Erica thought her hands were full enough, but Cecilia has found her. The White Mask leader does not like Erica, yet she comes to offer some help. Is this a change of heart or a deeper plot? Find out in Something is Killing the Children #32 from BOOM! Studios.

SOMETHING IS KILLING THE CHILDREN #32

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: August 16, 2023

Previously in Something is Killing the Children: While Erica is hunting a dangerous duplicitype, Charlotte Cutter is hunting her. She tells the police that it is Erica who is a murderer. However, Erica has Charlotte’s totem, Dolly, and Charlotte now has more difficulty controlling her temper. Gabi and Riqui are at the hot springs. Gabi is there to lure the monster in; Riqui is there to help her remember her terror. Deputy Bill Ramirez leaves the station and goes to the coffee shop, hoping to borrow a phone he can use to check up on Cutter. Erica must put up with a stream of chatter from Dolly. When this gets to be too distracting, she puts Dolly outside – only to find Cecilia there.

A SHOWDOWN

Something is Killing the Children #32 opens with Erica and Cecilia face to face. Erica has a gun in hand. Cecilia asks if she is going to kill her. Erica says she has not decided. Cecilia goes inside to have a drink and invites Erica to join her. She has also brought a couple books that Gary had pulled for her before he was killed. They share a drink warily, and we are reminded that Cecilia was close with Jessica. Then the conversation shifts to Gary. Cecilia and Jessica were also close with him, but he always seemed more fond of Jessica. Cecilia and Erica toast Gary.

Cecilia blames herself for Gary’s death, because of wanting Erica dead. This surprises Erica, but Cecilia may be in line to become the next Dragon, and she feels she should act like one. She inquires about Gabi and whether she should become a hunter. She also grudgingly offers Erica the opportunity to return to the Order and rebuild the Black Masks.

The Dragon, and by inference Cecilia, struggle with the fact that the Order wants its secrets maintained and does not condone free agents. In this case, House Cutter sent their own problem to deal with Slaughter’s problem. The Dragon believes the Order would be satisfied with the death of either Erica or Charlotte. Cecilia honestly does not care to have Erica back but recognizes her talents. And besides, Charlotte killed Gary, one of few people she was ever close to.

In addition to the books, Cecilia has also brought a poison designed to kill duplicitypes. It will also kill people extremely painfully. She again leaves the door open for Erica’s return, which would make Cecilia’s life miserable, but probably be beneficial to the Order. She also leaves her space to disappear, but with a warning. It only took Cecilia an hour to find Erica when she arrived in Tribulation. Erica cannot hide from her.

After Cecilia leaves, Erica is alone with her memories. When she was young, she went on hunts with Jessica, who had a serious drinking problem. The only person she could talk to was Gary. Erica could not talk to Cecilia about her and could not even talk to Aaron. But Erica was doing more and more of the work because she did not want more kids to die. Gary talks to her about how their lives mean they do not have many attachments, but he tells her that even Cecilia has feelings, and she has feelings for Jessica.

FEARLESS HONESTY

Something is Killing the Children #32 is set in the southwest United States. The art captures this, but even more than that, the composition suggests a meeting between two gunfighters. Erica and Cecilia are both women who have trained to kill, yet they know that now is not the moment for them to be at odds. I like the way their colors balance out, Erica in her white shirt with her black mask casually around her neck and Cecilia in a black suit with her white mask. I like that they can recognize each other’s fondness for Gary, and they can toast him together. Yet despite the cautious overtures, it is clear that there is no love lost between these two women. They share only a very grudging respect.

After Jessica leaves, Erica hears a noise and investigates it, only to find it is just a horse. We see a moment of softness in Erica as she reaches out to it, calms it down, and even leans her face against it. This is what brings back her memories of Gary, so closely tied with memories of his dogs. Erica was so young, at an age when humans want to develop attachments with one another, but this is when she was starting to learn just how alone she was and how hard it was to cover for people you were fond of. I like seeing this reminder of why she wants to do things differently.

BOTTOM LINE: INTENSE AND INTROSPECTIVE

The tide has the potential to turn in Something is Killing the Children #32. This is an issue full of drama and emotion, but above it all, we see how respect overrides temper in House Slaughter. It also sets the stage for future decisions Erica will need to make.

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.