Review: Mind the Gap Vol. 1: Intimate Strangers

Elle Peterssen is young, beautiful, and rich. She has a handsome doting boyfriend, Dane, and a best friend named Jo who’s more like a sister to her.

And someone wants Elle dead.

After Elle is brutally attacked and left for dead on a NYC subway platform, she lies in a coma. While in a sort of limbo, Elle watches her prone body and tries to remember not just the details of what happened to her, but details of her life. Jo is also watching over her best friend, and appropriately suspicious of those closest to Elle including her parents, brother, and even Dane.

While in limbo, Elle learns that she can inhabit the bodies of other patients who are near death. Through them, Elle tries to contact Jo and seek her help in finding out who tried to kill her before they strike again. A shadowy figure is seen orchestrating what happened to Elle and the subsequent cover-up. Thankfully, there are others around who suspect there’s something bigger going on: an outspoken doctor and her wife, a police detective.

This is my kind of story with enough twists and turns keep me turning the page long after my mind has told me it’s time to go to sleep. I love the interactions between Elle and Jo, even when they’re just one-sided conversations as Jo holds vigil over her best friend’s hospital bed. The interactions between Elle and others in her state of limbo are not as good, but that’s mainly because a lot of what happens there is set-up to explain the rules of her new environment.

The dialog is excellent, but what really stands out is the illustrations. The colors are so rich and perfectly used. This may be a weird comparison, but it reminded me of well-blended makeup - bright metallic colors that are so expertly blended it’s a work of art.

By the end of the first volume, it’s clear that Elle’s attack is just a small part of a sinister, well-thought out plan. My biggest fear for this story going forward is that there will be many red herrings as we, one time or another, come to suspect damn near everyone at having a hand in Elle’s attack and subsequent cover up. However, I’m definitely diving into volume two to see how this mystery continues to unfold.