Villordsutch reviews Think Tank #8…
Accountability isn’t something Dr. David Loren worried about before. Sheltered behind the manned concrete perimeter of CED, so long as he continued to fulfill his contractual obligation to create inventions of destruction, David never had to think twice about being an arrogant jerk. But right now, David is on the wrong side of the military’s good graces. And accountability is a bitch.
Matt Hawkins and Rahsan Ekeda have created one of those comics where in a few years time people will be scrambling for the graphic novels, and can I see this after reading only two issues of Think Tank. These two issues have snagged me and made me want to know what has gone on before and what is to come. I’m amazed how much story is packed into around 30 pages.
Think Tank #8 opens with a quick catch up to the previous issue, forgiving those that have walked in late, and then we are straight into this impressive story as we continue right where we left off at the shocking conclusion to issue #7. General Clarkson is being arrested for murdering Colonel Harrison in front of David (our protagonist) and two Military Police (MP) officers. The MPs arrest both Clarkson and David straight away.
David appears in front of a Congressional hearing and is assigned a Specials Ops bodyguard to keep him safe and to contain him on the base. Prevented from attending Colonel Harrison’s funeral, David uses a bit of military tech and goes in spirit with a live video feed. He watches the Harrison family deal with their loss; this makes David have a crisis of being, and straight after the funeral he pays a visit to the base psychiatrist. From there he makes a phone call which, accidentally, reveals his weakness to those that are watching. Over in the Republic of China a discovery is made relating to the DNA tuned virus.
The art again is excellent, giving each panel detail and life. Rahsan Ekeda clearly put his all into this comic and whereas the last issue I felt we had been robbed of colour, this time I feel that we have been wisely kept from colour. The black and white has grown on me rapidly. I’m looking back at issue #7 and thinking I may reconsider my words on the lack of colour
Matt Hawkins has a fantastic talent when it comes to creative writing. This comic gives the reader a story where at the end you think, ‘amazing!’ (I would have said “wow” but that’s just not me). This is not a five minute read with blood smeared axes occupying a whole page – you take time out to read this comic, make yourself a cup of tea and sit down in your favourite spot before you start. This is a comic where each panel is occupied with excellent art and fantastic story.
Matt – I hope your shoulder gets better soon (purely for my own selfish reasons).
Villordsutch is married with kids and pets. He looks like a tubby Viking and enjoys science fiction. Follow him on Twitter.
Originally published June 26, 2013. Updated April 11, 2018.
