There are a lot of comics out there but some stand out head and shoulders above the pack. With “Don’t Miss This,” we want to spotlight those series we think need to be on your pull list. This week, we take look at Boom Studios’s “House of Slaughter”
Who’s This By?
Co-created by authors James Tynion IV (“Batman,” “Something Is Killing The Children”) and Tate Brombal (“Barbalien: Red Planet”), and brought to life with artists Chris Shehan (“The Autumnal”) and Miquel Muerto (“Radiant Red”). Tynion is an Eisner and GLAAD winner whose writing has graced everything from bizarre horror stories, mainstream superhero books, and queer focused tales. He brings his talents to help expand this world he’s created, while bringing on fellow queer author Brombal to help tackle the action, horror, and homosexual romance at the heart of this excellent series.
What’s This All About?
“House of Slaughter” takes us on a different journey, spanning two eras of the House of Slaughter following the life and times of Aaron Slaughter from the moment he is set on the path of monster hunter. Readers of “Something Is Killing The Children” know Aaron as the handler, rival, and antagonist of Erica Slaughter. Tynion and Brombal’s expanded history of the various Houses, a nice cast of characters – new and old, and the lore of this world is wonderfully executed. It never becomes over-bearing or convoluted, but feels lived in, and still has plenty of room to grow. There is so much story to mine here and hopefully this team realizes how important this series is for this universe and for some much needed representation in horror comics.
So, Why Should I Read This?
Nearly every time we saw Aaron in the original series, he comes across as self-righteous and annoying. There is very little to like about him in that series, outside of that role, but “House of Slaughter” not only gives him an interesting backstory, but shows us that even the most arrogant prick can contain multitudes. This first arc gives us an in-depth look at Aaron’s last moments of childhood, seeing his family murdered by an invisible monster, taken into the House of Slaughter to begin his training, and coming to grips with an unwanted friendship that evolves into a whirlwind romance.
Tynion and Brombal are two writers who have given beautiful insight and truth to queer characters, their personal relationships, and the many facets of their lives. The representation of these characters is immeasurably important and the way Aaron is written proves that characters within the LGBTQ community can and should be written as whole people, not just characters whose entire identity and motivation is based on who they are or aren’t attracted. The incredible turn of taking a supporting character who comes off as quite unlikable, giving us a peek behind the curtain to not only show us that he’s more than a few select actions, and truly make readers care about and sympathize with him in a way that is normally reserved for the best heroes in storytelling makes for far more compelling plotting than one might expect out of a spin-off like this.
Chris Shehan’s illustrations are all his own, but feel comfortably in sync with that of Werther Dell’Edera’s. His work is just as kinetic, atmospheric and haunting to Dell’Edera’s, especially paired with Muerto’s color work. It’s all in the same universe, but Shehan gives us a more realistically detailed look at this world. Working in tandem with Tynion and Brombal’s words makes for a page turner of a series that is equally heartbreaking and scary as hell. Fans of the main series will find just as much to enjoy in this story, which has a lot of space within the timeline to give us more, but it definitely feels like Tynion and Brombal aren’t forgetting that they only have so much runway to use for future arcs.
“House of Slaughter” is every bit as worthy a read as its runaway hit of a predecessor.
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How Can You Read It?
“House of Slaughter” is dropping its fifth issue this week. So it’s very easy to catch up. Grab all five issues wherever comic books are sold. Seriously, do it.
