Edwin wagers all in a calculated gambit to defeat the monster in the lake. Will this pay off, or will he be lost forever beneath the waves? Find out in House of Slaughter #10 from BOOM! Studios.

HOUSE OF SLAUGHTER #10

Writer: Sam Johns
Artist: Letizia Cadonici
Colorist: Francesco Segala
Letterer: Andworld Design
Editor: Eric Harburn
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: October 26, 2022

Previously in House of Slaughter: Edwin remembers some details of a case he feels is relevant to his present hunt, but he does not have a perfect recollection of it. Hermes points out this case had no file for him to read, and we understand that this is Edwin’s own case. His mother died, and the first blood he painted with was hers. She was a woman who lived in fear all the time, and this is what attracted the monster to her. Hermes agreed to be his monster in return for being able to consume Edwin’s sadness and some of his memories of his mother. But he also has fears, fears big enough to feed the monster that lives in the lake – perhaps a dragon!

ALL OR NOTHING

House of Slaughter #10 opens at a campfire where kids are telling scary stories. One of them has a story he always tells. Most of the scouts are tired of it, but there is a new scout who has not heard it. His story is about Edwin. Time must have passed since the last issue, but we do not know how much. Edwin’s story was fractured even in his own mind, and now a completely different narrator tells us more.

In the nature of kids, the scout gets scoffed at and is accused of making things up. A narrative about Edwin is bound to be eccentric. He talks about Edwin being out on the lake in a boat alone, and that he knows something is out there. And what comes out of the depths is a dragon. And he fights it. Our young narrator is honest here. Edwin has no weapon, no magic. He is thrown into the lake where he tries to tread the turbulent waters. All he has is a large shard of glass that was driven through his hand. He plunges the shard between dragon scales in the hopes of not drowning.

Does Edwin live or die? In the story, he lives, because he must live to be able to fight more monsters some other day. And in the story, the dragon is not the only monster in the lake. Edwin used it to lure out an even larger monster. The kid telling the story reminds the campers who were there that they all saw it. But their counselors did not. And they remember that Edwin never spoke to them. The camper is convinced that Edwin knew what he was doing and planned it, because Edwin’s drawings, rolled up and stuffed into bottles, washed ashore.

Back at the House of Slaughter, Gerde and Colin talk with Edwin. He has told them about a dragon, but there is no proof, and no dragon has ever been known to live in America. But they need some explanation to tell the others. His boat sank. He has given up Hermes, and he has given up his art. Several books have been misplaced. And somehow Edwin succeeded in his mission. Is this unexpected ending good for the Order or not?

TALES IN THE DARK

House of Slaughter #10 is framed by the device of kids telling spook stories around a campfire. The art captures the odd shadows cast by firelight. The glow is both warm and haunting. We see their delight in the terror and then we see the disquiet when the camper pulls out something we do not normally associate with ghost stories – evidence that something happened. We do not doubt that they saw something that dark night and we know they have no choice but to keep it a secret among themselves, to share it as a story, because no adult will believe them.

When we see the dragon, it is the largest monster we have ever seen in this world. It does not look exactly like any classic dragon we know of, but by its toothiness and size, it only makes sense that humans would call it a dragon. The fight with Edwin is dramatic, but it is no fight. It does capture the concept that the dragon is not just looking for food. Like an enormous cat, it wants to enjoy the hunt and it wants to play with its prey. It is a haunting and desperate scene, and it sets up the other monster perfectly.

BOTTOM LINE: A HAUNTING FINALE

House of Slaughter #10 continues to be more abstract than a simple monster hunt. Again, this issue benefits from a couple reads. I like the subtleties of the story myself because, in a mirror of life, the drama does not always come from the events that occur. It may come from the choices that people make and how they make them.

Dear Spoilerite,

At Major Spoilers, we strive to create original content that you find interesting and entertaining. Producing, writing, recording, editing, and researching requires significant resources. We pay writers, podcast hosts, and other staff members who work tirelessly to provide you with insights into the comic book, gaming, and pop culture industries. Help us keep MajorSpoilers.com strong. Become a Patron (and our superhero) today.