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Mindset #1
- Writer:
- Zack Kaplan
- Artist:
- John Pearson
- Letterer:
- Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
- Cover Artist:
- John Pearson
- Publisher:
- Vault Comics
- Price:
- 4.99
- Release Date:
- 2022-06-29
- Colorist:
- Ram V
The past few months have been great for fans of good sci-fi comics and author Zack Kaplan. This spring, he released the first issues of his outer-space heist story Break Out and his dystopian boxing saga Metal Society. The prolific writer has a third new series due to debut from Vault Comics on June 29. Kaplan is teaming up with artist John J. Pearson, who colored Ram V and Anand RK's Blue in Green, to tell a psychedellic story of murder and mind control in Silicon Valley. Mindset #1 is a thrilling introduction to the series.
Mindset #1 opens when a young tech-developer named Ben Sharp is interrogated for the murder of an investor in his new decision-making app. The comic quickly flashes back to Ben's early days in college, struggling to graduate and working tirelessly on his app, which he hopes will help people become less dependent on social media. But while frantically making up a missed asignment at the end of the semester, Ben and his friends make a discovery that could be more influential than they ever imagined.
Kaplan introduces the reader to the cut-throat world of silicon valley and neuroscience in this first issue. He artfully juggles multiple concepts without leaving the reader behind or slowing down the action with too much exposition. Mindset #1 is definitely dense, but the characters help to maintain a level of accessibility. Kaplan does an excellent job establishing Ben's unique voice. As the narrator, Ben's obsessive, but well-meaning nature takes center stage in Mindset #1. The audience is confronted with evidence that suggests Ben is a murderer, but then Kaplan proceeds to portray him as an idealistic, altruistic young man. This dissonance heightens the mystery and establishes a tension that pushes the narrative forward.
Every page of Pearson's art is phenomenal. He seems to blend traditional and digital techniques to create intricately detailed spreads that are as dense as Kaplan's writing. When a scene needs to present almost photorealistic detail, Pearson provides it; but he seems just as comfortable utilizing an almost impressionistic approach to create a mysterious atmosphere. The contrast between these two styles reflects the comic's central conflict. Pearson's excellent use of color gives him the leeway to experiment with his art, as his color palettes set the tone for each scene perfectly.
Letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou does a great job leading the reader's eye across Pearson's complex pages. The placement of each word balloon and narration box helps to make these visually dense pages accessible without distracting from the art. Otsmane-Elhaou uses uniquely designed word balloons that add to the singular nature of Mindset #1. The long, thin tails leading to each piece of dialogue help to convey a strained, exhausted side of Ben's character, as he struggles to build his app and deal with school. But, the design also complements Pearson's brushstrokes to help each element of the comic work together.
Mindset #1 lays the foundation for an intriguing sci-fi mystery and highlights the talents of an incredible creative team. Kaplan has assembled all the elements of a good, trippy piece of speculative fiction. And Pearson is creating some astounding pieces of art. This first issue is an imaginative, unrestrained triumph.
Mindset #1 is due out from Vault Comics on Wednesday, June 29.