Mind MGMT is back in multiple ways. The organization that “protects” freedom is being rebuilt after the events of the previous volume and recruiting new individuals for their mission. Mind MGMT Bootleg #1 kicks things off with a story that builds off of what has come before while also setting out with its own style and narrative.

Set in a world filled with telepathic/telekinetic/superpowered spies, Mind MGMT Bootleg #1 picks up after the destruction of Zanzibar and a young man sucked into being recruited by a new Mind MGMT. What’s this new organization about and are they on the side of good? Writer Matt Kindt delivers enough teases and doubt to know this series isn’t going to be as straightforward as one might hope.

It’s not until much later in the comic does this debut tie itself more into the first volume delivering a richer reader for those who experienced it. While you don’t need to read it, the world of Mind MGMT is so much more for those that experience it all, that includes a board game. Kindt has crafted a world where every small detail builds and one has to spend time examining every clue and comment.

That includes with Mind MGMT Bootleg #1. Farel Dalrymple continues Kindt’s tradition of layered art. Not only do we get the main story but panels and even pages are filled with text that add depth to the world and speak directly to the reader at times making them part of the story. Dalrymple forgoes the rather deep material in the margins for this use of panels making a more playful read that is more like an interactive comic than the previous volume’s puzzle. Though Dalrymple’s style differs from Kindt’s first volume, the art still feels very much of this world in its dreamlike state.

Mind MGMT Bootleg #1 is a welcome return of the property to comics. It continues the layered fun that was the first volume and does so in a way that new readers can dive in and longtime fans can get excited for what comes next. Mind MGMT Bootleg #1 isn’t just a comic, it’s an interactive experience.

Story: Matt Kindt Art: Farel Dalrymple Letterer: Farel Dalrymple
Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25 Recommendation: Buy

Dark Horse provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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Purchase: TFAW – Zeus Comics – comiXology/Kindle