So Something Is Killing the Children, the Boom! Studios comic series by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera, is one of those things I stock in the store that always gets a mixed response from “the mundanes.” Perusing the shop for Spider-Man and Batman, or perhaps simply just looking in a comic shop because they know comic book movies are/were big in popular culture, or maybe they just recall enjoying Big Bang Theory, they aren’t necessarily familiar with the depth and breadth of the medium and can be surprised by what they find therein.
I am reminded of an incident very early in my comics retailing sentence, and perhaps in fact just as I was starting given the book’s Fall 1988 release, involving Steve Bissette’s Taboo horror anthology.
That’s bit of a cover, right? Old guy waitin’ to eat a baby? Not something you see every day yet, so you can imagine it would get a reaction out of folks not as steeped in the comic book culture as your average comic shop denizen. And reaction it did indeed get, as I recall one day when we had an entire family of folks (ma, pa, sis, brother, granny, an uncle maybe) all standing around poking fingers at the cover, just appalled by the horrid image they are witnessing on our shelves. One of them even dared to look inside, resulting in more cries of outrage.
Now, nothing really became of that, beyond the family probably never entering a comic shop again, but I couldn’t help but keep thinking “…the book is called Taboo, what were you expecting? Care Bears?” Anyway, that remains a foundational occurrence for my nearly four decades of funnybook slinging.
Today, as I slowly creep towards dotage, I get reactions towards Something Is Killing the Children that are of a piece with The Taboo Incident. Not in terms of intensity, as that family way back when were really puttin’ on a show. It’s more a case of, perhaps, bemusement, or very mild…revulsion is too strong a word, but there’s a definite pulling back from the books on the shelf once they realize what that title said. A brave soul or two would peek within, out of brief curiosity, before moving on to asking where my Pokemon cards are stashed or whatever. I do try to give the “it’s a horror comic” defense, but for the basically uncommitted customers, I’m not sure of how much of an impact that has.
Don’t get me wrong, the comic sells great, both in single issue form and in the trade paperback format, having found that industry-desired balance between a monthly book and “waiting for the trade.” I don’t read it myself, which is not a knock on the comic but simply a reality of only having so much time to read so many things. My knowledge of the book doesn’t go much further than my previously-stated “it’s a horror comic” description. I do occasionally wonder “haven’t they figured out who is killing all those children, after 50 issues, after nearly ten trade paperbacks (Volume Ten coming December 29th), but haven’t sampled the contents my own self.
Well, that’s gonna change, because look at what’s coming in February of 2027:
Yes, it’s Swamp Thing Is Killing the Children, a comic’s name so great it practically willed itself into existence. And while said title seems to give away the game, I am presuming it actually hasn’t been Swamp Thing killing all those kids, but rather just some misunderstanding that results in this crossover. But it is by the same regular creative team of Something… so who knows, maybe that’s the big reveal they’ve been leading up to all this time. (Reminder, again: I haven’t actually read that series.)
Here’s a peek at a page from Swamp Thing Is Killing the Children:
Despite my unfamiliarity with the parent series, will I, an unrepentant Swamp Thing fan, be reading this comic? Well, of course I am. And will I be picking up as many of the wide variety of variant covers being offered in the usual Mighty Boom! Manner? Of course I am, you all know I’m a sucker.
More importantly, if I end up really enjoying this mini-series, will I find myself deciding I need to catch up on the original Something… series? Honestly, I hope not, I’m so far behind on my reading as it is, and at my advanced age I am too worried about being judged by The Almighty for just how much I leave behind, purchased but unread. Despite this, I imagine there’s still a non-zero chance of tossing ten trades onto the already-teetering pile in my “in” box. We’ll see.