Bait has enlisted the help of the other children to fight the monsters, contrary to the Order’s teachings. Can they defeat the onslaught, and what repercussions will there be? Find out in House of Slaughter #20 from BOOM! Studios.

HOUSE OF SLAUGHTER #20

Writer: Sam Johns
Artist: Letizia Cadonici
Colorist: Francesco Segala
Letterer: Andworld Design’s Justin Birch
Editor: Ramiro Portnoy and Eric Harburn
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: December 13, 2023

Previously in House of Slaughter: Bait receives his ultimatum from Paris and Tybalt. He must do his job and take care of all the manifestation potentials tonight. If he succeeds, he may be allowed to officially join the Order. Ashley reminds him that he won’t be able to protect Nan. At the foster home, Geordi tells him that the kids know. They know monsters are real, and they know he fights them. They know Nan does not see the monsters. The foster parents drive away telling the kids they have business in town – a set up by the Order. Bait decides to let the other kids join the fight. Derek shows him where Dick’s gun cabinet is and admits to making the connection between monsters and the missing kids. Every mistake, every trauma, every fear becomes a monster, and Nan has a lot of fears.

SECRETS AND POLITICS

House of Slaughter #20 opens with Bait impaled by a monster. The White Masks arrive and swiftly go about killing them. Nan, holding Booker, watches the fight with the monsters she cannot see. Once the monsters are gone, the White Masks quickly dispatch the surviving children, especially Nan.

Paris and Tybalt pull Bait aside. To kill Nan was the centerpiece of the entire job. To kill her in front of Bait was just to be mean. And maybe, as an originator, she might have been interesting enough to allow to live. But Bait’s affection for her sealed the deal. Affection for others is a weakness for the Order. Then Booker, the last survivor walks out. He crouches over a body and chuckles. He also gains Ashley’s attention. She talks about how he is special, how Bait is going to help train him. Instead, Bait steps on the paper dolls that are her totem and tears them into pieces.

Paris, Tybalt, and Bait drive away. Already there is an explanation in place. Derek was the killer; Dick’s weapons were too accessible. As the lone survivor, the mother is caught up in keeping her own image intact. It is chilling how they manipulate people, and how easy they can be to manipulate, all for the sake of a compelling story. Booker is a promising new recruit, and he will be sent to a different House so there are no problems with Bait. Paris mentions that Bait’s sister Ashley also could not see monsters.

Before long, they are back at the House of Slaughter and the White Masks have a celebration, although the silent Bait does not join in. Gerde crashes the party and limits them to a single room, pulling bait aside. She talks about how the supply of monsters is as numerous as the number of children in the world. From her standpoint, this victory is a hollow one. To her, Bait’s accomplishments are mere decorations. Then she talks about how the Order selects its candidates. It does not want children who are independent thinkers; it wants children who are malleable and whose complicated feelings can be honed into hatred. She has her own ideas about how to shape the Order. And Bait still has a place in her plans.

TOUCHING THE EMOTIONAL CORE

House of Slaughter #20 is profoundly disquieting. The power dynamic shifts when the White Masks take over the fight. It is not unexpected that the children, especially Nan, are doomed, but the art does not linger over their deaths. It is a harsh reminder that in this world, survivors are seen as problematic unless they have the potential to join the Order. To be able to function successfully in the Order requires some loss of humanity. Bait is on the cusp of becoming a full member of the Order, and suddenly he understands that cost more and must wonder if it is worth it.

Gerde comes across as terrifying in her own right. As a Scarlet, she is not involved in the day-to-day business of the hunts. But her job provides her a place where she has incredible influence over the Order. Not only does she see herself as a Dragon, but she sees her duty as honing the Order into what she believes it must be so that it can function most effectively. The delicate later of complications she provides is almost a distraction from her sheer ruthlessness.

BOTTOM LINE: CHILLING AND THOUGHT-PROVOKING

The more we learn about the Order in House of Slaughter #20, the more complicated it becomes. Are its long-held traditions becoming outdated or are they still vital to its mission?

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