I Hate This Place #1

Image Comics

Written by Kyle Starks

Art by Artyom Topilin

Colors by Lee Lougheridge

Letters by Pat Brosseau

The Rundown: When Gabrielle inherits Rutherford Ranch, she also inherits all its secrets and specters.

On a lonely stretch of road in the middle of the woods, three men will discover too late that there is something more dangerous than themselves lurking in the trees. The next day, Gabrielle and her partner Trudy are heading down that same stretch of road because Gabby has inherited her aunt’s cattle ranch. A patch of land that no one wants to travel to.

The pair discover quickly on the first night that the concerns of the townspeople is real when Gabby is touched by a ghost in the barn and winds up somewhere else. After getting back to the house and locking themselves in, the pair discover a tape with a specific set of rules for anyone living on the land. Rules that just might keep them alive if they run into any of the strange and supernatural forces moving around the property.

The Story: Starks crafts a wonderful and engaging first issue. There isn’t a lot of unnecessary buildup of plot, tension and stakes to be found and the plot does a great job of putting everything out for the reader to consume and enjoy. The story has great character moments and I like the subplot with the criminals a lot. I think it’s going to add some great tension to the story and I am interested in seeing where it goes next.

The Art: Topilin delivers some great art in the first issue. The art is very stylized for the human characters and the supernatural ones have the perfect level of visual terror attached to them.

I Hate This Place #1

9.2

9.2/10

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