Comics

Review: ‘Mind MGMT’ #5

Published

12 years ago

September 28, 2012

The fifth installment of Matt Kindt’s Mind MGMT breaks with the pattern established in the previous four issues by welcoming readers into the mind of the series’ main character, Meru. The switch feels perfectly natural considering the narrative arc that Kindt has created. Once Meru has followed the bread crumbs leading to the elusive Henry Lyme, it makes sense that we are introduced to her internal monologue just as she begins to realize the depth of her own involvement in the ongoing saga of “Mind MGMT”.

WRITTEN BY: Matt Kindt
ART BY: Matt Kindt
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: September 26, 2012

The first four issues focused on Meru’s journey into the murky world of Mind MGMT, as narrated by the then unseen, seemingly omniscient and omnipresent Henry Lyme. Henry’s origin, continued from the previous chapter, is at the heart of this issue. Though we don’t get to experience Meru’s internal narration until the final two pages of the book, the transition is organic as it comes after Lyme reveals that their stories are inextricably intertwined. Though we’ve been hot on Lyme’s trail along with Meru, it was hard to relate to her, as Henry’s voiceover made it impossible to get inside her head. Now that we have, “Mind MGMT” has gone from good to great as we finally get some payoff for the slow-building pace of the first four chapters.

While I wasn’t initially a fan of Kindt’s art, it’s entirely possible that five issues in, I’ve developed a sort of aesthetic Stockholm Syndrome with the gestural lines and muted watercolors of “MIND MGMT.” The issue’s subtle earth tones work best in Henry Lyme’s flashback sequences, though they are somewhat less successful in the scenes with Henry, Meru, and the Immortals. Kindt’s art works best when he’s aiming for a sense of movement and chaos and it’s in the riotous crescendo of Henry Lyme’s tragic story that the visuals truly shine.

As in every chapter of “Mind MGMT,” the side stories and tiny details are just as, if not more, entertaining than the meat of the book. The two-page story that bookends the issue, “The Second Floor,” shows us another side of Mind MGMT by introducing us to Madame Rienne, nicknamed The Eraser. Her role in the organization was head of the Annulment Department, where agents went to have their memories removed with surgical precision. In the short span of two pages, Kindt creates a morally ambiguous character whose mind-altering abilities are neither good nor bad. Madame Rienne, like most of the characters in “Mind MGMT,” defies the simplistic ethical extremes of black and white/right and wrong as she operates within an amoral gray area.

Kindt’s world-building continues to be his greatest strength, as every minor detail, from the nondescript notes on the sides of the page to the case files that flesh out the world of “Mind MGMT,” serves to drill home the expansive nature of the shady organization’s influence. Now that we’ve had several tantalizing glimpses into the complexity of Mind MGMT’s operations and the Immortals have caught up with our reluctant heroes, issue #6 can’t come fast enough.

Rating: 4.5/5

Reviewed by: MelissaGrey

Lonnie Nadler

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Comics

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

Published

2 weeks 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.