Advance Review — ‘Mind MGMT: New And Improved’ #1 Sets Out With Psychic Sniffing And Murder Mysteries
by Olly MacNamee
Summary
A series of connected murders finds Detectives Swan and Delphi making use of some rather off-the-book techniques in trying to crack the cases. It’s an oft-kilter, psychic police procedural thriller with a bigger conspiracy bubbling up under the surreal surface.
Overall
10/10Forget what you think you know of Matt Kindt’s Mind MGMT. In fact, even if you’ve never read it, fear not, because Kindt implores all readers to “disregard for all that happened before” in the debut issue of Mind MGMT: New and Improved. It’s a bold statement and one, I think, that sets the tone of this rather abstract issue. And I say that as a first-time reader. The exact new reader Kindt is talking to when he gleefully urges us all to “not to go back and look at anything older than the pages right here in your hands”. So, this review isn’t going to be informed by anything but … well, the comic book right here in my hands.
So, with that in mind … I found that I was immediately drawn into the book after such bold opening words. It’s a statement that declares what you’re about to get into isn’t going to be your average comic book. The set-up: two detectives are hunting down a murderer. A murderer bumping off former Mind Management agents in weird and inventive ways. The kink: when one of you can smell an odour, no matter how faint, that reveals so much about any situation or crime scene, then you’re not your average homicide detective. That and the psychic paper, proffered by Detective Delphi, and you know you’re visiting a different reality from this one.
Again, and going on just this issue as my first and only dip into Kindt’s Mind MGMT, he quickly establishes his bizarre, off-kilter world in the worries of pessimistic protagonist, Detective Jon Swan (the psychic sniffer). He has problems with memories of horrific events that paint a world of inexplicable tragedies. This, plus the mysterious murders, and you have the makings of a rather surreal yet comfortingly familiar police procedural thriller. All depicted use of water colours over solid, bold inks softens the art to perfectly capture the mood of the book and its varied events.
Mind MGMT: New and Improved #1’s FOC is Monday, 27th April, 2026 from One Press. For more, why not catch Tom Smithyman‘s interview with Kindt here.
