Mind MGMT #20 Review


From magic acts, to circus acts, this super-spy vs. super-spy adventure continues, in a trip [and fall] down memory lane…

The official description from Dark Horse:

If you thought Mind Management was wild today, wait until you meet the agents of the swinging 1970s!

Mind MGMT 20 Preview PageWith every issue I narrow down why I love this story. You know, “the thing” that hooked me, and keeps me coming back for more. Beyond the obvious high quality of the work, and the acclaimed credentials of its creator, there is something MORE here. Something tickling my sub-conscious. I know I will figure it out, even if it is years beyond the last issue.

The depth in which this story influences me is somewhat hilarious when put up against Matt’s “elevator pitch” for the book:

“Spies with mind powers.”

Honestly, that is enough to hook most people. It certainly offers a better explanation than my gut response to the question, “What is Mind MGMT?”: The best story of all time.

Matt Kindt can portray more story on one page than should be allowed. Seriously. At the beginning of each new volume he offers a 20-panel recap of the story-to-date. In fact, in a recent post on Facebook, he said,

“I’m going to do a collection of all the recap panels when MIND MGMT is over so you can read the entire series in 60 small panels!”

Wow.

And this is not something he saves just for story recaps. Take this issue for instance – to keep the main story moving, he had a minimal amount of pages to illustrate decades of history. Not surprisingly, he achieved this – in spades. Some of the characters don’t even have dialog, and yet, you feel for them. You understand them. And better yet, you understand their impact on the overall story. Accomplishing this level of character depth in one page of panels is just uncanny.

Keep in mind, this is not just one character, but multiple new players, all with “…their exits and their entrances…”.

Mind MGMT 20 Splash Page

Between Mind MGMT and the many other comics he creates, it is clear to me: Matt is a master team builder.

Advanced team dynamics, complex character relationships, and action packed dramatic sequences are just some of the tools Matt uses to render the rich tapestry that is Mind MGMT.

Finally, do not glaze over the included “script” page near the end of this issue. It corresponds with the text running up the left side of four previous interior pages.

It will blow your mind. It will leave you questioning…Is it merely a prophetic potential future by Perrier? Do predictions in Mind MGMT always have to lead to peril? Or are these actual (and tragic) script pages to be executed on by Matt himself?

Tune in next month, as the story continues!

OUR RATING
10
  • + Matt Kindt portrays more story on one page than should be allowed.
  • + Every issue is a collection of gallery-worthy artwork.
  • + More than a comic, Mind MGMT is movement. Reading it changes you.
  • - So many new questions, so many days until they are answered!

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