Mind MGMT Vol. 1: The Manager

As a reviewer I read an enormous amount of comics. Granted, I read a lot before heading down this path, but still, my reading load has tripled in that time. While most of the books I read are fantastic, a lot of the pages tend to blur together. It’s not a gripe by any means; it’s just something that happens with workloads. Yet, every once in a while I read something that is so special, so uniquely brilliant, the story sticks with me for weeks. Mind MGMT is one of those stories.
 
Mind MGMT Volume One: The Manager collects the first six issues in the series. Created entirely by Matt Kindt, this book is best read knowing as little about the storyline as possible. It’s a tightly wrapped mystery that unfolds beautifully, panel by panel. The gist of the story revolves around a commercial flight where the passengers end up with amnesia. Once the flight lands, it appears one of the passengers is missing, a Mr. Henry Lyme. Enter Meru, a down on her luck crime author who needs one big pay-day, and tracking down Lyme is just the ticket. But just where is Henry Lyme? What is this secret organization called Mind MGMT and why do they want her dead?
 
I cannot shower enough praise on this book. I was completely enthralled by the complexity of the story-line and quality of the characters. There’s a moment in the book where Kindt’s puzzle pieces come together in such a mind-blowing way that putting the book down at that point is unfathomable. Meru is a refreshingly strong female protagonist. If the series continues to be this good, Meru will certainly cement her place amongst some of the greatest female character’s ever written. She’s headstrong and more importantly, she’s believable. The other characters are excellent as well, but like I said, the less said the better. 
 
With Kindt creating the art entirely himself, the book has a very personal feel. Using water colours, you can almost feel the love and care that Kindt has put into his creation. While the art may be jarring at first, it is quite different from anything on the shelves, once you get used to it, there’s no other artist who could do the story justice. The way the paint bleeds into the pages, juxtaposed with heavy charcoal lines truly makes Mind MGMT a work of art. One aspect that stands out is the clever way Kindt showcases the same scene, shifted to each characters perspective in entirely different chapters. This is just one of the many ‘holy #!*!’ moments littered throughout.
 
For this hardcover edition, Dark Horse has gone the extra mile to make sure this book gives readers more bang for their buck. Aside from the spectacular story itself, the book also contains deleted scenes that correspond with each chapter. While not necessary, they do add a little back story to Meru’s tale as well as fleshing out a bit more of the Mind MGMT organization. There are also some variant covers, a brief bio for Kindt himself and a foreword by Damon Lindeoff of Lost fame.
 
Mind MGMT Volume One: The Manager is one of the most unique stories I have ever read. It bended and twisted my mind into a pretzel that I’m still trying to straighten out. Proposed as a 38 issue series, this is just the tip of the iceberg, and with Fox optioning it as a movie, why not get ahead of the game and grab this book for yourself? Just make sure you’re wearing a helmet; Mind MGMT will blow your mind.
 
 
Mind MGMT Volume One: The Manager
Art & Story: Matt Kindt
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics