MIND MGMT Volume Six: The Immortals
Created, written, & illustrated by Matt Kindt
Dark Horse Books, 2016
The final chapter of MIND MGMT: good triumphs over evil. Love conquers hate. Friendship beats enmity. Remembering eclipses forgetfulness. All that happens, but the story does not simply turn into a parable. There's still plenty of drama, and nothing is sure until the very end. In fact things look pretty bleak in the beginning, as Meru and her allies struggle to recruit former agents to their cause. But Henry has rejoined Meru, and wants to make good on his past mistakes--despite having been blinded by agents of the new MIND MGMT, he has found a way to use his abilities to "see" psychically.
The first thing the pair do is restore the memories of the passengers of Flight 815, the "Amnesia Flight" whose memories Henry wiped, and the incident which set Meru upon the path of uncovering MIND MGMT. Kindt gets in one final experiment, as well, a black and white tale about the making of a movie titled "Triple Indemnity." Mind Management executives commission it, and hire Salvador Dali to direct. The story recurs through the final issues of the series, with a purpose that is not revealed until the final conflict.
When the team arrives at Shangri-la, headquarters of the Eraser's new Mind Management organization, they immediately decide to back out. But it's too late. The place is a psychic battlefield, and both sides are full of surprises. The Eraser has treachery and brute force; Meru has cooperation and unexpected allies. She finally confronts the Eraser alone--but it only looks that way. Two other agents have provided her with tools, and the headquarters literally collapses.
Which takes us to NEW MGMT, Meru's kinder, gentler organization, one that encourages companionship and cooperation. The marginal Field Guide notes reappear (as they had earlier while Duncan and Perrier were on a recruiting mission). And there's one final intimation of future conflict...it's a terrific finale, fulfilling and complete, yet just a little bit teasing at the same time.
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