The Me You Love in the Dark

Young and Corona (the Middlewest series) collaborate again on this chilling horror romance about a stuck artist getting too attached to her home’s otherworldly inhabitant. Artist Ro Meadows brushes aside warnings that the grand house she’s moved into, in an attempt to “escape the Midwest limbo,” is haunted. When she hears voices, she confesses her hope that the ominous atmosphere will push her beyond the “bright, colorful, happy crap” she’s been producing. She grows attached to her conversations with the being occupying the space and cuts off all other social contact. The unnamed entity, who denies being a ghost, appears first as a wisp (Corona’s serrated smudge captures surprising personality) before revealing itself to be a multi-eyed, menacingly teethed creature who never appears in full light. Ro produces prolifically in between watching rom-coms with the being and eventually initiating a sexual relationship with it. When her agent appears unannounced after persistent unanswered calls, the being’s actions alarm Ro. Sparse dialogue allows Corona’s moody art to shape the story, with angular figures akin to those found in Jeff Lemire’s work, a truly unsettling monster, and evocative use of cool and warm light effects. Fans of adult-oriented spooky tales without overly complicated mythologies will enjoy this disturbing outing. (Mar.)