Title: Something Is Killing the Children | Slaughterverse Media: A shared universe of two ongoing comic series and an associated one-shot Approximate Length: For the nominated characters and relationships, reading ranges from five issues to thirty-one (broken down below)
What It's About Something Is Killing the Children is a dark urban fantasy/horror series set in the present-day United States. The premise: Monsters are real, it's just that most of us (adults) can't see them. These dark creatures come into being because of the beliefs and fears of children, and children are who they hunt.
Our hero Erica Slaughter survived a monster attack as a young girl and was subsequently adopted into the Order of St. George, a secret society dedicated to not just killing monsters but keeping their existence a secret—because the more people who believe that monsters exist, the more monsters that can be brought into the world. Order members are bonded to the spirit of the first monster they defeat as a sort of malevolent familiar, and are sorted into different 'families' based on their roles, from solo and pack hunters, rare creature specialists and record-keepers, to armourers and techies.
Now a veteran solo hunter who spends most of her time travelling across the country investigating suspicious killings and disappearances, Erica's personal history as a survivor and her connections to the people she saves along the way start to put her at odds with the Order.
Meanwhile, the other members of her chapter of the Order are explored in a spin-off series called House of Slaughter. So far, these stories have focused on Erica's foster brother Aaron Slaughter (a handler whose loyalties began to be tested as a teenager when he fell in love with another young man from a rival chapter), his boyfriend Jace Boucher (now grown and trying to protect a group of orphans from the Order), and record-keeper Edwin Slaughter (a neurodivergent artist with an unusual arrangement with his monstrous familiar).
The ramifications of Erica's conflict with the Order, and further lore about the House of Slaughter, are also explored in a one-shot called The Book of Slaughter.
Where to Find It The series are available in print and digitally wherever comics are sold, as both individual issues and as collected trades. I've linked to the series on the Boom! Studios website, listed below by the nominated relationships. • Erica Slaughter/Riqui's interactions can be found in the most recent arc of Something Is Killing the Children (#21-#31 at present), when Erica comes to Tribulation, New Mexico to investigate a monster attack involving the family of Riqui's late girlfriend. Erica's story begins in issue #1. • Jace Boucher/Aaron Slaughter is a canon ship predominantly featured in the first arc of House of Slaughter (#1-5), which covers their teenage romance and reunion as adults. Aaron also appears in a supporting role in the first arc of Something Is Killing the Children (#1-20), and Jace is the lead of issues #11-15 of House of Slaughter. • Jace Boucher/Original Male Civilian was nominated based on Jace's House of Slaughter issues (#1-5 and #11-15). • Cecilia Slaughter/Maxine Slaughter's material appears primarily in the Book of Slaughter one-shot, in which Order higher-up Cecilia makes a new job offer to young hunter Maxine. Cecilia also appears as a supporting character in Something Is Killing the Children (#1-#31 at present). • Edwin Slaughter/Original Male Civilian was nominated based on Edwin's House of Slaughter issues (#6-10).
What I Love About It Beyond the great writing and art, interesting worldbuilding, and effective horror and action, I'm here for the characters. Even hunters and handlers with unbelievable lives and unique psychology have very real feelings, attachments to each other and the world, and questions about whether they're doing the right thing. There is a lot of competence and big damn heroism on display, but it's the moments of connection and empathy—or alienation, loss, and a yearning for something better—that bring it home.
I'm Requesting Erica Slaughter/Riqui, Cecilia Slaughter/Maxine Slaughter, Jace Boucher/Original Male Civilian, and Edwin Slaughter/Original Male Civilian, with prompts in the realm of romantic relationships, illicit affairs, what-ifs and fix-its, casefic, and chances for the members of the Order to explore more of life outside monster-hunting.
Content Warnings All series contain horror and blood, but Something Is Killing the Children is particularly gory (dismemberment, consumption by monsters, etc.) and includes frequent depictions of children in peril or as the victims of supernatural violence.
Something Is Killing the Children | Slaughterverse
Media: A shared universe of two ongoing comic series and an associated one-shot
Approximate Length: For the nominated characters and relationships, reading ranges from five issues to thirty-one (broken down below)
What It's About
Something Is Killing the Children is a dark urban fantasy/horror series set in the present-day United States. The premise: Monsters are real, it's just that most of us (adults) can't see them. These dark creatures come into being because of the beliefs and fears of children, and children are who they hunt.
Our hero Erica Slaughter survived a monster attack as a young girl and was subsequently adopted into the Order of St. George, a secret society dedicated to not just killing monsters but keeping their existence a secret—because the more people who believe that monsters exist, the more monsters that can be brought into the world. Order members are bonded to the spirit of the first monster they defeat as a sort of malevolent familiar, and are sorted into different 'families' based on their roles, from solo and pack hunters, rare creature specialists and record-keepers, to armourers and techies.
Now a veteran solo hunter who spends most of her time travelling across the country investigating suspicious killings and disappearances, Erica's personal history as a survivor and her connections to the people she saves along the way start to put her at odds with the Order.
Meanwhile, the other members of her chapter of the Order are explored in a spin-off series called House of Slaughter. So far, these stories have focused on Erica's foster brother Aaron Slaughter (a handler whose loyalties began to be tested as a teenager when he fell in love with another young man from a rival chapter), his boyfriend Jace Boucher (now grown and trying to protect a group of orphans from the Order), and record-keeper Edwin Slaughter (a neurodivergent artist with an unusual arrangement with his monstrous familiar).
The ramifications of Erica's conflict with the Order, and further lore about the House of Slaughter, are also explored in a one-shot called The Book of Slaughter.
Where to Find It
The series are available in print and digitally wherever comics are sold, as both individual issues and as collected trades. I've linked to the series on the Boom! Studios website, listed below by the nominated relationships.
• Erica Slaughter/Riqui's interactions can be found in the most recent arc of Something Is Killing the Children (#21-#31 at present), when Erica comes to Tribulation, New Mexico to investigate a monster attack involving the family of Riqui's late girlfriend. Erica's story begins in issue #1.
• Jace Boucher/Aaron Slaughter is a canon ship predominantly featured in the first arc of House of Slaughter (#1-5), which covers their teenage romance and reunion as adults. Aaron also appears in a supporting role in the first arc of Something Is Killing the Children (#1-20), and Jace is the lead of issues #11-15 of House of Slaughter.
• Jace Boucher/Original Male Civilian was nominated based on Jace's House of Slaughter issues (#1-5 and #11-15).
• Cecilia Slaughter/Maxine Slaughter's material appears primarily in the Book of Slaughter one-shot, in which Order higher-up Cecilia makes a new job offer to young hunter Maxine. Cecilia also appears as a supporting character in Something Is Killing the Children (#1-#31 at present).
• Edwin Slaughter/Original Male Civilian was nominated based on Edwin's House of Slaughter issues (#6-10).
What I Love About It
Beyond the great writing and art, interesting worldbuilding, and effective horror and action, I'm here for the characters. Even hunters and handlers with unbelievable lives and unique psychology have very real feelings, attachments to each other and the world, and questions about whether they're doing the right thing. There is a lot of competence and big damn heroism on display, but it's the moments of connection and empathy—or alienation, loss, and a yearning for something better—that bring it home.
I'm Requesting
Erica Slaughter/Riqui, Cecilia Slaughter/Maxine Slaughter, Jace Boucher/Original Male Civilian, and Edwin Slaughter/Original Male Civilian, with prompts in the realm of romantic relationships, illicit affairs, what-ifs and fix-its, casefic, and chances for the members of the Order to explore more of life outside monster-hunting.
Content Warnings
All series contain horror and blood, but Something Is Killing the Children is particularly gory (dismemberment, consumption by monsters, etc.) and includes frequent depictions of children in peril or as the victims of supernatural violence.