Bait is placed in a foster home and while he kills monsters at night, he has not found their source. Or does one possible source hit him too close to home? Find out in House of Slaughter #18 from BOOM! Studio.

HOUSE OF SLAUGHTER #18

Writer: Sam Johns
Artist: Letizia Cadonici
Colorist: Francesco Segala
Letterer: Andworld Design’s Justin Birch
Editor: Eric Harburn
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: October 11, 2023

Previously in House of Slaughter: The young White Mask known as Bait is sent on a mission to infiltrate a foster home and locate a monster. He arrives there in the middle of the night. It is not until morning that he meets the other kids he is now living with. They call him “B” because his paperwork did not include a full name. At night, his totem talks to him, and we learn it is also his sister Ashley, or was. He hears nighttime birds, investigates, and kills a monster. The oldest girl at the home, Nan, has dark hair and reminds him of Ashley. The other kids are curious about Bait as they do outside chores for the day. There is an axe, which reminds Bait of the day the monster killed his parents. That evening, he overhears Nan reading a bedtime story to Sienna, a bedtime story about monsters.

THE MIDNIGHT HUNTER FACES HIS PAST

House of Slaughter #18 uses the established concept of the House of Monster Hunters to set up a dark mystery as well as explore another facet of the hidden monsters in children’s lives. Another mystery in the story is Bait himself, and this issue opens with Nolan, an Azure mask, reading Bait’s files, while his lead casually quizzes him. He wonders why the White Masks are so fascinated by the young boy, while all the hard data shows he is nothing out of the ordinary. His lead points him back to the original information, not just the Order’s reports, but the civilian coroner’s report.

At the foster home, Bait kills monsters at night. The monsters kill chickens. Nan reads monster stories to the youngest children. No one has contacted the home about Bait, and his foster parents are getting edgy. After a few nights of this, Paris and Tybalt check in with Bait. They have been observing him and not helping. He seems sloppier than they expected, considering his reputation. He knows what the consequences of obstructing a mission would be, and they make the veiled threat that they could just burn the entire home down at any time and take care of everything.

Bait walks off. Ashley starts talking to him almost at once. Does he have a plan? Is he going to do something? Is he going to do it before Paris and Tybalt act? She insists she believes in him. She believes he will remember who is most important to him.

This triggers a memory of Ashley. They were sitting together and there were strange noises outside, but she was showing him how to cut out paper dolls, a chain of snow angels. Then he sees a monster behind her, and we learn this was his time. The monster grabs Ashley and slices off Bait’s arms. He calls out for his parents, but they are drunk and asleep. The monster makes horrible noises as it goes through the house. Despite his pain, the little boy knocks over candles, sets the house on fire, kills the monster, and escapes outside into the snow.

Ashley talks more to Bait. He should tell Paris and Tybalt something to hold them off. Or he could start killing kids himself. But that won’t stop the monsters. And what about Nan? He could leave her alive, but what if she talks? Why hasn’t he thought about running away? And if House Slaughter catches on to him, what will they do to her?

He walks into the house and finds Nan in the kitchen. Ashley cries out. Nan is surprised to see Bait and asks if he could help her. She usually gathers and washes the eggs in the mornings. And all the while, Ashley frantically tries to get Bait’s attention.

DECISIONS IN THE DARK

So much of House of Slaughter #18, both past and present, takes place at night, which makes the transitions sometimes hard to spot at first. We do see that Bait’s history is closely tied to his present, so in a way, this leads us to experience things from his perception. We see the montage of him fighting monsters at night, and he seems to be deadly and efficient. The fighting is interspersed with quiet moments with Nan. When Paris and Tybalt show up, we are belatedly surprised. It looked like Bait was doing fine, but they are right – he is not making any progress. He hides any reactions he has from them, but we hear the echoes of the opening scene. Is Bait really what they seem to think he is?

Using the cut-out paper dolls as a totem allows for some fabulous moments in the art. They seem fragile and almost insubstantial, but they are depicted with a glow. They are not big, but even when they are only a small part of the scene, we can see that they are there. They have a sinuous life of their own as they circle around Bait or slide along his back or neck, and the more we see of it, the creepier it gets. Does Ashley actually have any affection for her brother, or is she merely supremely manipulative?

BOTTOM LINE: A TWISTED MYSTERY

House of Slaughter #18 is worth the read even though the plot is a little murky to follow. The atmosphere is superbly dark and dripping with the repressed traumas that bubble just below the surface.

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