The Haunted House Story For The New Millennium Continues In Infidel #2

The haunted house story for the new millennium continues. What is the secret behind the terrifying entities haunting Aisha’s home? And as she discovers answers, will it be her family that pays the startling—and horrifying—price?

After an intensely terrifying vision led Aisha to nearly stab her mother-in-law in the series opener, she starts off Infidel #2 in her shrink’s office. Her psychiatrist calmly explains to her that a recent prescription may be the culprit. Ativan sometimes causes hallucinations and intense reactions. If bad drugs, sleep deprivation, and the stigma of living in a building that was the site of a recent terrorist bombing are her only problems, she could deal. If only.

Pornsak Pichetshote does a fantastic job isolating Aisha. Despite being constantly in the presence of friends and family, she’s all alone in dealing with the issues that are robbing her of her sleep and sanity. There’s a heaviness, a palpable tension in the building that nearly everyone can sense, but Aisha’s the only that can actually see the fiend that haunts her.

Aaron Campbell and Jose Villarrubia continue pulling out some slick techniques with the artwork. The banality of the everyday scenes, at the doctor’s office, in her friend’s sparsely furnished apartment, is in stark contrast to the scenes where the monster appears. I hate to use the term “jump scares,” but these guys aren’t going for cheap pops. They earn every gasp, every shiver, every sharp intake of breath. There’s actually one scene where the trigger is right there, in plain sight, but the layout, coloring, and shading are done so well, you don’t even see it until you’re on that panel.

Second issues often face the problem of living up to the awesomeness of insanely paced first issues. Infidel #2 carries the momentum from the last chapter straight through to the last, horrible, awful reveal.

Infidel 2 (of 5), published by Image Comics, released 18 April 2018. Written by Pornsak Pichetshote, art by Aaron Campbell, color by Jose Villarrubia, letters by Jeff Powell.