George. You learn what the different color masks mean and what roles they serve. There were hints of Erica’s backstory, but you get to see it as well as the initiation ceremony to the order. Aaron is also in this volume, and I feel like this functions as a backdoor pilot for the spinoff series The House of Slaughter, where Aaron is the main character. You’re also introduced to Jessie Slaughter, who was the mentor for the other two black masks, Erica and Aaron.
James Tynion IV, Werther Dell’edera, and Miquel Muerto all return and bring the same level of work as they have in the other volumes. The story told in this volume had the same kind of effect as volumes 1 and 2 did. I feel like Volume 3 just felt like the end of the story and while a good conclusion it felt a little dissatisfying. It was a fitting ending of the story, with how the order had decided to deal with the town. There were less moments for Dell’edera’s artwork to look dynamic, though in this volume there are a few more moments.
I know that Something is Killing the Children is on a brief hiatus that’s supposed to end in March, so that’s something to look forward to. I wasn’t sure what was going to be in this when I picked it up, but I knew that I wanted to read it no matter what. I’m a fan of everyone on this creative team and will be more inclined to read anything that they do going forward. I give Something is Killing the Children Volume 4 8.5 possessed octopus toys out of 10.
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