Comics / Comic Reviews / More Comics

Mind MGMT #3 Review

By Dan Horn
August 2, 2012 - 14:56

Mind MGMT, an international spy mystery with supernatural elements, is one of Dark Horse's very few monthly titles, and there's a definite reason that the publisher jumped at the chance to scoop up writer and artist Matt Kindt's series. The book exemplifies what all monthly books should strive to be. Monthly issues include secret messages and vignettes that won't be included in trade collections, and even the "ads" on the back covers will mean something much more important in three months or so.

The plot functions optimally as a serial, as well, as it follows an author, Meru, across the globe trying to find the enigmatic man responsible for a mysterious amnesia outbreak. Meru finds herself allied with a CIA agent as she outruns immortal assassins and can't help but feel that she's done all of this before.

This issue is perhaps the thinnest in regards to narrative, and also highlights some of the series' moderate deficiencies. The book is very constructivist and characters can be difficult to cathect with. Action sequences are also very matter-of-fact, and I can't resolve in my own head whether I think that's a charming quality or if I'd rather there be more excitement and dynamism to this story. All in all, Mind MGMT progresses dreamily, which, given the subject matter, might be exactly what Kindt is shooting for.

I've always found Kindt's artwork to be uniquely appealing, but he really shows off his artistic chops with this issue, in one scene specifically. His water colors can become muddied at times, but often look absolutely gorgeous. Kindt's overall aesthetic resides somewhere between Guy Davis and Kindt's friend Jeff Lemire. It's rough and loose, but brilliantly so. Nowhere is his talent in inking more evident than in the black & white shorts that adorn the inside covers of each issue. Mind MGMT is an artistic phenomenon in ways that might not necessarily allure everyone, but I'm certainly enjoying it.

The book's pace should pick up somewhat with next month's issue, which should get readers to a big reveal in the series.

Rating: 7.5 /10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12