SPOILERS AHEAD for Mindset #6!
With the release of Mindset #6 this week, my favorite miniseries of the past year comes to an end. After the shocking twist at the end of the previous issue – which completely blindsided me – I could hardly wait for this final issue. I was excited to find out how writer Zack Kaplan, artist John J. Pearson and letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou would bring this series to a satisfying conclusion. I had high expectations. But, high expectations can be both a blessing and a curse.
Mindset #6 starts immediately with the implications of the twist, which I’m not going to reveal, because I want you to read this series and experience the surprise for yourself. Protagonist Ben Sharp’s narration set over flashbacks of various panels from throughout the series paints these scenes in a new context. It’s a great way to recap the series at the beginning of the final issue, while also satisfying the need to understand the twist.
Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou does a particularly good job of distinguishing Ben’s current narration from the dialogue and narration of the past simply through the coloring of the caption boxes and word balloons. Pearson’s layouts for these pages also present the flashbacks in an interesting way, almost as if Ben were watching a movie of his past.
The thematic implications of the twist – how it relates to the deeper themes of internet and digital media usage – are also touched upon, but unfortunately not as in depth as I had hoped. After thinking so much about the twist and its implications between releases, I had hoped that Mindset #6 would be completely devoted to these themes and narrative consequences.
You see, throughout issue #5, the central conflict in Mindset seemed to be going in one fairly obvious direction. But, the twist made a sharp turn in a completely different direction. And I liked that direction. So, I was a bit disappointed when the consequences of the twist were only explored in the first few pages of issue #6, before the plot returns to the more obvious conflict that I had seen coming in issue #5.
Don’t get me wrong, the creative team handles the conflict between Ben and his self-confident business partner, Eitan, in a very intriguing and exciting way. On a second read-through, I was able to enjoy the action and tension much more. On the first read-through, I was just a bit too disappointed that my expectations weren’t fulfilled.
Pearson provides some great artwork during the confrontation between Ben and Eitan. He often intermixes images of the two characters to highlight how similar and connected they are, even as they face off against each other. Kaplan’s dialogue also shows these similarities as one character often finishes the sentence of the other. Otsmane-Elhaou positions these interacting word balloons perfectly.
Furthermore, you’ll spend some time staring at the full page spread of a cat and mouse game between Ben and Eitan, just to take in every detail of what is going on.
The series ends on a much more positive note than I was expecting. Again, this slightly disappointed me, because I thought the twist could have pushed the ending to a darker but more enlightening place. On the other hand, the loads of dramatic irony in the final scene coupled with the imagery on the very last page suggest that the ending might not be as positive as it appears.
At the very least, it leaves things open for a sequel.
Finally, I have to admit that I was also a bit disappointed that the final issue didn’t return to the existential question at the heart of the first few issues: “How many of our decisions are truly our own, completely free from outside influence?” Instead, the finale focuses more on the often overlooked truths about our modern internet society.
That said, the truths revealed about our use of the internet and digital technology are eye-opening. Reading Ben Sharp’s explanation of the driving force behind our constant searching and scrolling was like a moment of sudden realization for me. I can honestly say that reading Mindset has made me reflect on my own smartphone and internet use, inspiring me to change. Now I just have to put it into practice.
So what if Mindset #6 didn’t play out exactly how I hoped it would? The final issue of this excellent miniseries brings the all too real narrative about a mind-controlling app to an exciting and satisfying conclusion, while revealing even more hidden truths about our modern digital society. The incredible work of the whole creative team has me hoping that Mindset will be considered for a few awards this year.
In other words, if you haven’t picked up Mindset, yet, what are you waiting for?
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