Comics

5/5 Skull Review: ‘Mind MGMT’ #2

Published

12 years ago

July 4, 2012

There are books that deserve to be re-read because of their, “what-the-eff-just-happened-I’m-not-sure-but-it-was-completely-kick-ass,” factor. Mind MGMT is undoubtedly this type of book. As a new title, released by Dark Horse and written by Matt Kindt, it is highly entertaining, engaging, and thought provoking. After just the second issue I went stumbling back to the first issue for a re-read. Even the cover of issue 2# holds intricate details that might be missed with only a cursory glance. For those of you haven’t seen the cover (or have and didn’t notice) there are a multitude of words hidden in the stitches on the mysterious character’s face: “power, murder, hate, grudge” and fittingly around the throat is, “choke.”

WRITTEN BY: Matt Kindt
ART BY: Matt Kindt
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse
RELEASE: July 4

The plot of “Mind MGMT” seems to hinge around a secret group of beings that cannot die, chasing an unwitting guinea pig down a predestined maze. The CIA is somehow involved, but as of now it is unclear who exactly is pulling the strings of this intricate puppet show. One of the narratorial devices which Kindt employs is the use of the area outside of the panels as a meta text in which he places the rules from the “MIND MGMT FIELD GUIDE.” Indeed the entire series is described as a type of “incident report”. The cryptic rules outlined by the “field guide” are meant for the eyes of Mind MGMT agents, who employ a science designed to influence the thoughts and actions of others. Without these rules much of the action would be completely befuddling, but after carefully reading it is only mostly befuddling. Kindt is masterfully creating a world ruled by hidden meanings, where any word or symbol may be a trap for the unwary. It is slightly comical that every single rule that the “Field Guide” states is broken by the main character, Maru. This lets the reader know that she is truly a pawn being manipulated in some master chess game, and trying to find out who is making the moves will keep me reading.

Nevertheless, the action of the book translates into any language as Meru attempts to escape from the mysterious “immortals” who can apparently only be killed by a direct shot to the head. There is plenty of amateur Bourne Supremacy-style action, and this heightens the sense of drama as fate more than anything helps her elude her trackers. But it is exactly this fate that the “Field Guide” is warning the reader to be wary of. Maru’s escapes cannot be simply luck. They are part of the master plot which is slowly being revealed.

As of now I can’t make any guesses as to what exactly will happen. Maybe the “talking dolphins” will enlighten us in the next issue. I highly recommend this series for any scifi fans out there, especially if you like work by authors that twist your mind like Phillip K. Dick.

5/5 skulls

Reviewed by – TheSandman

Comics

‘Witchblade’ is Getting Resurrected This Summer in New Comic Series from Top Cow and Image Comics

Published

6 days ago

April 18, 2024

Meagan Navarro

Witchblade, the popular comic series that initially ran from 1995 to 2015 and launched a TV series, is getting resurrected in a new comic series from Top Cow and Image Comics. It’s set to unleash heavy metal, black magic and blood this summer.

Look for the new Witchblade series to launch on July 17, 2024.

In Witchblade #1, “New York City Police Detective Sara Pezzini’s life was forever fractured by her father’s murder. Cold, cunning, and hellbent on revenge, Sara now stalks a vicious criminal cabal beneath the city, where an ancient power collides and transforms her into something wild, magnificent, and beyond her darkest imaginings. How will Sara use this ancient power, or will she be consumed by it?”

The series is penned by NYT Best-Selling writer Marguerite Bennett (Animosity, Batwoman, DC Bombshells) and visualized by artist Giuseppe Cafaro (Suicide Squad, Power Rangers, Red Sonja). The creative duo is working with original co-creator Marc Silvestri, who is the CEO of Top Cow Productions Inc. and one of the founders of Image Comics. They are set to reintroduce the series to Witchblade’s enduring fans with “a reimagined origin with contemporary takes on familiar characters and new story arcs that will hook new readers and rekindle the energy and excitement that fueled the 90’s Image Revolution that shaped generations of top creators.”

Bennett said in a statement, “The ability to tell a ferocious story full of monsters, sexuality, vision, and history was irresistible.” She adds, “Our saga is sleek, vicious, ferocious, and has a lot to say about power in the 21st century and will be the first time that we are stopping the roller coaster to let more people on. I’ve loved Witchblade since I was a child, and there is truly no other heroine like Sara with such an iconic legacy and such a rich, brutal relationship to her own body.”

“The Witchblade universe is being modernized to reflect how Marguerite beautifully explores the extreme sides of Sara through memories, her personal thoughts, like desire and hunger, in her solitude and when she is possessed by the Witchblade. So, I had to visually intersect a noir True Detective-like world with a supernatural, horror world that is a fantastic mix between Berserk and Zodiac,” Cafaro stated.

Marc Silvestri notes, “This is brand new mythology around Sara, and I can’t wait for you to fall in love with her and all the twists and turns. Discover Witchblade reimagined this summer, and join us as we bring all the fun of the 90s to the modern age and see how exciting comics can be. I can’t wait for you to read this new series.”

Witchblade#1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, July 17th, for $4.99 for 48 pages. And it’ll come with multiple cover variants.