Sunday, December 29, 2013

365 Comics...361: MIND MGMT #17 (2013)

While not as bad as the pile of The Sixth Gun at the side of the bed, MIND MGMT had been stacking up as well, with six issues piled underneath the issues of the aforementioned thirteen issues of The Sixth Gun.  Just the same, MIND MGMT is a great series, but it's a timesuck of a read, as Matt Kindt packs the book's not-so-meager 24 pages (make it 28 with the cover, inside and out, front and back being used as well) to the brim, including dossier files and marginalia, as well as hidden web links and other fun extracurriculars.  It's not just a comic, it's an experience.  I've found whilst reading the latest arc (and the conclusion of the previous arc) the best strategy for attacking the book is to read the issue straight through, then tackle the margins, then the letter columns, and then, if time allows, figuring out if there's any web stuff to jump aboard.

The next issue of MIND MGMT comes in a month's time, and it will mark the halfway point, as Kindt has stated that the entire run of the series should be 36 issues.  It already feels like we're ramping up to something, but this isn't necessarily a book that's solely about building to a finale, though it certainly could be just that.  It's a book about ideas and concepts, with Kindt citing Philip K. Dick as a major influence, at least in the respect of cramming in as many ideas as possible while not losing the handle on the story.  With MIND MGMT, Kindt has excelled at introducing seemingly peripheral concepts in the dossiers and ancillary material but then paying it off later on in the series.  Little of what he introduces can be easily dismissed.  It can actually be a dizzying experience if you're not paying attention.  This is one title that requires focus and some dedication to the world building at play.

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