Mind MGMT has returned and that’s a very good thing considering how much I enjoy and look forward to this series. It’s shocking that more people aren’t reading it, but that’s why even after six issues I’m still reviewing it. This is a new story arc and it does a great job of recapping the previous arc throughout the issue so don’t be afraid of picking it up. I had a big three-way tie of sorts for my best book of 2012 and this was in that tug-a-war; so how does creator Matt Kindt top his first amazing story arc? He goes bigger and better, get ready to have your mind fucked. The issue begins with an 8x8 panel recap of the entire first story arc; obviously it doesn’t do it justice due to its short nature, but it is simplistically brilliant as it gives new readers the short version of what they missed. It’s the equivalent of going to the bathroom during a movie and having your friend explain to you what happened. After that we pick up with Meru… huh? I thought for sure that her story had played out, but nope it’s only just beginning. She awakens from a dream involving Lyme and then hears an envelope drop through her mail slot. After a second she processes that it’s Sunday and that no mail should have been delivered. She runs down the stairs of her building and chases the man outside and asks him who sent her the letter. After he tells her she begins her manhunt to track down the letter’s sender one person at a time and finds it to be quite the extensive trail to follow.
The trail ends with a man named Brinks that has the talent of writing. He’s an AD man who can add subliminal messages that your mind will see, but not necessarily your eyes. He’s sent an assassination letter to Meru and she wants to know why, but even Brinks doesn’t remember everything until Meru questions him about Mind Management. He begins to tell her about his life and the events leading up to this moment; a moment that’s about to be cut short.
If you count the recap at the beginning there are actually five stories that run through this issue. The first being the aforementioned recap, the second being the main story and then the backup story at the end. The next two stories run on the same page as the main story and backup; the first is obvious as it sits at the bottom and explains the history of the assassination letter, while the second runs on the edge of the left side of each page. It’s incredible how well written and plotted this series is. Most writers struggle to get twenty-two pages of material worth reading while Kindt has not only produced twenty-five pages of story, but then two more tales to accompany it. What’s even smarter about the stories is that one plays directly into the issue while the other seems like it will play into the overall arc and make sense at a later time. Either way, both maintain the high quality of Kindt's storytelling.
The story is just beyond words and reaffirms my choice for “Best Ongoing Series of 2012.” The first story arc wasn’t just a mind fuck, it melted your brain. Somehow, Kindt found a way to take it up another notch and leaves so many questions to be answered. Now that I have a better feel for the series I know that some will be answered, but others will continue to play into the overall series. All I know is that this book has me constantly questioning and paying attention to every detail. Sure you can miss things and not have the story ruined for you, but it’s much more enjoyable to cling to every page and absorb as much as possible.
I don’t know how much more I have in me to talk about the art. After a while it’s hard to describe what’s so magical and amazing about it. The composition is probably the best thing for sure, but again it’s about all the little things that Kindt packs on to the page. For instance Lyme waiting on the elevator watching Meru as she approaches Brinks and the fact that it’s never said that he’s the reason that she’s able to just walk in. Or things like Lyme’s disappearing wife and child from the back seat of the car. You cannot drop your guard with this book and it’s worth reading several times just to catch-all the details. I could go on and on about the things I’ve noticed, but where’s the fun in that. In ten years people will be dissecting this series the way they once did Watchmen, but this is better.
So here’s the deal… if you’re not reading this series you need to leave a comment on why you can’t enjoy one of the best things to happen to comics ever. I’m serious; this book is so fantastically good and only continues to get better and better. If you missed the first series than once again I will point out that you can still jump on the series right here with this issue; do yourself a favor and do that.
Lastly, check out the letter column at the back as someone I mutually follow on Twitter (Jason Webb) has a letter published and that’s pretty damn cool as well.
Score: 5/5
Writer/Artist/Creator: Matt Kindt Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Price: $3.99 Release Date: 1/23/13