Review: Think Tank TPB


Dr. David Loren is many things: child prodigy, inventor, genius, slacker… mass murderer. When a military think tank’s smartest scientist decides he can no longer stomach creating weapons of destruction, will he be able to think his way out of his dilemma or find himself subject to the machinations of smaller men?

Think Tank was created by Matt Hawkins and Rashsan Ekedal.  The story is written by Hawkins and Ekedal tackles art. Troy Peteri provides letters. It’s a black and white comic, so we don’t have a colorist on this one. The Think Tank trade paperback collects the first arc as seen in issues 1-4. When a super smart scientist (who oddly enough is an overachieving slacker) decides he’s done making weapons that kill people, he finds that retiring isn’t as easy as it sounds.

Dr. David Loren is one of the top scientists for a DARPA Think Tank. He is incredibly brilliant, graduating from Cal Tech when he was still a kid. He was recruited to join up when he was only 14. He is also arrogant and kind of a wise guy. His friend, also a child genius, is equally smart but was hired in actuality to try and help keep David under control. When David decides that he doesn’t want to make weapons of mass destruction anymore, he decides he’s going to escape. After being captured after a late night tryst with a girl he hooked up with because he read her mind, yeah he invented a cell phone that can read thoughts, the plan for his escape and rescuing the girl is put into motion. When it looks like things are going too smoothly for David, the reader finds out he wasn’t in complete control of the game.

The story by Matt Hawkins is full of science that is either in use now or just a step or two away. The story is science heavy, but with a mix of comedy and pop culture references it keeps from reading like a research paper. Ekedal’s art is a great fit for Hawkins’ story. With a slight anime flair to it, the art does a great job of portraying the emotion of the story. The black and white works for the most part, but there are many times when a splash of color would have elevated the story even more.  Hawkins does a good job of furthering the narrative, but there are many instances where there is just too much information for the panel. There is a narrative aspect to every issue, and the reader is given a vast amount of information with little actual dialogue or action.

Bottom Line: Think Tank is a story for smart people. If you’re not that smart, it will make you smarter by the end of it. Hawkins uses the supplementary material to document the technology used in the book. He explains what it is, what it does, and backs it up with sources. It’s a great resource for readers. With a good story, even though it’s a little too wordy at times, and good art Think Tank is one to look in to 4/5

