Stephen said last week in his review of The Massive #4, which was given the accolade of Comic of The Week, that one of the things he loved most about comics was the sheer breadth of subjects and genres which were explored. I agree entirely with his sentiment and pick – The Massive is a tour de force, were Brian Wood is, once again, swinging for the stands.
However, Mind MGMT far surpasses it. DO NOT WAIT FOR THE TRADE – scour the land for the issues and no matter the cost or effort you shall be rewarded with one of the finest in print comics today, and certainly not disappointed. Creator Matt Kindt himself stated that this series was designed was designed as a monthly. It’s the first monthly series that he’s done (although he’s now taken over from Jeff Lemire on Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #10 onwards) and it’s utterly unique. In an interview with Comics Bulletin Kindt exoressed that “monthly books…they have to work as a stand-along read, but also be a piece of something bigger” – Mind MGMT is just that.
And you can see why – it’s incredibly dense, more than justifying its $3.99 price tag, with inside-back cover ministories (charting the history of MIND MGMT) and hidden messages throughout, as well as fake ads. Kindt has written some of the 21st century’s greatest genre comics, for crime and mystery see Pistolwhip and Revolver to spies and espionage see 2 Sisters and Super Spy. For his horror work, see The Tooth.
Mind MGMT, in which a writer investigates a mysertious event involving a passenger plane 815 (Lost fans, of which am I, although I haven’t seen beyond Season 2, will recognise this I’m sure) and collective amnesia, save for a young child and a missing traveller) and uncovers a spy organisation training people with ‘mind powers’. I think. It is a completely novel reading experience, as if Miss Marple was written by Philip K Dick, with a layered mystery only adding to the disorientation suffered by the main characters, as well as the reader.
SPOLIER ALERT!
– Last month we were introduced to Henry Lyme and given our first peek ‘behind the curtain’. It was an incredible issue; Meru had been pursuing him around the World, following a trail of psychic clues, with the Immortals hot in her trail. WE were then introduced to a younger Lyme, a talented boy indoctorinated by the Mind MGMT organisation and ultimately to where this lead him.
Issue 5 is all about payoff; two issues ago I’d posed the question of answers, where were they and when was I getting them? Well here they are, and they do not disappoint. And do what all answers should, that is, pose further questions. Herein the secret origin of Mind MGMT’s greteast operative concludes, with a shocking revelation regards his final days at the agency. As a gifted psychic able to control the emotions of others, who fell apart when doubts arose about the true feelings of those closest to him, he wreaks havoc and destruction on all around him.
Kindt’s art, whilst on the receiving end of some harsh criticism, is a perfect fit; an unusual combination of watercolour and pen. His work has attracted praise from all quarters including, most recently, Jesse Alexander, producer and writer of Heroes, Lost and Alias – “Matt Kindt’s work blows my mind. The elegance of his art, juxtaposed with his rich character work and complex narrative – is nothing short of genius”. I agree entirely.
Mind MGMT is a uniquely enjoyable, if approaching unfathomable, reading experience. I treasure this as I do George Orwell’s Down and Out in Paris and London and Alan Moore’s Watchmen and V for Vendetta (I could never pick between the two). Return to the comic shop and buy, for two excellent reasons. One, and I repeat, DO NOT WAIT FOR THE TRADE and two, each issue contains features that won’t be in any future collections. In particularly flush, why not head over to his shop and order all 6 issues for $30, which will arrive with a free ink sketch (original art also available).
Mark Brassington 