Something Kills Kids is a comic book horror that fits perfectly into the themes we know from movies and books.
A small town, a group of young people, playing "Truth or Dare?", And then a tragedy that casts a shadow on the entire community. How many times have we seen this in books or movies? James Tynion IV didn't come up with gunpowder, but that doesn't mean he has created a comic book that's not worth having a look at.
In Something, he kills kids. Volume 1 has several threads that can attract attention. On the one hand, we have a growing atmosphere of anxiety related to the disappearance of more children, on the other, a story about a mysterious hunter who travels the length and breadth of the United States, cleansing new places of monsters. When she meets the boy who survived the massacre, an interesting relationship begins to be built, fueled by the characters from the background.
The starting point for this story might as well be found in one of Stephen King's novels. Later, however, some differences become apparent. King would emphasize moral elements, but Tynion focuses primarily on action. Perhaps his experiences with superhero comics are echoing? Of course, it is not the case that the first volume of Something Kills Kids is a constant fight with monsters, but everything is aimed at it, and the finale leaves no illusions in this respect. Nevertheless, Tynion managed to sketch the characters pretty well and lay the foundations for a larger story.
The graphics of Werther Dell'Edera, combined with the colors of Miquel Muerto, are successful. It is a fairly simple, yet expressive line enriched with contrasting colors. Sometimes a bit exaggerated, but with justification: it emphasizes the amazingness of some scenes or characters. Simple measures, but definitely sufficient to convey the plot and build the atmosphere at the same time. Horror is a specific genre in which solutions that allow the imagination to run freely often work.
Much has been said in this comic, but more remains to be said. There are a lot of cripples here, but given in such a way that it does not bother you at all. Skilful dosing of secrets, skillful playing of relationships between characters and a solid dose of action watered with terror make the story addictive and make you want to know its continuation.