Writer: Kyle Starks
Artist: Artyom Topilin
Colorist: Lee Loughridge
Letterer: Pat Brosseau
Release Date: March 1, 2023
Price: $3.99
Reviewer: Lukke Sweet
Kyle Starks and Artyom Topilin return to the ranch with I Hate This Place #6. Picking up shortly after the first arc ended, Trudy & Gabby are beginning to adjust to the ranch, Itchy has been taken care of, and now they’re facing issues on how to run a ranch. The strange and mysterious environs of the ranch are starting to take their toll on the hired help and they begin questioning if they should seek other employment. And that’s just what the girls know about, Trudy’s family is coming to see her!
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The Story
Starks breaks I Hate This Place #6 into 3 distinct scenes: the state of the ranch, a flashback into Trudy’s upbringing, and a family reunion between Trudy and her family. With Itchy gone, the ranch is down to just two hired hands and the strain of working there is starting to wear on them.
Moving into the flashback, Trudy’s survivalist character begins to make a lot more sense as we see the environment that she was raised in and what her family was like. Her father is the leader of a strict religious cult that isn’t afraid of violence or getting its hands dirty. And certainly not one that agrees with the lifestyle that Trudy and Gabby have chosen to live. We can only wait and see what happens as they meet once again.
Overall, I Hate This Place #6 is a strong start for beginning the second arc of Starks’ horror masterpiece. After leaning heavily into slasher horror throughout the first arc with the main antagonist of Itchy, it will be interesting to see where he takes the second arc. Off to an exciting start, this arc promises to be action-packed the whole way through. Between Topilin’s sketchy style of linework and the color palette chosen by Loughridge, the art conveys a feeling of creepy grittiness. This is especially true when it comes to the scenes of gore common throughout a horror book.
The Art
Artyom Topilin and Lee Loughridge return as the art team for I Hate This Place #6 and their art continues to nail it. I’ve said it before and I’ll probably say it again as I continue reviewing this series but the art on this book fits the story perfectly.
Final Thoughts
I Hate This Place #6 is a great opener to the second arc of Stark and Topilin’s story. Starks begins to pull back the current on some of the clues laid throughout the first arc while Topilin and Loughridge bring back the familiar artwork that sets the perfect tone for this story.