The Me You Love in the Dark

Writer – Skottie Young

Artist – Jorge Corona

The Me You Love in the Dark was on my radar when it was released because this would be the first comic I read written by Skottie Young. I read the first issue and as much as I enjoyed it, I decided to wait until it was released in trade. Some miniseries are better read in trade format instead of single issues.

Ro Meadows is an artist trying to recapture her inspiration. She is looking to rent a house to try and get back to square one. A realtor shows her a mansion and tells her that it may be haunted. Haunted or not, Ro decides this is the space for her. As she gets settled in, she starts to get back into her routine of painting with her favorite record playing and a glass of wine. She sits at the canvas for hours with no luck. She talks to the ghost occupying the house and jokes with it almost every single day. She tells it if it wants to be helpful to maybe play the record for her and have her glass of wine ready the next time she’s ready to paint. Surprisingly, the next day, she hears music playing and sees the glass by her workstation. She’s not sure if the ghost is real or not, but you’ll find out the answer by the end of the first issue.

When I told my buddies in the comic book group text we have together, many were surprised that I hadn’t read it already and they wanted to know my thoughts about it after finishing it.

There will be some SPOILERS in the next few paragraphs so stop here if you don’t want to know some of the plot points about the mini-series.

The title gives away the story in some respects as Ro and the entity start to develop a budding friendship as they get to know each other. They end up spending so much time together they eventually start having feelings for each other and they consummate their relationship on Christmas. However, when Ro wants to leave the house to get rid of cabin fever and be around other people, the entity does whatever it can to prevent her from leaving the house. The entity starts becoming abusive towards Ro and they end up constantly fighting with one another. When her friend/agent Attison starts to notice a change in Ro’s behavior and demeanor, he goes to visit her, which sets up the finale of the story.

I told my friends I needed some time to process my feelings about the book and I eventually said I did not expect or predict the shocking turn the story took around the fourth issue. I did not see it coming at all. When the turn in the entity’s behavior changes for the worse, its like a punch to the gut or stepping on a land mine, you never see it coming. I really enjoyed Jorge Corona’s art and he gives the story a gothic feeling even though it’s set in the present day. Much like haunted house movies, the house is an important character and integral to the plot. I love the architecture and interior designs of the mansion. The ever changing and evolving looks of the entity from issue to issue are eye popping and remind me of the creature from The Thing. The entity is a nightmare come to life as it preys on Ro. You can see how evil and malevolent it becomes as it taunts and harasses her. 

The origin of the entity is never fully revealed and if it’s a ghost or a demon and although I enjoy the air of mystery, I would have liked to know more about the entity. In horror, less is more but sometimes we need to see or know more. Since it’s a five-issue miniseries, I can see why they didn’t delve into the backstory but I could see a prequel or sequel miniseries be released to fill in the gaps in the narrative.

The Me You Love in the Dark might be one of the more recent releases that I have seen readers and reviewers divided on. It’s a great entry in the horror/love story genre, which we don’t normally see in pop culture. However, I told my friends that real life relationships can take an abusive turn like the one that took place in the story and for some survivors of abuse, reading this miniseries would definitely bring back unpleasant memories for them. I really think there should be a warning at the beginning at the book to let people know the content of the story but that’s just me. At any rate, that it why I gave you a bit of warning in my review. On the other hand, we have seen horror movies that act as social commentary, like Night of the Living Dead, that teach the viewer a hard lesson. In that case, The Me You Love in the Dark is a cautionary tale in which looking for the love in the wrong places can have dire consequences. A stark reminder that you need to get a better read on your significant other and look for red flags, even though you might not see any or choose to ignore them, before it’s too late.