House of Slaughter #15
Seth A. Romo
Recap
Jace Boucher is a white masked hunter. Exiled from the House of Slaughter after taking revenge for his family, he now cares for children orphaned by the very monsters he hunts. Sunny, one of the kids in his care, was recently found by a mysterious woman named Jolie after he was attacked by a monster, and she has taken Sunny in under her protection.
Review
House of Slaughter #15 closes out the recent arc on a bombastic and somber note. While the story is smaller in scale, it has big implications to the universe of SIKTC going forward.
The issue begins with a blood soaked Jace looking at a terrified child. After a vicious monster attacks a school bus, Jace manages to kill it and save the young boy. This flashback is a reminder of how far the character has come from his first appearance in the House of Slaughter issue #1. Where Jace’s introduction began as a revenge story against the House of Slaughter, he is now motivated to protect children against monsters and the Order of St. George.
Starting from issue #11, this arc has focused on Jace heading to his hometown of New Orleans to save a lost child from his former childhood friend, Jolie. This return connected Jace with old acquaintances and while he in good faith attempted to connect with Jolie in the previous issue, he is now captured with limited options.
Written by Tate Brombal, the script for this issue is strong and the pacing keeps the tension of Jace’s situation. Failure appears to be a theme of this issue and it is safe to say Jace’s story is far from over. Brombal’s story and dialogue do well to grow the world of SIKTC and this keeps opportunities for storytelling open and endless. A specific highlight of this issue is the character of Jolie.
Brombal’s choice of dialogue for Jolie and the way in which she is methodical and almost carefree nature towards Jace’s wrath is made creepier by the great art from Antonio Fuso and colors by Miquel Muerto. The unsettling and almost dead looking eyes, the eerie smile, and the fact that she has a sick view on how family should be treated not only make her a great villain, but a force that will continue to haunt Jace going forward.
While this issue was well-done, it was not without its flaws. Readers may feel Jace’s capture and the events that follow might be a tad easy. There is clearly an endgame of putting Jace on the radar for members of the Order of St. George who thought he was dead, however, the ambiguity of the ending leaves quite a few questions left unanswered, and the ending is slightly rushed.
Final Thoughts
Overall, this issue was a strong close for the arc and where the story goes next will surely be exciting. This series has had the task to build out a world beyond the main comic, however, I hope the story going forward gives Jace a more concrete end rather than spending too much time expanding the world. As a character, Jace is a great addition to the series, however, too much exploration with him as a vehicle may make him feel inconsequential over time.
House of Slaughter #15: Get Ready to Run
- Writing - 9/109/10
- Storyline - 8/108/10
- Art - 9/109/10
- Color - 9/109/10
- Cover Art - 9/109/10