This series never gets old and Matt Kindt continues to experiment with the structure and the layout of the issues finding new and interesting ways to present the story and fuck with our minds. I still enjoy the fact that the entire issue is “written” on a Mind MGMT field report as if Kindt was an agent himself filling a report in the most creative way possible. If you’ve read any of my reviews for this series then you should know that it’s spectacular and one of the top five monthly comic books being published today. If you’re not reading it, there is a reason that everyone that is reading it continues to tell you to pick it up… it’s that fucking good. The last issue left off with a cliffhanger which is a bit unusual for the series, but it was the perfect story element for that issue. The group had seemingly been blown up by the man who never misses. What’s different about this issue instantly is the color of the caption boxes; it tells us that this is something Lyme is saying out loud to the entire group. The visual on the other hand is showing what he’s thinking about as he explains a mental technique that Duncan taught him for self-preservation. Now, no matter how badly he wants to die, he always ends up keeping himself alive because his mind affects everyone around him including himself. It’s a simple yet complicated reason for how everyone survived the explosion as we see them all strategically placed in the room afterwards.
Dusty is quick to jump on board and the group high tails it out of there before more explosions occur. As Lyme opens the car door though, he finds the man who can’t miss waiting for him. He takes a shot, but misses yet again. [Possible Spoilers Ahead] Meru takes over on narration as she shoots the man who can’t miss through the eye. The next page is fantastic as it’s almost an exact repeat of the previous page, but with Meru dressed as a warrior goddess of some kind and two white horses on either side of her. It’s alluded that this is how Dusty is currently seeing her as we pull out and find her reflection in his eyes.
The story doesn’t end there as we learn where the characters are heading to next, but also some back story on Dusty. It comes to us in the form of silent pages and track listings. It was incredibly clever and was a unique way to show the character’s backstory while relating it to their mental ability. Again, an incredible job is done by Kindt on keeping the story fresh and introducing more characters with unique abilities.
Some people who read the book seem to overlook the art or comment that it’s not their favorite part which is a crying shame. I personally think that Kindt’s style is incredible and it plays a huge role in the story. The scene with Meru as a warrior is so striking and ancient looking. I’m sure there’s probably a deeper meaning and I could drone on, but I’ll leave it for you to decide. I would say that if you’re not digging the art though, that you need to stop viewing it as if it were a superhero comic. This series is art, true fucking art and it’s beautiful.
Something I tried this issue was not reading the story in the binding until after reading the issue and I have to recommend this to everyone else as I found it to have a much stronger connection to the visuals and in some cases completely replaced the ones on the page. It’s something to consider as I think it will improve your reading experience.
I wasn’t kidding when I said this is one of the top five comics currently being published. It has fierce competition, but it’s constantly amazing month after month. Kindt is a fantastic writer, but there is something about the combination of his story and art that is truly an experience like no other. If you’re not reading this book, you should be.
Score: 5/5
Writer/Artist/Creator: Matt Kindt Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Price: $3.99 Release Date: 3/20/12