Annotations 

Minding MIND MGMT: Issue 32

By | April 27th, 2015
Posted in Annotations | 5 Comments
Banner courtesy of Tim Daniel

Because each issue of Matt Kindt’s monthly series is overflowing with 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
A roughed up Duncan gets the cover treatment this month, and there’s not much to say about it, really.

The Main Story
This issue picks up a thread from last month’s issue, where Duncan and Perrier found a message from Meru telling them to find more recruits. The journal they’re bickering about, or more specifically the kind of writing Perrier is doing in it, was first introduced in #20. She’s not just writing down what Duncan’s doing, she’s writing it down before or as he does it. Considering he’s able to predict the future, it seems strange for him to be so upset by it.

The lethal haiku Perrier threatens to use on him hearkens back to #7. That issue was centered on an assassination letter and how deadly they were. At the end, Meru tells Lyme that she read one, and that it was “just a shitty haiku.” (p22) At the time, there was some question about what Meru received was actually an assassination letter, or just a nudge from the Eraser to get her going. The events of this issue confirm hers was real, although the Eraser may still have expected Meru to survive it.

The “low level guy” they’re in South America to recruit is Jay Harlow, the curler who was introduced in #17’s Second Floor. This is also the character based on a real reader who won a contest to be drawn into the book. Here he’s using a chemical to facilitate loyalty among his army, but it’s worth noting his agency training was in suggestion techniques and getting people to believe what he wanted them to believe. His ultimate goal is to expose the world to small doses of the chemical, which would prevent any abilities MIND MGMT or similar agencies might harness. If it’s equally effective on abilities which have already matured, it could be a very potent weapon.

After the two escape, they travel to London. Perrier mentions her anti-journal, which prevents Duncan from predicting her actions. She doesn’t realize it, but this pretty much guarantees Duncan will fall for her. According to #10p6, Duncan’s always attracted to women who can surprise him.

Arget first appeared for sure in #21p20, then again in #28p10 where he was identified as a paranoia agent. He may also have been shown sans goggles in #6SF, but it’s hard to be sure. Penny debuted in #29SF, which was the short that introduced the magic-science teams. These two will be covered more in the Second Floor section below.

On page 10, they’ve traveled to the Himalayas in search of Alberto, the second immortal. In the third panel, Perrier thinks to herself that Lyme killed her sister. This must be something she learned through her automatic writing, unless Lyme told her off panel.

On page 13, Alberto says that he just wants to die. That probably has a lot to do with how he’s spent the last year, but it’s interesting that the two oldest immortals (Francis being the other one) both craved death.

The print maker they find in New Delhi first appeared in #24p5, in a flashback to one of Duncan and Lyme’s old assignments. There are some interesting posters hanging behind him. Going from left to right: “The Falcon of Malta” is an obvious allusion to The Maltese Falcon, a movie previously referenced explicitly in #13p2. The one titled “The Mummy’s Expletive” was also featured in #24. “The End of the World Now” = Apocalypse Now. Triple Indemnity is a MIND MGMT movie first mentioned in #13p12 and currently the subject of the Mind Memos. Dark Stallion and Park Her? Those I could use some help with. If you know what they’re about, please share in the comments.

The hive minds who attack on page 16 were also first seen in #24, although they weren’t named.

The Field Guide
The margin text this month takes the form of Duncan’s mind reading. This format was previously used in #10, when the main story followed Duncan for half the issue.

Continued below

The glimpse offered into Perrier’s motives casts their interaction in a different light. The journal she was keeping – the one that she and Duncan were fighting over – was intended to help her surprise him. On page 2, Perrier’s thoughts say the lack of anticipation is slowly killing him. This isn’t some physical side effect. The negative consequences of Duncan’s abilities were first shown way back in the DHP 19 short, where he was trying unsuccessfully to commit suicide. (That was also the first time the colored dots appeared around his head.)

Harlow may have been playing the role of monologing villain on page 5, but his inner thoughts show he did so with a purpose – he was revealing his master plan as a distraction while his followers moved in for the attack.

Even in his altered state, Duncan was able to read Perrier’s mind well enough to receive her warning on page 6.

It’s too bad the hive mind prevented Duncan and Perrier from recruiting the print maker, because his thoughts on page 15 indicate he saw destroying MIND MGMT and the Eraser as a higher purpose. On page 18, he decides to move to America and wait to see how Meru’s battle plays out.

On page 21, Perrier’s thoughts return because she wants him to read her thoughts. Hopefully this is a temporary break, because otherwise he’ll grow bored with her. You know, assuming either of them survive long enough for their relationship to play out.

Mind Memo
Like last month, the memo takes the form of storyboards detailing the making of Triple Indemnity. The apparent stars, Fred and Barb, must be wearing heavy makeup when they’re filming because they don’t look like the two people shown in #13. (They do look like the people on the TI poster on page 15 of this issue) The idol with the nails hammered into it on page 26 is a distraction totem, first shown in #22p15.

The Second Floor
Despite being at the front of the book, this month’s second floor actually takes place after the events of the main story. As Duncan and Perrier escape from Arjet and Penny on page 9, Perrier’s narration says she sent a letter to the police the next day. The response to that letter is shown here.

Since they set up their magic show in Las Vegas after the raid (and therefore after the events of this issue), it’s safe to assume that whatever happens in the next four issues, these two escape to continue their experiments/tricks. These experiments include feeding Plasticine to tourists.

The Letter Column
Not a whole lot here, aside from an invitation for female readers to write in and share their thoughts. I know there’s at least one woman who reads this column, so consider this a reminder.

The Back Cover
At last, the truth behind Duncan’s abilities is revealed! It’s good to know his chain smoking serves a purpose.

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 #22 #23 #24 #25 #26 #27 #28 #29 #30 #31

Interviews: Matt Kindt Brendan Wright Matt Kindt (2)
Annotations: Volume one


//TAGS | Minding Mind MGMT

Drew Bradley

Drew Bradley is a long time comic reader whose past contributions to Multiversity include annotations for "MIND MGMT", the Small Press Spotlight, Lettering Week, and Variant Coverage. He currently writes about the history of comic comic industry. Feel free to email him about these things, or any other comic related topic.

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