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.
The Cover
This month’s cover features Meru and the craziest immortal fighting amidst a flurry of MIND MGMT documents. One of them is last month’s cover, and the others are a hodgepodge of readable titles. One in the lower left is a profile of P.K. Verve, the villain of “Revolver” and the dead husband from Meru’s book. Others suggest MIND MGMT is connected to the statues on Easter Island, the Tunguska explosion, the moon landing, and the tobacco industry. The paper underneath the “tt” in “Matt Kindt” is about Meru’s book and the Eraser. More than one are maps of Shangri-la. It will be fun to see how many, if any, of these will take on more importance as the series progresses.
The Main Story
Kindt promised this issue would answer many questions, and he wasn’t bluffing. From the very first page, he finally and explicitly says Meru has had MIND MGMT training. The book she picks up happens to cover JFK’s assassination. This isn’t the first time it’s been referenced in the series. A map of Dealy Plaza (where he was shot) was in the background of issue 4, page 7.
The large panel on page 2 references numerous events in actual history. It may not be relevant to the plot, but here’s some background on the various scenes, beginning with Machu Picchu at 12 o’clock and moving clockwise:
Machu Picchu – A the 15th century capital of the Incan Empire located in modern Peru. Abandoned fifty years after construction when the Spanish Conquistadors were on the move. This would’ve been around the same time Sir Francis was discovering immortality.
Dyaltov Pass – In 1959, nine skiers in the Ural Mountains (Russia) died under some very mysterious circumstances. Like, they tore their tent up from the inside and ran into the night barefoot, then all died with broken bones but no sign of a struggle. The words “Octahguite wym!” are probably Russian, but I’ve been unable to translate it. Perhaps a variation of “Mulligan Rock”? Do I have any Russian readers out there?
Jack the Ripper – The quote “Knelt before him told me what to do” is straight from the Alan Moore/Eddie Campbell comic book. Kindt must be a fan?
Derinkvyu – An ancient Iranian empire called Medes built an elaborate underground city about 2700 years ago. It’s open for visitors, if you’re ever in Turkey.
“Sterben?” – German for “Death?” Who are the people? No idea.
Lyubov Orlova – A derelict Russian cruise ship floating around Newfoundland. There’s no mystery here, though. It’s derelict because Canada seized it as part of a lawsuit. It was being towed for scrap, but its tugboat had to abandon it after some engine trouble.
antikythera mechanism – An ancient analog computer used to calculate astronomical positions. Made by the Greeks about 2200 years ago.
Marilyn Monroe – I guess now we know how she really died? The depictions of JFK’s assassination and this revelation about Robert are enough to make you wonder if the Kennedys were enemies of MIND MGMT.
The Easter Island statues (Moai) are shown again, previously seen in Mind Memo of issue 5. They were raised by the Rapa Nui people about 700 years ago.
The 1970 WorldCon was held in 1970 in Heidelberg, West Germany. It was the 28th year for the science fiction convention. “Mike [Meyer] Dolinsky” was an American screenwriter who you may never have heard of, but whose work you’ve almost certain seen.
Hypogeum of Ħal-Saflieni – Another underground city, this time in ancient Greece. This one is about 5000 years old.
Continued belowThe Tunguska Event – A 100 year old mystery solved the day after “MIND MGMT” #12 was released. It turns out the fireball and leveled forest were the work of a meteor. At least, MIND MGMT wants you to think it was a meteor…
The Alternative Press Expo man is P. K. Verve, talking about the plot of “Revolver” and his ability to move between realities.
The famous Sandbar Fight involved Jim Bowie (of knife fame) and others. It happened in 1827 in Mississippi.
After this onslaught of MIND MGMT history, Meru is directed to the book about her. While this is a veritable avalanche of answers about her past, note some of the surrounding books are missing. Since this volume appears to be Meru’s whole life, the surrounding volumes are probably similar histories for her contemporary agents. Bill Falls narrates this issue, and his monologue takes on a dual meaning if you read it once in relation to Meru’s life, then again thinking about his life as shown in the last few Mind Memos.
These few pages of flashbacks finally put a rough timeline on Meru’s life. She was recruited by MIND MGMT and dismissed while she was still young. Her family was killed in Zanzibar and she was placed in foster care by Lyme, where she was once again recruited. This time, her head was shaved and she met Ferris Ferral/Bill Falls before MIND MGMT was disbanded. Then she wrote her book and the events of the series began.
Even with these new revelations, there are still some odd spots in the timeline. First, Meru was trained as a young girl and dismissed because her abilities worried MIND MGMT’s management. Then, later, she’s re-recruited and re-dismissed for the same reason? This particular recap makes it look like Meru left because MIND MGMT was disbanded, but last month’s Mind Memo specifically said it was because of her abilities. Was she perhaps brought back because she’s the only one powerful enough to stand against Lyme?
Second, in issue six, Duncan told Lyme the president disbanded MIND MGMT because of what happened in Zanzibar. Here, though, enough time passes between Zanzibar and the disbanding for Meru to be re-recruited, grow up some, and fall in love with Bill. Is it possible MIND MGMT was given some time to clean up its own mess (bringing Meru back for that purpose, as suggested above), then disbanded when it failed to do so? Another possibility, given the time frame, is MIND MGMT being disbanded by a newly elected President Obama in 2009. That would put the Amnesia flight and Meru’s book around 2010, the Mexican village in 2011, and the events of the series starting around 2012.
Page eleven delivers a subtle but potentially crucial tidbit when Bill says “She has all of us in her.” We now know for sure Meru can negate the abilities of others, but can she also mimic them? She was with the Perrier sisters, and then she wrote a best selling book. She was near Stane the Sniper, then shoots two people in the eye. She’s with Lyme and the Eraser, then forces people to tell her the truth, even from suppressed memories.
On page twelve, the Eraser/Monk sees Meru as herself, the truth-seeking princess from issue 3, the crying orphan in Zanzibar, and the Arabic princess from issue 8.
After getting some cheek from Dusty, Lyme finds a list of MIND MGMT operatives hanging next to a map of Shangra-la. It probably wasn’t worth his effort to find, seeing how it lists Meru and Duncan, who are already with Lyme, Lyme himself, and Brinks, who’s dead. The only new name is the Homemaker, who will be appearing next issue.
Links claims to be able to see the future like Duncan, which is new information. His previous appearance in the Second Floor story of issue 8 said he could predict events, but gave the impression it was in more broad strokes, not his own specific future. Is this something Duncan taught him before Links developed the drug addiction?
After disrupting Links’ vision long enough for Lyme to knock him out, she runs to the same garden we’ve seen a few times before. It looks rougher now, not like the lush forest we’ve seen before. After Bill arrives in a Big Damn Hero moment, the two leave Shangri La together.
Continued belowTeam Lyme later regroups in Caracas, and the Eraser and Links talk in Shangri la. Both of them talk about Meru, and both groups “hope to God she doesn’t pick a side.” Notice they say “a” side. It may be nothing, but it sounds like they don’t want her against or with them.
Field Guide / Disbanding Protocols
The Field Guide begins with some rules for the library and warnings about communication with other agents, but switches to Disbanding Protocols (and red text) on page ten. The most important bit of information in it begins on page 14, when it says there will be no comprehensive list of former agents. A small contingent of agents remained after disbanding to act as final security. Were the immortals and the Eraser part of this contingent? The monk in the library – the dead one, not the Eraser – was almost certainly one. Page 16 and 18 reveal each former agent can be reactivated with a codeword, and the list of words is called the Black List. The Eraser claims to have this list.
Mind Memo
The last chapter in Bill Falls’ case file comes in two parts. The first page shows some events from the first six issues from Bill’s perspective. The first two panels are when he was following her at the start of issue one. Panel three is him running from the immortals at the end of issue one. Panel four is him painting a rhino at the end of issue six. Panel five finally reveals why Lyme looked so rough at the start of issue seven. (September’s issue promises to expand on this.)
The second page is more of a coda to the story arc. It shows Bill and Meru leaving and finding a nice warm place to relax. The memo finally gets a date (release date of the issue), but it’s rather unhelpful when trying to form a timeline for the rest of the case file.
The gray box at the bottom of page 23 has a “D”, making the full code “3RA53D” or “ERASED”. Not “Eraser” as I previously predicted.
The Second Floor
Leopold Lojka returns this month, last seen in the Second Floor of issue 1 (or in the -3 story in issue 0, depending on how you count it). Lojka is working hard to create the only physical copy of the Field Guide, previously known as the Operations Manual. Sir Francis is the first immortal, originally seen in issue 3. The underwater base was built by Francis and Alberto in issue zero. It’s somewhere in the Atlantic, and flooded in 1950, per Field Guide 6.2. For more information on the Field Guide, reread the Field Guide excerpts in issue 6.
Note the narration describes Lojka as the founder of the current iteration of MIND MGMT. The long activity of the monks definitely predate him and his ideas after World War I. What other historical secrets does the agency have?
The Back Cover
This is another MIND MGMT Psychological Profile, last seen for on the back of issue 7 for Brinks. This one is for someone named Marlow. I believe this is a new character, but if someone else recognizes the name, please let me know in the comments. Whoever Marlow is, he or she seems to be very attached to his/her loved ones.
The bottom right corner says to file it with pages 7-12.23/24, which are all the Mind Memo pages for Bill Falls. Apparently, there’s still more to Bill than has been revealed. Perhaps this will relate somehow to him having previously dated the Eraser?
Around the web
There’s a long thread about “MIND MGMT” over at The Collector’s Society. There’s some discussion of the book, but it’s mostly about print runs, original art, and collect ability.
I referenced wikipedia quite a bit for the research in this installment, so I’d be remiss if I failed to point out the “MIND MGMT” article was recently promoted to a Good Article. What does that mean to you non-wiki editors? It means it’s one of 157 comic articles (of ~65,000) to be classified as thorough, well researched, and well written. Only 36 articles have the higher “Featured Article” rating.
Continued belowAnd that’s all…
…that I caught anyway. I’m sure I missed some things in this busy issue, so please share anything else you may have found in the comments!
Previously, on Minding MIND MGMT…
Issues: #0 #1 #3 #4 #5 #6 DHP #19 #7 #8 #9 #10 #11
Interviews: Matt Kindt Brendan Wright Matt Kindt (2)
Annotations: Volume one
