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Mind the Gap #3 Review
By Dan Horn
August 3, 2012 - 12:40

Image Comics
Writer(s): Jim McCann
Penciller(s): Rodin Esquejo
Inker(s): Rodin Esquejo
Colourist(s): Sonia Oback
Letterer(s): Dave Lanphear
Cover Artist(s): Rodin Esquejo and Sonia Oback with variant by Skottie Young
$2.99 US



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Mind the Gap tells the incredibly convoluted and enticing mystery of a girl, Elle, who is attacked in the New York City subway and lapses into a coma. While her friends and family either attempt to investigate or cover-up the circumstances leading to Elle's comatose state, Elle finds that she's transitioned into a spiritual weigh station from which she can jump into other comatose bodies whose souls have passed on to the afterlife. The plot thickens in Mind the Gap #3 when a former psychiatrist with ties to Elle is also hospitalized comatose and comes calling for Elle on the other side.

It's ironic that this issue's standard cover, by Rodin Esquejo, is an homage to The Breakfast Club. In many ways, Mind the Gap is a trendy melodrama in the vein of that film. Everything is sensationalized, at times to eye-rolling extents, and the dependence on pop-cultural references, especially music and classic films, elicits an interesting and sometimes irksome hipster-chic dynamic to McCann's narrative voice. Even the title of the series has a too-clever tinge to it.

The plot structure of Mind the Gap also presents a few problems. Though the mystery of Mind the Gap is dense and promises to be perpetuated for years to come, it lacks the sort of foundation it needs to ground the whodunit. Three graciously thick issues in and McCann is still turning up new characters and twists without tempering these revelations with the backstory tidbits necessary to congeal the whole thing into a completely engrossing and intriguing thriller. In other words, it's linear to a fault.

Of course, these criticisms can be easily overlooked. I'm sure McCann plans on elucidating some of that backstory very soon, and the annoyance of the rich hipster girl narrative is definitely something that's completely subjective. Not my cup of tea exactly, but if I'm considering Mind the Gap's long-form mystery itself and overlooking that soap opera sensationalism that makes it nearly implausible, I admit I'm enjoying it. I've always been one for a good mystery, and granted McCann knows how to feasibly wrap this one up, I'm hooked.

The supernatural elements of the story are very well implemented. Some of the stuff here, like the Garden ("Fitting place for vegetables, no?"), is particularly clever and original, while other facets of Elle's out of body experience, like pervasive black backdrops to denote the ethereal plane, aren't quite as novel. Overall it makes for a worthwhile metaphysical pivot for the plot, but it either enhances the story or detracts from it given the particular scene.

Esquejo's art finds its footing in realism. In some scenes, like the ones with those black backdrops, this translates to lack of imagination, but he does evince an incredible humanity and emotional depth from McCann's characters. Esquejo is one of those artists with a formidable command of facial expressions and body language. He also has a great eye for composition and progression, aiding the already meticulous flow of the book's narrative.

If you're still in the market for a replacement for Lost or just looking for a companion series to Morning Glories, Mind the Gap might just be right up your alley. Check out a few issues and see what you think.
Rating: 7/10

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Mind the Gap #3 Review
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