Mind the Gap #9
Story by Jim McCann
Art by Rodin Esquejo & Dan McDaid
Review by Mara Whiteside
This month’s Mind the Gap interrupts the natural flow of the story thus far. Previously, Elle left Katie’s dying body, only to run into other spirits asking for favors. Jo meets Miles, and things start to heat up. On top of all that, Dr. Geller makes important connects to Elle’s case and Katie’s current functioning. All of these events should have been the focus for this next issue. However, readers got something completely different.
After she left the hospital, Jo flops on her bed. What happens next is difficult to understand at first. It seems like Hoodie is putting peanuts in everything Lonnie uses per Min’s instructions. Jo, in the meantime, reminisces over her friendship with Elle. In a moment of determination, she leaves her home and heads over to Dane’s (Lonnie’s son, who is a primary suspect in Elle’s accident) home. Lonnie comes home, and Jo must quickly figure out how to conceal her presence in his home. The final panel promises that we will discover who Hoodie is. Let’s hope McCann delivers on that promise.
The entire issue lacks speech bubbles. Besides the rare text message or letter, readers are left to infer what is going on in each panel. On top of all that, the artwork is much different, making it difficult to decipher the characters. The coloring is a very serene blue, giving a feel of false calm. We know Lonnie’s belongings have been injected with peanut oil; it’s only a matter of time until something severe happens. The panels filled with strong emotion are infused with brilliant red, popping out against the vast sea of blue panels. The artwork is certainly much different from the rest of the series, and doesn’t pull its weight in this dialogue-less issue.
THE VERDICT
Mind the Gap #9 isn’t for anyone who isn’t already dedicated to finding out what happened to Elle. For new readers, avoid this issue. It will only confuse you. Instead, pick up #8, which has a short recap on the first page and introduces all the characters. As a series, Mind the Gap is a wonderful thriller with a great mystical twist. Don’t let this one issue deter you from the whole series.
