Something is Killing the Children

I love this series. The writing is subversive to hero and horror tropes alike, and its world building is accomplished with a well-paced drip, even while the action is relentless. It is all bolstered by some truly unreal art by Werther Dell'edero, whose line art accomplishes the impressive feat of feeling fluid and jarring at the same time and weaves its western comics and manga influences immaculately. Miquel Muerto's colors also deserve praise, as he has seemingly mastered the mood and visual communication that they impart. SIKTC creates a bleak world, but it's a bleakness that feels better earned than most entries in the genre. Our protagonist Erica rages against her own powerlessness and her pursuit of justice never feels didactic, while our audience surrogate James is so sweetly tragic that we cannot help but hope he heals, though the book lets us know, gently, that he probably never will. This series is fun without being mindless, edgy without being cringeworthy, and horrific without forgetting the tragedy that comes with death and violence. I cannot recommend this series enough to fans of the genre.