REVIEW: ‘I Hate This Place,’ Issue #3

I Hate This Place #3 is published by Image Comics, written by Kyle Starks, art by Artyom Topilin, colors by Lee Loughridge, and letters by Pat Brosseau. After seeing Ramon butchered by whatever stalks their property, Trudy and Gabby turn to famous tv ghost hunter Dante Howitzer to solve their problems. But is this ghost hunter ready to be outnumbered like this?

Much like the last issue, this entry once more introduces a tried and true step in the haunting playbook with a bit of a twist, thanks to Starks crafting of the newly arrived Dante. Dante is an enthusiast ghost hunter and exorcist rolled into one. And I have to say, despite his propensity for loud swearing in casual conversation, something that is a bit of a trigger for me, I can’t help but like the guy. Perhaps his best moment is when, seeing their nightly haunting for the first time, Dante refers to their haunted ranch as his “Jurassic Park.”

Dante’s enthusiasm notwithstanding, the severity of the situation convinces him that they need to head to the center of the estate to perform an exercise on the entire land. Sweep it clean, as it were. But going to the center of the land means going into the woods. And didn’t the video tape mention something about doing that? The group’s struggles through the woods make up the remainder of I Hate This Place #3 ‘s time. No spoilers, but things quickly spiral from bad to worse as new threats abound in the haunted woods outside Gabby and Trudy’s home.

The art once again puts in a ton of work as it heightens every moment of the story. From Dante’s over-enthusiastic energy to the latest moments of terror seen here, Topilin continues to deliver all the energy of the book’s narrative wonderfully. And I don’t know where the idea for the newest monstrosities in this issue came from, but truly the stuff of creepy nightmares.

The coloring by Loughridge not only continues to deliver the wonderful color palettes for the I Hate This Place #3’s creepy moments but also adapts beautifully to Dante’s energy, giving him some superbly chosen splash coloring backgrounds during his big introduction that augments his attitude perfectly. Rounding out the book’s visuals is the lettering. As with the rest of the presentation, Brosseau works the newest character’s energy into this aspect of the book as well. The lettering helps deliver Dante’s in-your-face attitude but never leans so hard that the look feels out of place in the comic.

When all is said and done, I Hate This Place #3 continues to deliver a stellar horror story. Atmosphere, character, and terrifying creatures continue to be the hallmarks of this series. I can’t wait to learn what it’s building to as our cast faces newer and more dangerous threats.

I Hate This Place #3 is available wherever comics are sold.