Erica agrees to go to the Sheriff only to learn that Cutter is ahead of her. How far will Cutter go to get rid of Erica? Find out in Something is Killing the Children #28 from BOOM! Studios.

SOMETHING IS KILLING THE CHILDREN #28

Writer: James Tynion IV
Artist: Werther Dell’Edera
Colorist: Miquel Muerto
Letterer: Andworld Design
Editor: Eric Harburn
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: January 11, 2023

Previously in Something is Killing the Children: After much soul searching, Riqui decides to go to the police with Gabi in the hopes that the girl will not be arrested. She insists that Erica go with them. Erica warns her that they do not have the time for this because she must kill the monster before it can grow much larger. Riqui will try to get the Sheriff to help. She only wants Gabi to be safe. Erica wants to do the same, but she may need Gabi to lure the monster. And Gabi may be safer if she is close to them. Meanwhile Cutter talks to the Sheriff who tells her Erica is coming in. Cutter has some plans for her, and they do not look good.

CAT AND MOUSE

Something is Killing the Children #28 opens on the drive into town. Gabi observes that Erica is not running away even though Octo said she should. Erica says she should not listen to Octo, who was trying to lure Gabi to her death, which is as close as he can come to being a monster again. Gabi absorbs this and then asks if he was lying when he said someone was coming to kill Erica, and they might die because she will not run away. Sometimes the truth hurts even more than lies.

They arrive at the police station. Riqui jumps out to talk to the Sheriff. He pulls out his gun and arrests Erica, who complies with him. Gabi is furious. The Sheriff tells Riqui that Erica is the killer, and the Feds are here to take her down. Erica, suspecting Cutter, tells him he is being played. As he takes her inside, she calls to Riqui to take Gabi and get away. Carter insists they must stay. Riqui offers to take Gabi to her bar, but the Sheriff will not agree.

Riqui and Gabi are put into a room. Gabi says that Erica, who was not afraid when the monster showed up, is scared. Riqui knows she saw something strange but cannot yet accept monsters. Then they see Cutter arrive. Gabi finds her scary and says they should go. Riqui agrees, but they find that they are locked in.

Cutter walks back to the interview room. The Sheriff is surprised that she arrived without an escort. She claims one of the men gave her a key. He says they should not have done that, and she just tells him not to be too hard on them. Then she claims they are just going to talk to Erica. They walk in and Erica immediately is wary of her, more than the Sheriff. He starts to take things from the beginning and turns away from Cutter who, striking like a snake, grabs him and slams his head into the door until he loses consciousness.

Cutter starts talking to Erica about how Black Masks are trained to be independent so they can make the right calls in the field, but then they get upset when they must face the consequences of this. Erica tells her to stop playing with her and just get it over with, if she is going to kill her. That is not what Cutter wants to do. She wants to have some fun with her quarry first.

NO WAY OUT

The simple linework in the art in Something is Killing the Children #28 not only fits the mood, but it lets us into the raw emotions of the characters. Gabi may be headstrong and passionate, but she is also observant, and she is starting to put things together. In her opening conversation with Erica, we can see this. Erica takes the children seriously and Gabi responds to this. We do not see exactly what she is thinking, but we can see that she is taking this in. No longer is she just reacting to those around her.

So, we take her seriously when she sees Cutter. A fashionably dressed woman in dark sunglasses may not be inherently frightening, but she radiates a cold confidence. We readers already know what she is capable of. When she sets down her bag and says hello to the officers, we can see they all have their eyes on her. When she surprises the Sheriff, we start to wonder what she may have set in motion. Then she starts playing with Erica like a cat plays with its prey. If it was not clear before that she is a psychopath, it is now. Erica’s job has gotten much more difficult.

BOTTOM LINE: A THRILLER TO THE CORE

Something is Killing the Children #28 takes a solid horror story and adds an additional twist of the knife. Dread does not even begin to describe the feelings here.

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.