Tag Archives: mindset

Zack Kaplan, John J. Pearson, and Vault’s Mindset is being adapted for television

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Mindset

Boat Rocker has announced it has partnered with Don Cheadle’s production company This Radicle Act to develop a scripted television adaptation of Mindset, an acclaimed science fiction mystery from Vault Comics.  

Created by writer Zack Kaplan and artist John J. Pearson, Mindset is a near-future science fiction story of a Silicon Valley startup that accidentally invents a mind control app, and unwittingly opens a Pandora’s Box of mind games and murder that will force them — and the audience — to question whether they are in control of their own actions.

Boat Rocker’s David Fortier, Ivan Schneeberg, and Nick Nantell will executive produce for Boat Rocker. This Radicle Act president, Karyn Smith-Forge, will oversee the project for Cheadle’s company. Smith-Forge and Cheadle will executive produce alongside Vault’s Damian Wassel and F.J. DeSanto. The co-creator of the comic, Zack Kaplan, will also executive produce. Anna Register will oversee the project for Boat Rocker. 

Graphic Policy’s Top Comic Picks this Week!

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Parker Girls #1

Wednesdays (and Tuesdays) are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in

Each week our contributors choose what they can’t wait to read this week or just sounds interesting. In other words, this is what we’re looking forward to and think you should be taking a look at!

Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this week.

007 #1 (Dynamite Entertainment) – We’re suckers for James Bond and this debut feels like a solid start to a new adventure. Read our review.

Astronaut Down #3 (AfterShock) – We’re sucked into this series about a desperate mission across the multiverse to stop a world destroying event. It’s awesome sci-fi embracing what makes the genre so good.

A.X.E.: Judgement Day #2 (Marvel) – The debut issue was a solid start to a major event that pits the X-Men against Eternals with the Avengers caught in-between. This issue really shakes things up as far as the story and direction.

DCeased: War of Undead Gods #1 (DC Comics) – The final chapter in the DCeased saga begins here!

The Deadliest Bouquet #1 (Image Comics) – A Nazi hunter is killed and her estranged daughters must solve her murder and avoid killing each other in the process.

Eight Billion Genies #4 (Image Comics) – The series has been amazing with huge, world altering concepts, but a tight focus on the impact of it all.

Frank Lee After Alcatraz (Titan Comics) – Frank Lee really escaped from Alcatraz but what happened after is a mystery. This graphic novel imagines what came next.

Love Everlasting #1 (Image Comics) – A new spin on classic romance comics, this one has a lot of buzz and good word of mouth from early reviews.

Mindset #2 (Vault Comics) – With the mind control signal discovered, what can it do? Also, how far will they go with it?

Parker Girls #1 (Abstract Studios) – When a body washes ashore, the Parker Girl operatives decide to bring down the empire of the person behind it.

Predator #1 (Marvel) – With Prey out on Hulu, this release feels perfectly timed. Marvel has been knocking it out of the park with its Alien comic series and we’re expecting the same here.

Preview: Mindset #1

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Mindset #1

(W) Zack Kaplan (A/CA) John Pearson
In Shops: Jun 29, 2022
SRP: $4.99

When an introverted tech geek accidentally discovers mind control, he and his friends do something unexpected – they put the science into an app to help users break their technology addiction. But as their Mindset app achieves a dangerous cult following, lies, conspiracies, and murder come to light. Are they helping people or controlling them?

Mindset #1

Review: Mindset #1

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Mindset #1

The impact of technology on modern society is a topic that seems to flair up and quickly die down. When tragedy strikes, we discuss how social media, video games, screen time as a whole, played into it. We act as if we’re controlled by the devices, though manipulated might be a better word. Mindset #1 explores that concept with a story about tech students who discover mind control, use it to help users break technology addiction, but might be actually controlling them.

Written by Zack Kaplan, Mindset #1 opens with a murder. It’s a perfect plot device as the series as a whole looks like it’s going to explore the death of choice by technology. We’re introduced to some of the key players who will go on to create an app that will lead to the eventual murder. It’s an interesting introduction with characters whose names I can’t remember but whose personalities I do clearly. There’s the failure of a brilliant tech geek who stumbles upon the discover that’ll make him and his friends all millionaires. There’s his friends who are all caught up in the technology around him. It all paints a picture of a rather sad, though realistic, world where reality is defined by what a screen tells us. It emphasizes the fairytales we devise and put out for public consumption. Kaplan is weaving an interesting indictment of the world we live in.

John Pearson handles the art with Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou on lettering. The style of the comic is interesting presenting an almost dreamlike view of the world. It feels like a rather appropriate style for the comic capturing the fake reality that’s present. There’s an almost tv like quality about it all with a grainy aspect to the look of the comic. It’s a perfect look for both the nightmare that is the murder as well as the disconnect to what’s going on due to the addiction of technology.

Mindset #1 is an interesting debut that has a lot to say. It wraps up its examination of our state of being in a murder mystery with that too acting as an allegory for what’s going on. It’s a start that’ll get you to think. Not subtle at all, it’s entertaining and challenges readers to come up with their own opinion on the topics it touches upon. There’s potentially a very interesting story to come that’ll hopefully entertain and make readers think even more.

Story: Zack Kaplan Art: John Pearson Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25 Recommendation: Buy

Vault Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: comiXology/Kindle – Zeus Comics

Graphic Policy’s Top Comic Picks this Week!

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DC vs. Vampires: Killers

Wednesdays (and Tuesdays) are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in

Each week our contributors choose what they can’t wait to read this week or just sounds interesting. In other words, this is what we’re looking forward to and think you should be taking a look at!

Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this week.

BRZRKR #9 (BOOM! Studios) – While we were skeptical about the series when it was first announced, it’s pleasantly surprised us with every issue delivering emotion and heart as much as action.

DC vs. Vampires: Killers (DC Comics) – The series has been great so far as vampires have infiltrated the heroes and villains and taken over the world!

Fist of the North Star Vol. 5 (VIZ Media) – The series has been amazing and if you’ve missed out on ever reading Fist of the North Star, these hardcover versions are a must.

Gender Queer (Oni Press) – The award winning autobiographical comic gets a new edition with a new cover, exclusive art and sketches, and new forward and afterword.

Hellboy & the BPRD: Old Man Whittier (Dark Horse) – Hellboy is always a blast and one-shot comics tend to be a lot of fun to just pick up and enjoy even if you’re not a regular reader.

Honcho #1 (CEX Publishing) – Fifteen years after World War II, a man returns to America ona mission to reunite a fractured nation… and play baseball?

Iron Cat #1 (Marvel) – We haven’t kept up with this storyline but a new character is always worth checking out.

Land of the Living Gods #5 (AfterShock) – The series has been an amazing example of world building and it taking place outside of the US and the use of local language has created a post apocalytpic tale whose details make it shine.

Life Zero #5 (Ablaze) – The series has been summer popcorn action and we have no idea where it’s all going at this point.

Mech Strike: Monster Hunters #1 (Marvel) – Superheroes with giant mechs, what more do you need?

Mindset #1 (Vault Comics) – An app helps users break free of their tech addition but is it helping people or controlling them?

The Naughty List #3 (AfterShock) – The series has been a fun twist ont he pissed off Santa genre. It has a lot of holy shit moments but also a lot of heart and emotion too.

Power Rangers Unlimited: Countdown to Ruin #1 (BOOM! Studios) – While we’re not regular Power Rangers fans, it’s hinted this issue will be important for whatever comes next.

Public Domain #1 (Image Comics) – A meta series that looks at protecting intellectual property and family fights.

Sins of the Black Flamingo #1 (Image Comics) – An occultist, queer, heist book. Yeah, we’re intrigued to check out the first issue.

Task Force Z #9 (DC Comics) – The concept of a zombie Suicide Squad might seem silly but this series works so well with great action, humor, and twists.

Transformers: Fate of Cybertron (IDW Publishing) – The current run of Transformers wraps up here!

The Variants #1 (Marvel) – What’s better than one Jessica Jones? How about a multiverse worth of them?

Preview: Mindset #1

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Mindset #1

(W) Zack Kaplan (A/CA) John Pearson
In Shops: Jun 29, 2022
SRP: $4.99

When an introverted tech geek accidentally discovers mind control, he and his friends do something unexpected – they put the science into an app to help users break their technology addiction. But as their Mindset app achieves a dangerous cult following, lies, conspiracies, and murder come to light. Are they helping people or controlling them?

Mindset #1

Around the Tubes

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It’s one of two new comic book days! What’s everyone excited for? What do you plan on getting? Sound off in the comments below! While you think about that, here’s some comic news and a review from around the web.

Kotaku – Spider-Man Could Have Been An Xbox Exclusive – Intriguing. What could have been.

Book Riot – Graphic Novels About Science – What would you add?

The Beat – A Year of Free Comics: Games become real life in FICTIONAL SKIN – Free comics!

Review

CBR – Mindset #1

Mindset #1

Vault Announces Mindset from Zack Kaplan and John Pearson

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Vault has announced the new psychedelic sci-fi thriller, MINDSET, written by Zack Kaplan, drawn & colored by Eisner-winning artist John J. Pearson, lettered by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, and designed by Tim Daniel. 

MINDSET centers around four grad students who accidentally discover mind control, put it in an app, and set out to free over one billion users from technological addiction. But are they freeing the world or controlling it? It’s a cautionary tale about how idealistic dreams are corrupted, how our own minds are locked in an existential battle with technology, and perhaps, how we might win it.

MINDSET #1 hits store shelves in June, 2022. The series will feature a line of gorgeous variants by Martin Simmonds. 

When an introverted tech geek from Stanford, with dreams of changing the world, accidentally discovers a form of mind control, he and his friends do something unexpected – they put the science into a meditation app to help users break their addiction to other manipulative technologies and platforms. But after their rags-to-riches rise, a wake of murders and a series of mind games, their Mindset app replaces all rival social media and achieves a cult following of a billion users, and they must ask the question – are they helping people or controlling them? 

Mindset