A new issue of “MIND MGMT”, another hunt for codes and Easter eggs in a new edition of Minding MIND MGMT. Because each issue of Matt Kindt’s monthly series is overflowing with hidden clues and interwoven narratives, a standard review just doesn’t cut it. This column will provide in-depth analysis and help you navigate the overlapping plots.
The Cover
As Lyme walks forward serenely, he leaves a wake of destruction in his wake with the title of this chapter floating from his head in a winding line. At first glance, the wall of debris looks to be just a mess, but closer inspection reveals some carefully placed items. The large blue car at the top looks like the same one the group was driving when they picked up Perrier in issue 8. Below that is a kitchen sink, and just below that is Bill’s Hawaiian shirt. Diagonally left from the shirt is Natalie’s pink dress. Above the dress is a syringe (Links, maybe?), and below it is the cat Lyme sacrificed to protect himself from Stane the Sniper in issue 6. Below the cat is Perrier’s typewriter and a pack of Duncan’s cigarettes. Further left of the shirt are Dusty’s headphones. Just above the barcode is a flower, which might be for Meru (she’s symbolized with flowers a lot, for some reason.)
Other items in the cloud have significance as well, if more obscure. The wine bottle below the car is from Lyme and Natasha’s date in issue 4. The coffee cup next to it was used to contact a dream walker in issue 14. The books next to Bill’s shirt have partially legible names (“Bead Jack”?) and there’s a baggie of drugs next to the typewriter.
Kindt alsd said on twitter that he was really excited when Dark Horse agreed to let him hide the logos on the back cover, but you can see where he left enough negative space for both on the front.
In a series with so many gorgeous covers, this two sided one may replace #3 as my new favorite. The original art for it is on eBay, currently going for $2850 with two days left.
The Main Story
The story opens an undefined period of time ago, when Lyme and Duncan were working together in India. They’re talking about Lyme proposing to Natasha, so it’s probably the late 70s or early 80s. Duncan’s “I know” and the hesitation behind it implied by Lyme come from issue 11, p 7 and 8, when he knew Lyme and Natasha’s happiness was doomed to failure.
When Duncan reveals himself to the illusionist, she seems more scared of him than she was of Lyme. This makes sense, given that the order of events as shown issue 4 indicate Lyme proposed to Natasha shortly after entering the field. Here, Lyme hasn’t made a name for himself yet – it’ll be a few years before he’s MIND MGMT’s “number one agent.” (#0 p7)
On page five, Lyme thinks Duncan is being sarcastic about worrying about the chief’s enthusiasm. Given what we saw of the chief in issue 11 and in this issue’s second floor, Duncan was probably being serious.
The printer they visit is an Indian ad man. His signs hanging behind him have the same blue hues as Brink’s work in issue 7.
The signs in the two page spread offer a second title for this issue: The Doomed Life and Love of Henry Lime. There are other signs in the picture too, and some of them have distinguishable letters, but none of them make any additional hidden message.
The painting on page 8 is a Fresco style wall mural. If any of you art buffs recognize it, please let me know in the comments.
Also on page 8, Lyme starts to tell Natasha about a new mission to Missouri. We’ve already been given a brief glimpse of this mission in #11, p 10. Duncan as alone in it, though. Perhaps Lyme was given some time off for the pregnancy.
Page ten finally shows us the bodies of Natasha and the Lyme daughter, which puts an end to anymore speculation about them surviving.
Continued belowOn page 12, Meru mentions having left Zanzibar once, but not remembering it. That was her first time being trained as an agent. Meru also says she’s never been to the ocean or the beach before, but she was shown playing in the water in issue 12, p9. Her memories of this may have been erased by the agency, or may have been caused by Lyme removing some of her Zanzibar memories.
The chess talk on page 13 is a metaphor for the Meru – Lyme relationship throughout the book. Meru is the main character, and is most important piece to win, but Lyme is the king, and there would be no game without him.
Lyme introducing Meru to her foster parents is an event previously seen in #12, p9.
The quick rundown of events between pages 15 and 21 cannot be chronological. Issue 1 explicitly established the Amnesia Flight as happening “Two Years Ago,” aka 2011. When Meru sees the anniversary documentary on it, she tells herself she forgot about it because that was the same time her book came out. Issue 15 makes it similarly clear that Lyme gave her the idea to write the book after she tracked him down a third time. Background detail from that page shows that they are talking in the remote village. Therefore, Lyme must have been living in the remote village sometime before Meru wrote her book, and before Flight 815. Here, he’s shown building his hut after Flight 815.
The obvious explanation for this disparity is that this is all Lyme’s dream memories as he wakes up from his injuries. They’re incomplete (we only see Meru visit once), so it wouldn’t be strange for them to be jumbled.
A long standing question is finally answered on page 20. Since he first appeared, there’s been speculation the old man in the remote village may have been someone else before Lyme turned him into a rhino-drawing breadcrumb for Meru. It turns out that no, he’s not. He’s always been an old man by the river.
As the story returns to Lyme and young Meru, he tells her that he wants to show her the world. In a way, he kept this promise by scattering breadcrumbs for her across the globe. She got to see the world for the first time every time she found him. When Meru tells Lyme she likes his story, he starts to tell her than one day, he’ll tell her about Zanzibar. She quiets him by holding his hand first. The turtle who never gets lost in the ocean is another metaphor. This time, Meru is the turtle who never gets lost in the sea of people on her journey back to Lyme.
When Lyme wakes up in the hospital, there’s a picture of a fisherman on his wall. It looks like a miniature version of Lyme fishing on page 21.
The side text
The red and blue text scattered throughout the gutters of this issue represent a conversation had by Lyme’s doctor and nurse. He was found by a sewer worker after being dumped there by the Eraser’s goons. Said goons were immortals. Why on Earth didn’t they make sure Lyme was dead?
On page 12, they talk about harvesting Lyme’s organs if he doesn’t wake up. Now, most mind management talents are most likely rooted in the brain, but the Agency probably would prefer parts of their agents not be dissected and put into others piecemeal.
Assuming this conversation is occurring over Henry as he sleeps, page 15 may begin to offer another explanation for the non-chronological history. They talk about people being monsters, and Henry remembers the monstrous things he’s done. When they talk about him having a friend on page 20, he thinks of Meru.
On pages 18 and 19, we learn someone heard about Henry’s case on the news and is coming in to identify him. This could be Meru, Duncan, or the Eraser. We’ll probably find out in the next issue or two.
The Second Floor
Natasha Citrone’s story gives us some a small but very interesting bit of information. Meru and Natasha’s immunity to the ability of others is rare, but not so rare that it’s been measured. (Although Meru isn’t just immune, she nullifies the abilities completely.)
Pairing this short story with an issue all about Lyme makes it natural to assume he’s the great risk the chief is talking about. However, this is “MIND MGMT,” where nothing is ever straight forward. Natasha was shown as a handler for many agents, including PK Verve. In issue 16, p14, Natasha was warning Verve that he may be driving the Eraser crazy.
The Letter From Brendan
Brendan’s letter starts off by mentioning the alternate ending to issue six. Not only can you still see some of the rough pencils under the finished panels, but here’s what the original art looked like:
He also drops the title of the next arc, “The Eraser,” and identifies Terry Moore as the writer for the fourth hardcover’s introduction. If you don’t know who he is, go buy the first volume of “Rachel Rising” and thank me later.
The Back Cover
When the long image of this issue’s cover was first shown, I expected it to be a gatefold instead of a wrap-around, because we never got the last piece of the puzzle to assemble all the back covers. Oh well, maybe some future time…
In Other News…
Have you heard about Kindt’s new book with Scott Kolins? Find out more about it here.
And that’s all for this month
If you spotted something I missed, or if you had a different interpretation of events, please share your thoughts in the comments!
Previously, on Minding MIND MGMT…
Issues: #0 #1 #3 #4 #5 #6 DHP #19 #7 #8 #9 #10 #11 #12 #13 #14 #15 #16 #17 DHP #31 #18 #19 #20 #21 #21 #22 #23
Interviews: Matt Kindt Brendan Wright Matt Kindt (2)
Annotations: Volume one
