Mind the Gap #5
Written by Jim McCann
Pencils & Inks by Rodin Esquejo
Colors by Sonia Oback
Mind the Gap is one crazy comic. Quick recap: Elle Peterssen, a young, hip NYC lady, was attacked in a subway station and fell into a coma; what was originally thought to be a freak accident, however, quickly became increasingly suspicious, and family members and best friends became suspects/detectives/finger pointers/psychics; further crazy-ing things up is Elle’s coma trip to “The Garden,” the place where all the souls of the comatose patients chill out between life and death; add in the fact that Elle—in her comatose soul state—can occupy the bodies of other people if their spirit is about to move on. Hence—I’m assuming—the title of the series. Anyway, I take the time to catch you up because the Mind The Gap team takes the time for an “Our Story So Far…” page at the start of issue #5. And because this series is bananas. B-A-N-A-N-A-S.
Oh wait, there’s more! Elle’s boyfriend, Dane, might be the person who attacked her! ::gasp::
And that’s where we are at the start of issue #5. The fallout from Dane’s supposed culpability plays out over the first few pages before flashing back to his early childhood, his early relationship with Elle, and his strained and violent past with his father. Did I mention that it was said violent and strained father who accused Dane of being the attacker? Drama! As is the case with these mystery yarns, all is not as it seems, and this issue fits the mold of those really awesome LOST episodes from season one when the flashbacks featured twists and turns that revealed deep flaws in the characters and complicated the present-time storyline. Good times.
Writer Jim McCann is turning out one heck of a pseudo-supernatural suspense thriller book, and Rodin Esquego and Sonia Oback put together some gorgeous naturalistic comics art. Fans of Image’s other what-the-heck series, Morning Glories (with covers by—wait for it—Rodin Esquejo!) should enjoy McCann and Company’s new series.
Verdict
So if this review reads more like a series recap and then some general praise, it’s because a) I don’t want to spoil anything that happens in this issue and b) I strongly recommend this series and it’s still early enough for everyone to jump on! Heck, issue #5 is super accessible to new readers, so jump on here! McCann, Esquejo, and Oback are producing a nuanced mystery filled with supernatural, suspense, and LOST-esque elements. Check it out!
