Jace changed Aaron’s life, but why did he want to join the House of Slaughter, and why is Aaron now hunting him? Find out in House of Slaughter #3 from BOOM! Studios.

HOUSE OF SLAUGHTER #3

Writer: Tate Brombal and James Tynion IV
Artist: Chris Shehan
Colorist: Miquel Muerto
Letterer: Andworld Design
Editor: Eric Harburn
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: December 22, 2021

Previously in House of Slaughter: Jace is on the run and Aaron is hunting him. This is several years after they met. Aaron recalls an incident from that past where he woke from a nightmare and heard Jace’s totem talking to him while he slept. Jessica works with Aaron and Erica on controlling their emotions by doing meditative work while calling out their own monsters. Jace must go through a ceremony where he untethers and retethers his monster. If he survives the process, he will be accepted into the House of Slaughter.

A TASTE OF LIFE…AND DEATH

House of Slaughter #3 opens on a family camping trip. The father tells a scary story, terrifying his young daughter who clings to her mother’s arm. The father and brother think it’s no big deal, but then the Obscuratype shows up. Fortunately for the little girl, Jace and Aaron are close behind it.

Fifteen years ago, Jessica meets with the Dragon. She wants to delay the summer’s first hunt until her kids are both ready for it. The problem is Aaron – he just needs more time. She receives a lecture on custom, discipline, and loyalty. Surprisingly, though, Cecilia supports her. It turns out this is because her kids have a ritual hunt of their own, and she is eager to move it forward. She is confident in Jace. This leads to a brief mention of the Butcher Shop having had some sort of internal strife which led to its fall. The Dragon does not want that to happen in the House of Slaughter.

Helen and the twins are on duty keeping an eye on Aaron and Jace as the two take off through Chicago. They resent Aaron because they feel he is babied. They distrust Jace because he is different. He is a Legacy Hunter, which means he was born into monster hunting instead of being saved from an attack and brought in like most kids. Indeed, Jace leads Aaron to the boundary lines of where the kids are allowed to roam and then takes him beyond.

There is a wonderful two-page spread where the dialogue flows seamlessly between two conversations, the monster-fight and Jace taking Aaron to his favorite rooftop spot. It’s a creative way to tie two very different things together. Teamwork lets them take down the Obscuratype, although they still have a traumatized little girl.

On the rooftop Jace enjoys sharing the view, but Aaron, who typically abides by the rules, is more agitated than appreciative. Jace didn’t realize how fearful he would be but encourages him to call it training. He likes the view in part because he can see the river. It may not be the Mississippi, but it reminds him of home. Aaron has seen the ring that marks him as a Legacy Hunter. He also knows Cecilia found him on the streets. Why has he come back to someplace like the House of Slaughter when he could be free? Jace dodges the question, but we do find out that Aaron’s parents were not killed by a monster. And this is where they share their first kiss.

THE COLOR OF EMOTION

Color schemes play a big part in the art of House of Slaughter #3. There are two story lines to follow, and the dialogue often flows back and forth between them. Color helps us keep track of where we are. The present-day monster hunt has backgrounds in rich blues and violets which contrast with the orange glow of the campfire and the pink accents and sound effects. The color allows for more ways to play with light and shadow. An additional grisly touch is that the little girl continues to cling to her mother’s arm – even after it has been severed from her body.

This is a story that focuses on Aaron. His life seems pretty bleak, and I think the depiction of the House of Slaughter fifteen years ago reflects that. The house is grand and huge, immaculately clean, but it is not heavily populated. There is an undercurrent of something that happened in New Orleans, something with hints of conflict, but it is an unfeeling place where the White Mask kids fit in, and Aaron doesn’t. The run across the city rooftops looks like Aaron’s first taste of something like freedom, beautiful even if it seems terrifying at the time.

BOTTOM LINE: LOVE BETWEEN MONSTER HUNTERS

In House of Slaughter #3, I feel the undercurrents of a tragic romance. While the big monsters are part of the story, it does not let us forget about how humans can be monsters to each other.

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