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House of Slaughter

House of Slaughter, Vol. 3: The Butcher's Return

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Jace Boucher returns in the third terrifying volume of the Something is Killing the Children spinoff that continues to reveal the secret history of the House of Slaughter.

Jace’s past and present collide, with new revelations from his youth shedding light on his current mission. No longer the monster hunter he once was and unaware of Aaron’s fate, Jace must protect the orphans under his care. Can he save them from not just the monsters, but a rage and guilt more terrifying than the children have ever witnessed? Jace will have to make a difficult choice between vengeance, loyalty, and rescue from certain death! Meanwhile Sunny has to deal with monsters within and without, while caught between the White Masks and a cruel pair of eyes watching from between the trees… Series artist Antonio Fuso (Lost Falls, GI Joe: Cobra) joins returning writer Tate Brombal (Behold, Behemoth) in the next chapter of Jace Boucher’s story! Collects House of Slaughter #11-15.

144 pages, Paperback

First published September 6, 2023

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352 people want to read

About the author

James Tynion IV

1,643 books1,986 followers
Prior to his first professional work, Tynion was a student of Scott Snyder's at Sarah Lawrence College. A few years later, he worked as for Vertigo as Fables editor Shelly Bond's intern. In late 2011, with DC deciding to give Batman (written by Snyder) a back up feature, Tynion was brought in by request of Snyder to script the back ups he had plotted. Tynion would later do the same with the Batman Annual #1, which was also co-plotted by Snyder. Beginning in September 2012, with DC's 0 issue month for the New 52, Tynion will be writing Talon, with art by Guillem March. In early 2013 it was announced that he'd take over writing duties for Red Hood and the Outlaws in April.

Tynion is also currently one of the writers in a rotating team in the weekly Batman Eternal series.

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5 stars
172 (18%)
4 stars
438 (46%)
3 stars
295 (31%)
2 stars
41 (4%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
Profile Image for Anne.
4,739 reviews71.2k followers
August 19, 2024
Ok, so I think I get what's going on now with the inconsistent feel of these stories.

description

I wasn't paying attention before (because James Tynion's name is at the top of the writing credits) but Sam Johns is also credited on House of Slaughter, Vol. 2: Scarlet & House of Slaughter, Vol. 4: Alabaster, which tell somewhat interconnecting stories about random members of various masks, and Tate Brombal is credited on House of Slaughter, Vol. 1: The Butcher's Mark & this volume, which follows Jace Boucher.
I'm guessing (someone correct me if I'm wrong) but Tynion is probably helping to plan the outline of the stories and these other two guys are doing the actual writing.
That's fair.

description

Alright. So you find out more about Boucher's house and his childhood with the White Masks.
After all the stuff in volume 1, he's still protecting all the little kids he finds after a monster attacks.
Enter Sunny.
A little boy who is struggling with what happened when a monster attacked a school bus he was on and killed all of his friends. <--before Jace managed to kill it and rescue him.
Spoilery things happen and his past and the present collide in spectacular fashion.

description

I've bought into Jace's story completely, at this point. And I'm rooting for this guy to meet up with Erica someday and cause some real damage in the Something is Killing the Children universe.
Recommended.
Profile Image for Jim C.
1,779 reviews35 followers
January 18, 2024
Actual rating is 3.5 stars.

This is a collection of a spinoff series from Something is Killing the Children. In this one we visit Jace Boucher who we saw in the first collection. We get to see two different timelines as we get a glimpse of his time growing up in the House of Boucher and what he is up to now.

I thought this was the best collection of this run so far but still not up to the level of the main comics run. What made this collection better than it predecessors is the characters. The protagonist and the antagonist have a shared history. We get to see their shared history in the flashbacks before the inevitable confrontation between the two characters. In addition to the exploration of these two characters there are some terrific and gory action scenes that added to my enjoyment. Even with these enjoyable aspects this is not a perfect collection and it does have flaws. This run is a very slow burn and this collection continues with that. Going into this I thought we were going to learn about the various Houses but we are getting stories about various individuals. It is shaping up to be an anthology series instead of interconnecting. We do get little hints that this is not the case but after three collections I need to see it. I also thought the artwork was a little off even though it is the same style. It didn't resonate as much like the previous collections or the main series.

While I have liked the collections in this series run I did not look forward to them like I have with the main series. That changed with this one. The writing and plot was tighter with this one while delivering a message of coping with the past. It is always with you. I looked forward to reading this particular collection and has enticed me for the next collection.
Profile Image for Robert.
2,191 reviews148 followers
February 14, 2024
Though I like the art and the rawness of the storytelling I can't help but feel these "Something is Killing the Children"-verse titles are becoming a bit repetitive and, as such, predictable. Victims of their own success, perhaps? I am still very much invested in the main title, though.
Profile Image for Oscar.
645 reviews44 followers
April 22, 2025
A lot better than the last volume.
Profile Image for Dakota Morgan.
3,390 reviews53 followers
December 20, 2023
Returning to Jace's kid clan in the woods from the first House of Slaughter volume, The Butcher's Return continues to demonstrate that the House of Boucher is not a great place. (I guess none of these Houses are).

Essentially, Jace is trying to keep his monster-stricken kids out of the House's grasp, but one kid gets loose and is caught up by an old House pal of Jace's. Backstabbing and brawling ensue. By the end, we're more or less back where we started (). The art is decent, the action fine. Another so-so entry in this spin-off series.
Profile Image for Rod Brown.
7,352 reviews281 followers
February 7, 2024
We catch up with Jace Boucher in a follow-up to the events of the first volume of this series. He just wants to look after his adopted kids in the swamp, but one of them strays from the flock and to get him back Jace finds himself drawn back to New Orleans and the family of monster hunters he fled.

It's not bad, but it's a side story of secondary characters that's not done by the main creative team. And while the plot is not entirely cliched, it's not exactly filled with any surprising developments either.
Profile Image for Frédéric.
1,971 reviews86 followers
February 26, 2024
3,5*

Much better than the previous volume. The SIKTC-verse regrettably doesn’t expand here since we’re back with Jace Boucher from vol.1. Then again, considering the fiasco of vol.2 maybe it’s for the best.

It’s a decent- though typical-redemption plot: Jace is trying to atone for his past by saving children and reconstructing a family with them but of course the past is just around the corner.
Jace and the 2 main supporting cast, namely Sunny and Jolie, are all well defined characters with understandable motivations. Dialogues ring true. The pacing is good, the five issues run fits snuggly, enough for one and a half twist and a cool ending.

I’m not too keen on the art. Feels like Jock, less gritty. It’s not horrible but not memorable either.
Profile Image for AlenGarou.
1,729 reviews134 followers
June 1, 2024
Non immaginavo di appassionarmi allo spin off di Something Is Killing The Children, eppure eccoci qui… in attesa del prossimo volume… che se va bene uscirà dopo secoli… sigh…
Avevo adorato il rapporto tra Jace e Aaron (Aaron patato mio), ma Jace non mi aveva convinto del tutto, finché in questo nuovo numero non veniamo a conoscenza dei fili che muovono la Macelleria. Che, diciamocelo, è molto più intrigante della Casa del Massacro a livello di personaggi.
Jolie, Renè e Cassius promettono bene come antagonisti e non vedo l’ora di vederli all’opera.
In più, è stato interessante scoprire come le due Case abbiano delle similitudini, ma allo stesso tempo una mentalità e pratiche distinte.
Il lore di questa serie è qualcosa di fenomenale.
Non invidio Jace. Proprio per nulla.
Per quanto riguarda la storia, ho apprezzato il ritmo serrato e il mistero insito in essa, oltre che le numerose scene di combattimento perché quelle sono un must. E sì, anche i mostri hanno la loro nota di merito.
Non sono convinta delle motivazioni di Jace e dello sforzo che sta facendo per essere una persona e un padre adottivo migliore, ma è anche vero che patteggio più facilmente per gli stronzi e Jolie ha le sue ragioni per avercela con lui.
Tuttavia, e mi dispiace ammetterlo, un dettaglio che mi non mi ha preso sono proprio le tavole.
Ok, va a gusti, ma lo stile delle illustrazioni sto giro non mi ha fatto impazzire… anzi.
Per quanto funzionale l’ho trovato poco dettagliato e appagante e, sebbene i colori siano stati usati sapientemente, la profondità ne ha risentito a causa della mancanza di ombreggiature.
Insomma, non è uno stile che mi stuzzica, ma almeno la storia parla da sé.
Se avete amato la serie principale, non potete perdervi questo spin off. Garantito!
Profile Image for Kate.
Author 15 books899 followers
May 20, 2024
Jace is holed up in the woods with a bunch of kids who have monsters after them. Though he tries to protect them, he can't keep the monsters away... especially not the monsters in the House of Butcher, who are more than thrilled to find one of the kids gone astray and turn him into a monster hunter.

It took me a while to connect this volume to the first in the series, as it's been a while since I read it - also because I remembered some characters dying that were now resurrected. The nightmares of the kid trapped in the school bus in the swamp had a great visual. It was harder to sense when Jace had slipped into a flashback, but that worked well since his mental state seemed to be slipping as well. The woman in charge of the House of Butcher was quite intriguing and I hope she'll be in the next two volumes in the series.

One of my complaints about previous volumes in this series and Something Is Killing the Children was struggling to know when it was a 2-page spread, but I didn't have that issue in this volume.
Profile Image for Urbon Adamsson.
1,941 reviews100 followers
December 2, 2023
After the disaster that was the last volume, Tate is back on the wheel and he puts the series back on the right track.

Jace returns and with him, so does his past.

New characters are introduced and they are all amazing. This world keeps expanding with unlimited potential.

The new characters are so good that even though they kinda are the villains of the story, I really want them to succeed because they are so much more interesting characters than Jace is, and he was already a solid character.

Great story with good action and character development. Tate is definitely the right guy to lead this spin-off.
Profile Image for Thomas.
66 reviews2 followers
September 26, 2023
3.5. I think I’m a little fatigued of the “angry children mad they can’t be hunters after watching their friends and family die” trope that’s heavy in this series and Something is Killing the Children. Because of that, Sunny just felt like a fully annoying plot device to bring a confrontation between Jace and Jolie. Largely uninterested in their beef tbh but it was entertaining enough. Would love to know more about Maven though. 👀
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Brian.
838 reviews6 followers
September 30, 2023
I'm not very impressed with what other authors have written in the Slaughter stories, but I can't help but compare this to what Tynion has written which is a very high bar. The interleaving of timelines sort of works but sort of misses. I'll probably read the rest of it, but if there's more than four volumes, I might now. It's time to end this thing.
471 reviews
December 28, 2023
History echoes

It focuses on Jace Boucher, a character from the first volume. Jace tries to lead a new life away from hunters and monsters. When he's separated from one of his sons, he returns home to confront the past he left behind.

A tighter narrative than volume 2 and pays off better in its conclusion.
Profile Image for Eli.
870 reviews132 followers
May 1, 2024
I was on the fence halfway through about whether I even wanted to bother with this spin-off series because it's not quite as good as Something is Killing the Children, but then there was a cliffhanger at the end. -_- And this is one of my top 5 favorite authors.
Profile Image for Rowen H..
509 reviews14 followers
July 17, 2023
2.5 rounded up. Felt rushed and not very engaging compared to the previous arcs of this spin-off series.
Profile Image for Vinnie Uube.
43 reviews2 followers
December 4, 2023
We’re back on track after the misstep in the last volume. I just don’t know if it’s enough to keep me on board. The spinoff hasn’t been as engaging as SIKTC.
Profile Image for Kaitlyn (ktxx22) Walker.
1,941 reviews24 followers
January 10, 2024
Still not sure what vol. 2 was but this one I really enjoyed! Nice to come back to the story from volume 1 and excited to see where the next one takes us!
Profile Image for Carrie.
1,097 reviews22 followers
October 12, 2024
Back to Jace Boucher with past and present timelines interweaving. I like this better than the 2nd volume but am overall confused about the overarching storyline for this run.
Profile Image for Marybeth.
547 reviews1 follower
April 19, 2025
4 1/2 stars

"See, nightmares...the horrible things that scare us, Sunny, they don't needa be all that bad. ... If anything, they help remind us what matters, don't ya think?"

Lots of Jace & House Boucher backstory, h some info into House Boucher now.

"'Cause the monsters only become real when you speak 'em out loud, right?"

That traitorous totem, acting like everything is fine 😤

"Sometimes my heart beats so hard I gotta check for bruises."

Representation: MC is a gay Black man who is very obviously missing his hand in the present storyline (story uses flashbacks)

"He's doomed." "Always will be."
Profile Image for ksiazkowy_pirat.
190 reviews47 followers
July 2, 2025
Uwielbiam to jak ten spin off się rozwija i jak dużo dodaje do głównej serii.

Wersja PL (nie ma na GR).
Profile Image for Amie.
512 reviews8 followers
July 9, 2025
This volume picks up the pace with a return to some familiar faces and a deeper dive into the Butcher's past. I liked the gritty tone and the sharper focus on action and lore compared to Vol. 2. While it still doesn’t quite hit the emotional highs of the main series, it’s a solid entry that expands the mythology in satisfying ways.
Profile Image for Adrian.
1,439 reviews41 followers
November 20, 2023
“Your death? The last legacy hunter on American soil was hunted, killed by some sad-sack ruin of a black mask, and you wonder if I heard of his death?

I mourned it, Jace Boucher.”


I adore the ongoing Something is Killing the Children series, which follows the life of monster hunter Erica Strange, from the killing of her parent's by a monster, to her induction into the House of Slaughter.

This spin off series reveals more of the history behind the House of Slaughter, it's relationship with other Houses, and the different approaches they have to monster hunting.

We are back with Jace Boucher. Having conspired with Aaron Slaughter to fake his death, Jace has set up camp in the woods were rescued children are allowed to live free rather than being trained into the next generation of monster hunters. However, as is always the way, things don't remain peaceful for long. Jace is soon flung back into action, coming face to face with old enemies, old friends, and his former House of Boucher.

This volume really moves things along and ramps up the tension between the houses and the Butcher. 5 stars.
Profile Image for Juan DeLeon .
226 reviews1 follower
February 16, 2025
Jace has a camp for kids that may have been monsters victims.

The rules; no weapons, no hunting and no scary stories. He uses his totems as monster scouts. The owl says, " You bring kids like this together. Something will come." That's how they are manifested.through the kids. Interesting.

Jolie Boucher, found by Jace now a lead white pack hunter, is about to use Sunny as bait. It's cool how she slips into the darkness behind him as she covers her face and you see only her eyes and fangs in the dark.

Butcher House, New Orleans; René Boucher, his pupil Maxine Slaughter, Vionette & Cassius the house dragon? Mace is an and crows. These crows are her totems, and that's a lot of them.

So Sunny now is with his new family. Good action but very good presentation of background and world building.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Adam Fisher.
3,594 reviews23 followers
December 13, 2023
3.5 Stars.
Picking back up where Vol 1 of this title left off, Jace has his refugee camp of kids and he is successfully keeping them safe and away from all the Houses. However, when one boy named Sunny gets too curious and ventures too far away, he gets attacked by a monster and rescued by Jolie and the House of Boucher. By the end, Sunny is an initiate of the House, the kids are taken by the House, and Jace has redawned his mask, and has vengeance against Boucher. There should be at least one more Volume.
Was a pretty good read. I enjoy the "Something is Killing the Children" universe and lore, but feel like its story is probably coming to an end soon enough. Not sure.
Overall, well done though. Recommend.
Profile Image for Sean.
4,162 reviews25 followers
May 18, 2024
The series rebounds incredibly well, Tate Brombal being involved is a big reason why, continuing Jace Boucher's story. He's leading the kids in the woods a different way than he was raised but trouble finds him. We're shown more of his past and how it great impacts his present. The story was great as we see his love of family and how he wants to protect them. The introduction of Jolie is great. She's a great new character and perfect antagonist for Jace. Fuso's art was great. Creepy and emotive. The book needed to do a better job switching between dreams and reality and a cliffhanger ending in a book like this is questionable. Overall, a very good read that shows how good this series can be.
588 reviews10 followers
September 13, 2023
I love Something Is Killing The Children, but the House of Slaughter series, fleshing out the secret society of hunters, should be scratching all my nerdy itches but instead just kind of bores me. This collection is more action-oriented, as Jace from the first story tries to rescue a child from people who may be worse than the monsters they hunt. But even then, things seem to be paced about half as fast as they ought to be, and I was often bored.
Profile Image for C. Chambers.
479 reviews7 followers
January 15, 2024
I really liked this. Tynion and co have refocused this spin-off to the betterment of the story. Jace is a great character and this arc develops his family history as well as some thems of loss and lineage in a great way.

Unfortunately, this only provides part of the story as we have yet to see the conclusion of Jace's arc. But between this and SIKTC all coming together, we may be in store for some great story moments in 2024 and beyond.

4/5 stars
Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews

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