This week on View from the Gutters our topic work is MIND MGMT, by Matt Kindt. For this episode we read issues #0-17 (Vol. 1-3). It’s the story of Meru Marlow, a journalist who—two years after the publication of her bestselling first book—decides to investigate a mysterious incident in which an entire plane full of people spontaneously lost their memories.
Meru quickly discovers she is being followed by the CIA and hunted a pair of mysterious assassins, both of whom are seeking the elusive Henry Lyme, a passenger on the flight who went missing while the plane was in the air. Meru finds herself embroiled in a world of psychic secret agents where nothing and no one are exactly certain, least of all the supposedly defunct cold war agency which once employed these various agents: Mind Management.
MIND MGMT is a weird—yet highly engaging—story which draws inspiration from real life stories of the paranormal, such as those told in the book and movie The Men Who Stare at Goats, as well as strange fiction like House of Leaves. It employs a rough art style with incredible water colors which complement the uncertainty and other worldliness of the story.
In our recommendation section, our hosts nominated All-Star Superman, Spider-Man: The Death of Gwen Stacy, Ocean, and Family Ties for discussion on the next episode, and our selected title is All-Star Superman.
Our hosts for this episode were Andrew Chard, Joe Preti, Tobiah Panshin, and Cade Reynolds.