Minding Mind MGMT – Volume 1: The Manager
Welcome back to Minding Mind MGMT, the monthly column focused on the Dark Horse series “Mind MGMT” from Matt Kindt. Why a special column instead of a regular review? Because each issue is crammed with story, requiring no less than two reads to fully absorb everything Kindt packs into it. Each month, we try to piece together the clues Kindt is hiding throughout the book, and speculate on what may happen next. This is a spoiler-heavy column, so turn back now if you don’t want major plot details revealed.
Here we’re going to look back at the first story arc as a whole and highlight certain parts which weren’t evident on the first readings.
Chapter 1
Page 11: In the online commentary for the first issue, Kindt called the idea these two people are Meru’s parents “interesting.”
Page 11-14: The narration for these pages came from a conversation Kindt had with his wife, completely unrelated to “MIND MGMT”.
Page 13: Meru’s inside the burning book store seen here. The Field Guide tells a compromised agent to burn all written materials, including the Field Guide. This is odd, considering the guide is later mentioned as not being a written work.
Page 14: The woman in pink is Natasha, who is later shown to be immune to Lyme’s control. Either she wasn’t as resistant as she thought, or she’s the only person acting of her own free will here. Perhaps protecting her daughter?
Page 15: Lyme sits comfortably as people around him panic, although he does look a little sad in the last panel.
Page 17: The seven year old boy is the first hint Lyme doesn’t (can’t?) affect children. It’s mentioned the CIA question the boy, but clear him of responsibility. Since they’re tailing Meru to find Lyme, they likely knew it was his fault.
The Henry Lyme character is named after “Harry Lime”, a character in the film The Third Man, starring Orson Welles.
Page 18: Details on Meru’s book can be found in the short story ‘Perfect’, which begins on page 179 of this collection.
Page 19: Meru lives in Lexington, a town of about 5000 in Northwest Missouri. This is also Kindt’s homet1own. Notice Meru survives the same way Lyme survived in Zanzibar – the generosity of people who barely knew her.
Page 20: One of the books in panel three is “Catch-22”, a personal favorite of Kindt’s. Kindt also modeled the CIA agent with the goatee after himself. Meru’s attraction to bookstores during times of stress is subconsciencely driven by her experience in the Zanzibar book store. They represent safety to her.
Page 21: Lyme’s narration hints his manipulation of Meru will eventually drive her to mental ruin, like Perrier. The crazy thing in Mexico will hit the news cycle just in time for Meru’s return to her apartment at the end of this arc.
Page 22: The cantina Meru stays in is a MIND MGMT safe house. She’s the only non-agent who ever wandered into one.
Page 26: Santa Teresa, Mexico is located south of Mexico City in the state of Guanajuato.
The field guide indicates Meru is storing her findings about MIND MGMT in her subconscience, and will be able to draw them out when she needs them.
Page 27: The first appearance of the rhino symbol, and another hint of Lyme’s inability to affect children.
Page 28: First page without a field guide.
Page 30: The Bill Falls character is named and modeled after a friend of Kindt.
Mind Memo
Page 33-34: Duncan Jones, the futurist, is named after Duncan Jones, the producer of the films Moon and Source Code. The character’s life is covered in more detail in “Dark Horse Presents” #19.
Chapter 2
Page 37: Bill isn’t the first CIA agent to follow Meru, but how did the CIA connect Meru to Lyme? Have they known since Zanzibar?
The field guide discourages high speed chases unless you’ve taken the MIND MGMT maneuvering course…
Page 38: …and Meru hasn’t.
Page 39: The CIA knows the immortals want Lyme, and Meru is the only way they’ll find him. If Bill and Meru hadn’t escaped, the immortals would have killed Bill and used Meru against her will.
Continued belowPage 41: The field guide recommends never sitting together on a plane for safety…
Page 42: …the immortals must not be worried. Also, a gray scarf is a great way to hide a scar from a gunshot on your neck.
Page 44: The grayscale images between panels are Meru’s buried memories of the massacre. The falling bodies are from chapter 1 page 2, and the burning book is from her hiding spot in the bookstore.
Bill’s comment about a “good sign” is immediately followed by a sign with the rhino pattern.
Lyme’s narration refers to Meru as “focused,” which is an oft-mentioned characteristic of hers. Is this due to Lyme, or is it part of her mental talents?
Page 45: Perrier is a twin and former best selling writer. Her first name is unrevealed, and both sisters are known only by their last name. She got “too close” to Lyme, who has lost control of his memory-erasing talents.
Page 46: Perrier types alot, but the text spans a day in a few sentences. Unless she’s writing the same thing over and over, the line Meru reads is from a past visit to Perrier, not a chronicle of her current visit. Note how far it is from the typewriter. Furthermore, the field guide says Perrier is using Gray Matter Paper, so only certain people can read it.
Page 48: Shangri-la is the code name for MIND MGMT headquarters.
Page 57: According to the field guide, Duncan is dangerous.
Mind Memo
Page 59: ‘Two Sisters’ is also the name of Kindt’s “Super Spy” graphic novel. The Perrier twins had names in an early script draft, but they haven’t been revealed. Kindt killed one of them to prevent confusion.
Chapter 3
Page 63: Meru and Bill are in Hong Kong, which has been part of China since 1999.
Page 64: The dolphin’s letter pad is part QWERTY arrangement, part…something else. Certain letters are duplicated. Compare panels 3 and 5.
Page 65: Guangzhou, with a population of 12.7 million, is the captial and largest city of the Guangdong province in China. It’s the third largest city in China.
Another reference to Meru being “focused”, and her saying it feels like an external force.
Page 68: To the right of the woman in the center panel, there’s a dark blur. This is the immortal woman disguising herself. The guide’s mesmerized speech in the next panel indicates she has abilities beyond immortality.
Page 70: The scenery near Lyme’s hideaway is very similar to the Shangri-la garden (page 90) and the scene he conjured when proposing to Natasha (page 98).
Page 72: Lyme’s narration calls this man a breadcrumb. Considering all the other clues were people scarred by Lyme in some way, and Bill’s condition at the end of chapter 6, it’s hard not to question who this “crazy” old man used to be…
Page 73: The first in-story appearance of Meru with a sword. Other promotional material has also shown her with a sword, hinting at a violent side.
Page 74: The legend has interesting parallels to Meru’s journey, foretelling her memory loss and suggesting Lyme is a beast she must kill.
Page 75: The old man paints the rhino design in the last panel, revealing he’s been altered by Lyme. The field guide suggests Lyme induced psychosis in him.
Page 76: Lyme narrates what Meru is thinking as the Field Guide reminds us “we are never alone with our thoughts”
Page 77: The old man sees the immortals as chinese demons known as “onis”.
Page 78: The field guide explains how Lyme, by using an “experation tag”, knew immediately how close the immortals were.
Page 81: The immortal woman mentions others, indicating there are more agents against Lyme than just these two.
Mind Memo
Page 85: Karl Box is also handled by Natasha.
Chapter 4
Page 89: Lyme’s mirrored aviators aid in Hypno-memory retrieval and disposal, per the Field Guide.
Page 91: Though the Field Guide indicates Hypno-memories are unreliable, Kindt has said Lyme’s account is mostly trustworthy.
Panel six features an early appearance of the immortal man.
Page 92: Per the field guide, scenes with Natasha are probably the least accurate.
Continued belowPage 93: Lyme’s rivalry with the immortal seems to go back to their early years, though this could be colored by Lyme’s current feelings.
Page 94: The gunshot wound put Lyme in the hospital long enough for him to grow a beard, while Natasha seems to be ageless. Through the rest of the flashback, her looks remain stable. Is she an immortal too? Could she have survived Zanzibar?
Page 95: The map in the background of the last panel is of Dealey Plaza, where JFK was assassinated.
Page 97: The candle helps Lyme maximize his environmental manipulation.
Page 101: According to the field guide, only two agents are cleared to manage large populations. Lyme is one of them, but the other is unrevealed.
Page 103: If he doesn’t rest properly afterward, Lyme is negatively affected by large scale manipulations.
Page 105: Someone begins using the field guide to communicate to Meru directly.
Page 108: Lyme has toyed with others besides Meru.
Page 109: Whoever is talking in the field guide hints Lyme isn’t working alone.
Mind Memo
Page 111: Natasha is also handles Ella.
Page 112: Natasha and Lyme are married with a daughter by 1989.
Chapter 5
Page 116: The other operative Lyme talks to is a Russian agent called “The Bear.” Lyme kills him in the short story starting on page 169. Here, Bear says he has no kids. He’s either lying, or sires some before said short story.
Page 118: Zanzibar is located in riatx
Page 123: According to the field guide, an overt memory like spousal abuse is too strong to erase. Even if Natasha weren’t immune to his powers, this is an action he could not take back.
Page 124: The fire in the background is mental noise, described by the field guide.
Page 129: The bookstore shown here is a souvinier store when Meru visits Perrier several years later.
Page 132: This is where the immortal gets his distinctive facial scar. Perhaps this is why he harbors such anger toward Lyme in the present.
Who is the nagging voice compelling MIND MGMT’s greatest agent?
Mind Memo
Page 137: The monks were witness to the September 11th attacks, the assassination of JFK, the construction of the stone heads on Easter Island, and the Roman Empire. MIND MGMT may have been formed in 1914, but the archivists have been around for over 2000 years.
Chapter 6
Page 141: This is the first time Meru conjures a gun from thin air. Is this the same gun she took from the MIND MGMT agent on page 181?
Meru’s aim is spectacular for someone who has no (memory of) training with a weapon. It isn’t just luck, as she makes a similar shot in issue nine.
Page 142: If (when?) Meru confronts Lyme as hinted on page 74, she will be his equal.
Page 144: The same nagging voice which spoke to Lyme in Zanzibar (page 132) now tells Meru what to do.
Page 149: After the Zanzibar massacre, the Perrier twins gave lectures on writing techniques. How Lyme was able to render one of them into a breadcrumb for Meru without letting the other know hasn’t been revealed.
Page 152: Lyme’s eyes are polywhatsis, and the colors switch back and forth.
Page 154: Bill’s mind was destroyed by Lyme after getting no closer than the riverbank. Whether Lyme did this on purpose or not is unclear.
Page 157: One of the “murders in a small Mexican town” is Bill’s partner.
Page 160: Under the panels of Duncan taking the package are rough sketches of what would’ve happened if he hadn’t acted. While it’s implied Duncan’s phone conversation is with Lyme, there is room for doubt. Duncan never uses a name, and Lyme isn’t holding a phone on the next page. His words there could easily be him talking to himself.
Mind Memo
Page 164: Lyme defected and has been hunted by the remnants of MIND MGMT since at least 2001.
Secret Files
Page 168: These three stories were originally released as free online teasers the month before issue one hit stands. They were later collected as issue zero.
Page 170: “Mulligan Rock,” as far as Google or Wikipedia can say, is not an actual location of note like other places in the series.
Page 172: The reference to East Berlin indicates this takes place sometime before the fall of the USSR. TUKRU. This seems to be at odds with the Bear meeting Lyme after his breakdown in 1992. yutn
Page 176: Unless the Bear lied to Lyme, the photo of the Bear’s baby puts this at least nine months after his meeting with Lyme on page 116.
Page 179: The ad for Mindjuice in the second panel is the same ad from the back of the first printing of issue one.
Page 184: Meru displays uncanny skills in hand-to-hand combat.
Page 185: Meru was able to see through Corridor’s ability to make things innocuous. It’s a hint toward her immunity from other types of mental manipulation.
Who or what causes Corridor’s memory loss is unclear. Was it Lyme, the Eraser, a failsafe installed long ago, or some other agent?
Page 186: It appears to be an ad man who puts the Russian trigger word in Meru’s book. Did MIND MGMT use Meru’s book to prematurely activate Russain moles?
Page 192: The secret to unlocking immortality also involves eating special mushrooms.
Page 193: The man in the suit is Leopold Lojka, the founder of MIND MGMT.
Page 194: Alberto was aboard the Hindenburg when it crashed in yexar, if he didn’t cause it…
The last pages
Page 197: This cover was a 1-in-10 variant. The pencils were done by Gilbert Hernandez, who sent it to Kindt for colors. Kindt struggled for hours trying to make it look right, but couldn’t get it to work. In frustration, he painted a red X on it. Liking it, he put a paper bag texture behind it and called it done.
Page 198: An early ad for “MIND MGMT.” The top panels feature an early hint to the Zanzibar massacre. The center left panel is Duncan, the futurist, who can also kill with his finger. The middle and right center panels are agents who will feature in future issues.
Page 199: “3 Story” is about a man who never stops growing, and is told in three parts by his mother, wife, and daughter.
“Super Spy” and “2 Sisters” are WW2 era spy stories, and feature twisting narratives.
“Revolver” is the story of a man who lives each day twice, once in a world like ours, and once in a twisted version wracked with disasters. It takes place in the same universe as “MIND MGMT.”
“The Tooth” is written by Cullen Bunn, and is a humerous, meta story following the creation, early days, and modern revival of a forgotten silver age hero.
The End
I know I didn’t catch everything, so point out what I missed in the comments. I’ll edit it into the post and give you credit. I also intend to update these annotations as each new collection is released. If you waited for the trade, you don’t have to do it again. Start picking up the single issues today! You’ll get more “MIND MGMT”, and you’ll be able to keep with the discussion as the story happens.
Previous installments
Issues: #0 #1
#3 #4 #5 #6 DHP #19 #7 #8 #9
Interviews: Matt Kindt Brendan Wright Matt Kindt (2)
