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‘Mind MGMT #12:’ Advance Comic Book Review (Trapped in Shangri-La)

Mind MGMT 12

 

Mind MGMT 12The last issue of Matt Kindt’s Mind MGMT ended with a dramatic cliffhanger, and this issue resolves it in a wonderfully satisfying way. Actually, this issue resolves the entire story arc in a satisfying way. I will post no spoilers here (unless you consider the mention that there is a cliffhanger and some resolution, and in that case, why are you reading a review at all?), but this had one of the most compelling and emotionally satisfying resolutions I have ever read. Ever. There is some cool action. There are some really cool revelations that actually answer big questions (including some that I didn’t even ask). There is also a perfectly satisfying emotional resolution. This comic hit every note just right for me.

As I mentioned earlier (in a painfully long aside), I will spoil nothing here, but the story is soooo good. It ended like every great mystery should. The revelations and resolution felt surprising and completely inevitable. There were threads that I never imagined were loose that are expertly tied together here. Small, little throwaways and scene setters are suddenly elevated to clue status when Kindt pulls the Keyser Sözesque reveal. Note: the reveal is only Sözesque in the overall level of satisfaction and mind-f*&%ery. There were even a few fist-pump moments thrown in for good measure. Overall and down to every little detail, this is an excellent conclusion to an excellent story.

I feel like a broken record, but I continue to be impressed with the artwork in Mind MGMT. I approach every issue expecting to be blown away and finish each one with those expectations surpassed. At first glance, Kindt uses the looseness of his watercolors to keep the action up and heighten the sense that the normal rules don’t apply. At second glance, you start to see how carefully the panels are laid out and some of the little flourishes that do the real work of subtly (and sometimes overtly) guiding your emotions. This is a comic that could coast on the art. It doesn’t at all, but it could.

This issue of Mind MGMT has pulled a neat trick. “The Futurist” has been an incredible six issues and closes out with a metaphorical bang. Now, here’s the trick: the story is so good that I finished this issue, went back and skimmed the last five comics, and now cannot wait to reread the entire series. Mind MGMT is a spectacular blend of sci-fi and mystery that impresses on all levels, but the real achievement is in the storytelling. Every single issue has planted clues to most of the plot points in this comic book, and those clues fit into one of the best comic endings I have ever read. I am simultaneously satisfied by the conclusion to a wonderful story and desperate to find out where we go next.

Five Psychic-Powered Grudge Matches out of Five

 

 

Ben Rhodes, Fanbase Press Senior Contributor

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Favorite Book:  Cryptonomicon Favorite MovieYoung Frankenstein Favorite Absolutely Everything:  Monty Python

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