Something is Killing the Children #45 revs the series’ latest prequel arc toward a satisfying conclusion while finally answering two of its longest-lasting secrets: who is that lady in the wheelchair, and where did Erica’s love for chainsaws begin? This issue tackles those mysteries by shifting the focus onto Jessica Slaughter, forcing her to confront both her struggles with alcohol and her history as a Black Mask.
Written by James Tynion IV with art by Werther Dell’Edera and Miquel Muerto, and letters by Andworld Design, the book maintains its consistent, powerhouse creative team. As the series’ tenth volume draws to a close at the start of the new year, it continues to make headlines as BOOM! Studios’ best-selling title of all time. Notably, rights to the series were acquired by Blumhouse Productions in October 2025 after Netflix allowed them to lapse following years of delays. Blumhouse immediately capitalized on the acquisition, releasing an animated teaser to announce plans for both an animated series and a live-action film.
Who is Adeline Slaughter?
Beginning with a flashback, issue #45 shows Jessica Slaughter beginning her journey into the House of Slaughter. Accompanying Adeline and Cecilia Slaughter on a monster hunt, Jessica tends to a wounded girl, showing some of that empathy and rebelliousness that she shares with Erica. Adeline and Cecilia detest this act of kindness, which positions their relationship as an inverse of Jessica and Erica. Since Erica herself joined the House in issue 17, Adeline has not been seen. There is a small photo of Adeline, Jessica, and Cecilia in the spinoff one-shot “Book of Slaughter” from 2022, but this is the first time her actual character has been shown. She is ruthless and dedicated to the mission, but is tragic as we know what kind of life that dedication earns her.
The rest of the issue resumes Jessica and Erica’s hunt in the mountains surrounding the Valmont Mountain House, a ski resort that is bringing out the worst of Jessica’s personal demons. Erica confronts Jessica in a heated argument about Jessica’s drinking, culminating in the issue.
Why Tynion and Dell’Edera Are the Best Team in Comics
Something is Killing the Children continues to have one of the best creative teams in comics, period. This team continues to be a harmony between artists who understand the comic medium innately, and this issue is no exception.
Before the series’ staple title splash page, there are two reveals that provide so much-needed context to some of the more mysterious but heated relationships. It is an incredible treat for long-time fans who have read this far and paid attention to background details. First, Adeline Slaughter, as a young woman, and her relationship with Jessica; then the reveal that Cecelia was not only a black mask but also earned it before Jessica did.
This quick one-two punch of reveals works so well in quick succession due to some masterful comic storytelling by the entire team. Each reveal has just enough room to breathe, and the first transitions into the second so smoothly. On one page, we see the first reveal with a full page splash image, then turn the page to a series of smaller square panels that make you go, “wait, is that who I think it is?” The next page confirms that yes, that is in fact a younger Cecelia, and Adeline likes her more than Jessica. The panels and pages are the soundtrack for a comic. They set the rhythm, and this sequence is a tremendous example of what that means.
These pages are all colored in shades of purple, red, and blue, which creates both a literal and a metaphorical sense of cold. The past of these characters is not golden; it is, at best, rose-tinted. The panels in the flashback don’t exist, borderless, bleeding into white to emulate snow, and they come back in Jessica’s present. Along with the shift from being called “Jessie” to “Jessica,” the entire issue shows through subtle uses of the comic form that Jessica is confined in a different way now/she is responsible for more than herself now.
Pay What You Want!
Jessica Slaughter’s Battle with Alcoholism
Erica confronting Jessica about Jessica’s drinking problem is the central focus of this issue. Once the flashback ends, there is a short scene of Jessica attempting to charm her way into one last drink, with Dell’Edera’s pencil work doing a lot to show the change in her face once she’s denied and leaves the bar. This is the real Jessica that no one ever sees, and this is the Jessica that walks right into Erica, trying to help her. It doesn’t go well and leads to an argument where Jessica reveals that she knows Erica has been covering for her on hunts. Previous hunts are shown in jagged panels above the two arguing, visually heightening the tension and showing just how close to death Erica has been to keep Jessica safe. Both women leave the situation with their own ideas of how to solve their monster issue. Erica’s involves a chainsaw.
The Verdict
The problem with this issue is in its pacing. There are really only three scenes in this issue: the flashback, the scene in the bar, and Erica jumping into action. Each of these scenes adds depth to the characters and story, but they are almost too efficiently told for the single-issue format. This highlights another disappointment: an uncharacteristic lack of violence. A fight happens off-screen in the opening scene, and there are flashes of memories when Erica confronts Jessica, but other than that, there are only dialogue scenes. The next issue promises to be a bloodbath, but for newcomers or casual fans, it may be a deterrent. Once collected, this chapter might feel more like a whole piece, but as a single issue, it does more to set up the arc’s finale than to tell a complete arc itself.
Ultimately, Something is Killing the Children #45 successfully clarifies Erica’s cold disposition and her eagerness to save people. Prequels are frequently dismissed for either not revealing enough or revealing too much. This series consistently avoids those traps, using flashbacks to add nuance to the surviving characters. Retrospectively, everything this issue accomplishes makes the fate of these characters that much more tragic.
‘Something is Killing the Children’ #45 Review: Erica’s Chainsaw Origin Revealed
Something is Killing the Children #45 successfully clarifies Erica’s cold disposition and her eagerness to save people. Prequels are frequently dismissed for either not revealing enough or revealing too much. This series consistently avoids those traps, using flashbacks to add nuance to the surviving characters.
