HOPE IS A KNIFE is a standalone novel contained within the long-running comic series, SOMETHING IS KILLING THE CHILDREN. The story picks up as series protagonist Erica arrives in Badwater, Idaho to investigate the gruesome deaths of several of the town’s children. Not only does she have a beastly adversary lurking in the woods, but she also must contend with the town’s preacher who is whipping the town into a frenzy over an impending doomsday.

While I wouldn’t exactly say you have to have read the series prior to picking this one up, I’m unsure as to what would drive you to it unless you’re already either a series reader or a fan of co-author Kiersten White. Either way, if you’re a newbie, Tynion and White do a splendid job catching you up to speed with the mythology of Erica’s employer, The Order, and its role in keeping children safe.

I was a bit hesitant going into this one as much of the draw of the original series is Werther Dell’Edera’s tremendous art style that go hand-in-hand with the story’s themes and violent nature. Kind of strange coming from someone who is a constant reader looking to handicap a story for being a novel rather than something else, but it was a risk I was willing to take. Thankfully, it feels very much at home with its comic book counterpart.

HOPE IS A KNIFE, while not an essential SIKTC story, is a great expansion of an already established universe. If you did ask me to pick between the two formats, I’ll always lean toward the graphic novel medium for Tynion’s characters and world.