I Hate This Place #10 // Review
There’s blood in the clearing. (A lot of it.) There are lifeless bodies everywhere. A towering figure with antlers stands above it all. Not far from the horrific mess, Gabby is carrying a high-tech key that’s nearly as big as she is. The guy walking with her can confidently tell her about what’s going to happen. He read it, after all, in a book that a future version of himself gave him. Things are about to come to an end in I Hate This Place #10. Kyle Starks puts an end to his contemporary horror fantasy series with artist Artyom Topilin. Color comes to the page courtesy of Lee Loughridge.
Trudy’s dad thinks that the world is going to end. And he thinks that Gabby is going to be the one to bring about the end of the world. (That’s what he will have written in the future, after all. It must be true, right?) Well...Trudy’s dad clearly isn’t thinking clearly. It’s not a good idea to bring about the end of the world. Now, it’s up to Trudy and Gabby to stop her dad from doing something awful in the name of God. How hard could that be?
Starks gives Gabby and Trudy a suitably enjoyable end. It’s a harrowing supernatural horror tale that has actually seen them advance psycho-emotionally. Though it’s never a simple process for any character, surviving a horror story doesn’t often involve quite this much internal emotional connection between characters. This is particularly surprising as Starks hasn’t necessarily allowed for a whole lot of actual reflection on what’s going on in the plot. Starks has managed to maintain the momentum of the series while keeping a firm eye on the inner lives of its two central characters.
The art is as heavy and simple as it’s been all series. What Topilin lacks in finesse and detail, he more than makes up for in mood, tone, and presence in an issue that delves a bit further into the visual darkness than previous issues have. With the rendering being as simple and inelegant as it is, the story doesn’t quite have the kind of impact that it could. The mood and tone of the drama are well-rendered by Topilin, but the finer details that would make for genuine horror in the finale are notably absent in large swaths of black that never allow Loughridge the opportunity to really dive into the visual depth that would make for a satisfying conclusion.
Starks leaves it open for another series. Considering what Trudy and Gabby have already been through, there’s a lot of potential in future issues if Starks is willing to return to their adventures. It’s been a fun journey so far, and it would be nice to see what Starks would come up with to further explore the psyches, psychologies, and personalities of a couple of survivors like Trudy and Gabby.
