REVIEW: ‘I Hate This Place,’ Issue #7

With the arrival of Trudy’s religious zealot of a father, Joshua, at the end of the last issue, things got worse for the young couple than any ghost could make it. But despite the menacing presence the new arrivals bring, they may have underestimated just how powerful a bond like Gabby and Trudy’s can be and just how much strength it will give them in I Hate This Place #7, published by Image Comics, written by Kyle Starks, art by Artyom Topilin, colors by Lee Loughridge, and letters by Pat Brosseau.

Powerful emotions demand potent responses. Feelings like love, hate, and fear can be catalyzing factors that will drive an individual to do things they would never have considered themselves capable of. In these moments of emotional turmoil, individuals can learn truths about themselves that they would never have known otherwise. As we see Gabby learn in I Hate This Place #7.

For the entirety of I Hate This Place‘s first story arc, Gabby and Trudy had a very solid power dynamic when bad things started to happen. Gabby would largely panic, while Trudy’s survivalist upbringing and omnipresent need to protect Gabby would kick in, driving her to lead the duo to whatever safety they could find. Now that Joshua is in their home with his minions and the couple bound to chairs, we see this dynamic shift. Being confronted with the terror of her childhood, Trudy is broken down into a far more timid and scared version of herself. Confrontation with any cause of past trauma can lock a person into who they were when the trauma was experienced, and Starks writing delivers Trudy’s lapse into this state perfectly. But as Trudy crumbles, Gabby steps up.

I Hate This Place #7 is truly Gabby’s issue. Seeing the person she loves, who has always been nothing but a source of strength for her, so utterly terrified seems to be more than Gabby can handle. Rather than be cowed by the menacing presence of Joshua, Gabby chooses to actively antagonize him. She challenges his misguided beliefs in a powerful act of defiance. It continues to amaze me how Starks is still managing to find ways to make me love these two ladies more with every issue.

All of the drama and emotion of this book are only amplified by the fantastic art that brings the story to life. Topilin’s lines, alongside Loughridge’s colors, capture every scream, tear, and act of defiance with such intensity that I struggle to think of a creative team that could do it better. As the issue picks up steam in the back half, the physical threats, both corporeal and incorporeal, are delivered amazingly by the duo, along with some excellent sound design by Brosseau to add the final touch to the terror of these moments.

I Hate This Place #7 continues to deliver an amazing tale that is equal parts emotional character-building and stark terror. If you have ever been even the least bit curious about this title, I cannot recommend checking it out enough. Pure comic horror gold.

I Hate This Place #7 is available now wherever comics are sold.