Another comic this week has stumped me with its cover. I am assuming this is our serial killer, Max, but why the shadow? Why show him as a child? I have said it before that I want to dive deeper into the serial killer’s real life. Floating in his mind brings a rush to the reader and now it is time we see who this guy really is. In saying that, I don’t know if Ryan K. Lindsay will just throw this at us. It seems that it will be a pickle jar. You try with all your strength to open it, and it never works. Then when you relax and when your pickle craving is gone, somehow the lid pops open. This slow tactic will certainly be annoyed and loved all at the same time. But past the cover, I was excited to get right into this issue, and it seemed like the creative team behind this comic felt the same way. Shane, still fighting in Carpenter Cove, finds himself against more illusions inside Max’s mind. Dude, Shane has got it rough, but I love how almost every issue gets the reader going. It throws us into every situation and not for a second thinks about tossing us out. The balance between the action and the tone of Shane is set up perfectly. The story could go in any direction. It could be funny or could be totally creepy. Instead Lindsay combines this crazy intense world with a sympathetic story to create something real for the readers. You can relate, you can be lost, but you will be entertained.
Although we are inside Max’s mind, Shane is the narrator, so quite often we are inside his mind understanding his feelings. I like this concept, and think that Shane fits the bill for our hero. While he is fighting some giant trolls, we jump into his past. We met his wife and we develop the story of him losing his son. Shane is a fairly open guy. So I think getting to know him will be no problem. We already know pieces of it and we know what drives him, so for now I am satisfied with his progression.
Then the big parts of the plot come in. Max is back. The jar has budged a tad. Living in these two worlds makes the comic so much fun to read. I am never disappointed bouncing back and forth. What we do learn about Max brings some things to light while others are still in the dark. What I still question is why there are people inside his head? And is Max a real serial killer? Sometimes I think the people are driving Max to be a killer and sometimes I think his true self is that serial killer. These probably won’t be answered soon, but I think the serial killer could be answered soon enough.
Any comic that makes you question the next issue is always at the top of my list. Headspace does exactly that. It sets up this world only to make question everything in it. So between Max’s mind, Shane’s mind, and my mind, Headspace have given me plenty to think about.
Score: 5/5
Writer: Ryan K. Lindsay Artists: Eric Zawadzki, Sebastian Piriz Publisher: MonkeyBrain Comics Price: $0.99 Release Date: 9/3/14 Format: Ongoing; Print/Digital