The Slaughterverse Takes Over NYCC 2024
From left to right: James Tynion IV, Werther Dell’Edera, Tate Brombal, Ramiro Portnoy, and Eric Harburn.
As Something is Killing the Children (SIKTC) celebrates 5 years since its release, there’s no shortage of lore and celebration from the BOOM! Studios published series.
SIKTC is a horror-action comic book that follows Erica Slaughter, a lone, black-masked hunter who kills monsters visible only to children. She is part of a secret society known as the Order of St. George, an organization with various factions and distinct mask types that reflect different roles within the group.
As of September 2024, SIKTC had released 40 issues—not including the spinoff series House of Slaughter and one-shots Book of Butcher and Book of Slaughter—and according to co-creator James Tynion IV, the main series is expected to hit at least 100 issues. In other words, the “Slaughterverse” isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
During a packed room at New York Comic Con (NYCC) 2024, the co-creators of SIKTC, James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera, along with writer Tate Brombal, BOOM! Studios editor Ramiro Portnoy, and Tiny Onion’s Director of Editorial, Eric Harburn, talked all things SIKTC and shared some exciting updates about the next phases of the blockbuster franchise.
Announced at the 2024 San Diego Comic Con, the latest one-shot, House of Cutter, is slated to release in December 2024 and the panel noted how it will provide deeper insights of the inner workings of the organization and expand on the international side of the Order of St. George.
Fans welcomed the news, especially in light of the BOOM! Studios’ acquisition by The Random House Publishing Group in July 2024. According to Tynion, discussions with the new corporate leadership have been fully supportive of the series, giving the creative team confidence to invest in long-form storytelling in the narrative design.
“The series isn’t burning through stories and we don’t feel pressure to wrap up the story in 10 issues,” said Tynion. “We can let characters grow and breathe over time.”
SIKTC has earned critical acclaim and consistently tops sales charts with its trade paperbacks, according to ICV2 data. Beyond the captivating narrative, much of the series’ appeal lies in Erica Slaughter’s distinct character design, which has quickly become iconic in the comic book world.
While NYCC is full of cosplayers based on Marvel or DC Comics characters, throughout the panel as well as the convention, finding a cosplayer donning the tank top, black pants, and tooth covered bandana wasn’t difficult.
Katie Wolski, a cosplayer who has formally portrayed Erica Slaughter at the 2023 San Diego Comic Con (SDCC) in partnership with BOOM! Studios, reflected on the series’ rapid rise.
Cosplayer Katie Wolski can be found at @katies_cosplaying_again
Wolski first portrayed Erica Slaughter back in 2019 for a local comic book shop in her area. At the time, there were only reference images and the outfit had to be thrown together the night before to shoot.
“Seeing what [SIKTC] has become with 40 issues and all the side stories is incredible—to think I got to be there [as Erica Slaughter] at the beginning and watch it all happen!” said Wolski.
Titled, Enter the Slaughterverse: The Legacy of Something is Killing the Children, the panel ended on a high note as fans left full of excitement for the series’ future.
This panel was moderated by Anthony Mauro of BOOM! Studios. Quotes have been edited for clarity.