Mind the Gap - Your Thoughts?

[DaronK]

So after all hearing all the hype about this book for the past couple weeks, on top of the fact that Image has been putting out some fantastic new series lately, I decided to pick the first issue up.

When it was all said and done I thought it was a nice set up for a mystery story, the art was well done, and the value you got in pages for $2.99 was unbeatable. However, I have to say I don't get what all the hype is about. Just about every creator on twitter is talking about this book, but I honestly don't get why, especially when the characterization was really kind of lacking for a first issue this size. Again, I'm not saying it's bad; I enjoyed it, but not as much as say the first issue of Saga, or Danger Club or XO-Manowar. It's definitely an interesting start, and it introduced the mystery well, but I don't get why it's getting so much acclaim.

I'm starting to question whether I missed something in there. Can anyone fill me in?

[Hostile_17]

I posted over at Comixtribe in response to this review: http://www.comixtribe.com/2012/05/04...ind-the-gap-1/

I’ll pre-face this by declaring I am a big fan of series like Lost, Fringe, Flash Forward etc… plus Morning Glories is my favourite comic, so it comes as no surprise that I loved “Mind The Gap”!!

However I can see and agree with some of what you found wrong with it.

It’s an odd complaint but in some of the parts I found the artwork and the characters a little too realistic to really suck me in, however I would still rate it a lot higher than most other books out there.

I tried hard not to compare it to Morning Glories but when you have a supernatural mystery book with a mostly teenage cast and Rodin Esquejo on art duties it’s impossible not to, and this is where I realised it’s short-comings.

Were I to give Morning Glories opening issue 5 stars (which I would), I’d be forced to mark this down to a 4 star (which I will).

The reason being, Morning Glories’ characters were a lot more… erm… I don’t want to say Whendonesque, but certainly quippy and larger than life which helped make them very distinctive and likeable, drawing me into their world almost immediately.

After the first issue of Morning Glories I was in love with the characters so much that I knew I was in it for the long haul and the supernatural mystery elements were just the (very tasty) icing on the cake.

With Mind the Gap, I’m still hooked, but it’s the mystery that has me as I still feel a little detached from the characters themselves.

The only characters that stand out to me at all so far is the lad who shares Elli’s dream space, probably because he did have some quirks, and the female doctor, probably because she seems to be the only character apart from the mystery hoodie who was actually doing anything proactive through the entire issue.

Like I say, I did still really enjoy it and I’m going to give it the benefit of the doubt that it’s the added realism (and the fact “no ones innocent, everyone a suspect”) that’s made the characters a little more impenetrable than I’d like in the hopes that I warm up to them over the next few issues.

So, 4/5 stars from me!

And my answer to the last comment, I think the back-up section was a great idea and really got me in the game of playing detective on a re-read!

[DaronK]

Cool thanks. Having not read Morning Glories I couldn't have made that comparison, but you definitely summed up exactly what I was thinking/trying to say above.

I definitely liked the book and will give it another couple issues; I just don't get all the hype.

[Marc]

I thought it was a solid book. I liked where it is going based solely on the fact that I could not tell if they would be able to pull off something like this and make it not seem dumb or crazy. I thought it showed me that it is in good hands. Plus, the art was cool. Expecially the A cover with all the colors of her hair.

[Hostile_17]

I thought it was a solid book. I liked where it is going based solely on the fact that I could not tell if they would be able to pull off something like this and make it not seem dumb or crazy. I thought it showed me that it is in good hands. Plus, the art was cool. Expecially the A cover with all the colors of her hair.

Yes, dont get me wrong, it is a good book! Hence 4 out of 5 stars. I was just explaining where it lost that 1 star for me

And I agree that Cover A was amazing!!

[Marc]

Yes, dont get me wrong, it is a good book! Hence 4 out of 5 stars. I was just explaining where it lost that 1 star for me

And I agree that Cover A was amazing!!

I agree. The characterization was a little dull. You are 100% right though. This mystery is awesome.