REVIEW: 'I Hate This Place' #5 by Kyle Starks, Artyom Topilin, and Lee Loughridge

 

I HATE THIS PLACE #5 

Writer: Kyle Starks

Artist: Artyom Topilin, Lee Loughridge

Publisher: Image Comics

Release Date: September 28, 2022

Cover Price: $3.99

The girls have finally left the woods you're not supposed to go in, but they're still not safe. They'll never be safe on Rutherford Ranch, and they'll never be able to leave it.

Score:

★★★★1/2 (4.5/5)

QUICK REVIEW: After the massively entertaining and thrilling issue four, the conclusion of the first arc in issue five had a lot to live up to. It comes close with thrills all its own and a relentless maniac in the all-too-human monster Itchy Renda. Gabby and Trudy fight for their lives in a finale that ties up some loose ends while opening new shocking storylines going forward. Kyle Starks writes a well-balanced action horror story that incorporates suspense, violence, flashbacks, flashforwards, and surprisingly touching moments that galvanize the relationship at the heart of the series. Artyom Topilin and Lee Loughridge have consistently provided heightened depictions of emotion with heavy linework and exaggerated goose-bump-inducing looks of anger and pain. They're equally adept at quieter moments washed in scene-specific color schemes. 'I Hate This Place' is a pulse-pounding supernatural horror story made all the more satisfying by its grounded themes of love and survival. And the best part, the story is just beginning. Add this to your pull list.