REVIEW: ‘I Hate This Place,’ Issue #2

I Hate This Place #2 is published by Image Comics, written by Kyle Starks, art by Artyom Topilin, colors by Lee Loughridge, and letters by Pat Brosseau. Having discovered that their new home is haunted, Gabby and Trudy head out to see if they can find a way to rid themselves of the paranormal harassers. Meanwhile, Frank searches for the money hidden in the woods.

With no good initial plan in front of them, Gabby and Trudy begin their quest to expel their supernatural pests with the first step so many others have taken. They go see a psychic. This scene plays out amazingly well, and Starks shows that he grasps horror remarkably well. He manages to build up the climactic moment of this opening scene brilliantly. It breaks into a terrifying moment that only further illustrates how deep the hole is that the duo has fallen into.

From here, I Hate This Place #2 catches the reader up on how Frank managed to find his way into the couple’s newly hired ranch hands. This sequence reinforces the type of individual Frank is and just how far he is prepared to go to get his money. While his presence isn’t as all-encompassing as the ghosts’, he feels just as dangerous, thanks to how the story presents him. The ghosts seem to at least have boundaries and rules, while Frank has none. By the time the couple return to the ranch, night is getting ready to fall, but it looks like someone is still around. The need to clear the property quickly of visitors works excellently to create an excuse for Trudy and Gabby to risk another encounter when they usually wouldn’t.

The line work throughout I Hate This Place #2 delivers all the terrifying moments of its plot excellently. The stark terror on the characters’ faces and the visceral nature of the violence are never shied away from. These violent moments are balanced wonderfully by the quiet moments where Gabby and Trudy are allowed to comfort and support each other. While Starks writes these moments well, Topilin’s lines go a long way to bringing these moments to their fullest.

Interacting wonderfully with the skillful lines are Loughridge’s colors. The shifting color palettes continue to give the book’s visuals a truly unique feel. The colors somehow manage to both break up the individual scenes from each other while also helping to unify the story’s visuals as a whole. Melding in with all of these visuals is Brosseau’s letter work. The sound effects mesh greatly with the illustrations, and the dialogue placement is solid all the way through the story.

When all is said and done, I Hate This Place #2 delivers a strong chapter of its story filled with both scares and heart. The setup for the next issue promises another classic step on the ladies’ road to escape, and I can’t wait to see what spin the creatives have in store for it.

I Hate This Place #2 is available now wherever comics are sold.