Think Tank #11
Publisher: Top Cow
Writer: Matt Hawkins
Artist: Rahsan Ekedal
Cover: Rahsan Ekedal
When you start an issue off with the beginnings of World War III and a pretty gruesome high profile death you know that playtime is officially over. The manipulations of General Clarkson and Senator Mitchell are starting to bear fruit with the most dire of consequences and it looks as if David is too late to stop any of it. What’s worse is that David knows he’s being pushed and prodded by their unseen hand but he doesn’t know to what end. What he does know is that things are about as worse as they can get. Though if you’ve been paying attention there’s a good chance it’s going to get even worse!
When you have a story that is so grounded in real world events and being told in such great fashion there is no reason why Think Tank should not be in your read pile! Hawkins and Ekedal continue to deliver great storytelling issue after issue while also scaring the crap out of you. Hawkins makes his villains much scarier than any super villain in a capes and tights comic. Quite possibly because the events in this series could possibly happen and he’s done the research to back it up as explained in the “Science Class” section at the end of the issue. He’s also progressed David past the “likeable jerk” period to a character that you really are rooting for. It’s also great to see how he’s just as effective in the field using his brains as some highly trained black ops soldier that punches, kicks, and kills his way to a victory. Hawkins displays David’s intelligence and guile in a very entertaining way and it’s never a dull moment seeing what he comes up with.
What more can you say about a guy who draws this book near perfect every issue? If you know, then tell me because Rahsan has done it yet again and it’s great that he can bring the level of visual intensity he does in a black and white title! There isn’t a panel that comes up short especially the ones with the high profile character dying. The graphic nature of the death coupled with the close ups then that birds eye view panel just put it over the top! Though there was a bit of confusion about that black eye of David’s because by the time he arrived at Shanghai University it was gone and he only received it a few hours earlier. It probably wouldn’t have been noticeable had it not been made an important plot element earlier on. That little issue aside, this is one of the best consistently drawn books out there on the shelves today!
After finishing this issue my first reaction was a dropped jaw and several expletives. In part due to Matt’s gripping story that’s been laid out and Rahsan’s fantastic artwork. Both have been on fire since the first issue and continue to put so much into the series that you can’t help but get caught up in the story. Think Tank #11 gets a strong recommendation thought the best place to start is at the beginning!
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