House of Slaughter #16: A Familiar Start to a New Arc

House of Slaughter #16 kicks off the fourth arc around the tragic and stoic character of Bait. Complete with deeper lore of the Order of St. George, this issue does a good job at hooking readers at another monster ready to strike.

The House of Slaughter series has a specific purpose of building out the world of Something is Killing the Children. While Erica Slaughter is a fan favorite black masked hunter, the House of Slaughter series gives other characters a chance for their stories to be told.

The first and third arc were centered around Jace Boucher, and the second arc followed Edwin Slaughter. This fourth arc of the series follows “Bait,” an armless young boy who has managed to survive indescribable odds and is often sent on dangerous missions. He is a white masked hunter (a sect that fights in packs) and his name is fitting for his role in monster hunting.

This issue overall felt like a mixed bag. As an individual component, it isn’t differentiating itself from the other arcs of House of Slaughter. However, this series has proven that patience in the story tends to pay off, and writer Sam Johns (who wrote the second arc) has proven in their ability to have a slow burn that results in a great experience.

The art for this issue is done by Letizia Cadonici (illustrator) and Francesco Segala (colors). The two make a strong pairing and their art adds to the moodiness of the issue. At one point, there is a flashback and the art style has a subtle shift that is a nice touch in the overall reading experience.