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It’s been five years since James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera first unleashed Something is Killing the Children upon the world, and to celebrate the series’ anniversary this September, the two are taking the story back to where it all began with a special story that leads all the way back to the first issue, and the first appearance of monster hunter Erica Slaughter.

The one-off Something is Killing the Children #0 by Tynion and Dell’Edera will reveal what Erica’s mission was immediately prior to her debut in the first issue of the series, five years ago, completing the current run of flashback stories in the regular title and ending exactly where the series originally began. Publisher BOOM! Studios is calling the issue a “crucial mission in Erica’s past,” with editor Eric Harburn promising, “Five years ago, Erica Slaughter emerged from the woods, bloody and battle-worn, to change the comics landscape forever. This is a story of that battle – and I guarantee you are not ready for what James, Werther, Miquel [Muerto, colorist], and [letterer] AndWorld have in store.”

“We have devoted most of the year to telling Erica’s earliest stories. With issue zero, we complete the tour,” promised Dell’Edera in a statement, while Tynion added, “It’s a real thrill to be going back to the very beginning, and telling a story that I never thought I’d be able to tell. Something is Killing the Children #0 is going to be one to remember, a comic worthy of a fifth anniversary!”

The issue — the first time a creator-owned Boom! Studios series has released a zero issue — will feature a main cover by Dell’Edera, alongside variants from Jenny Frison, Dan Mora, Jeff Dekal, Jae Lee, Sean Gordon Murphy, and more artists to be named at a later date. The issue will be released September 25.

Take a look at Dell’Edera and Murphy’s covers below.

Get ready for what's next with our guide to upcoming comics, how to buy comics at a comic shop, and our guide to Free Comic Book Day 2025.