Think Tank #11
Outbreak Part 3
Co-Creator and Writer: Matt Hawkins
Co-Creator and Artist: Rahsan Ekedal
Letterer: Troy Peteri
Editor: Betsy Gonia
Publisher: Minotaur Press, a Top Cow Productions Company
On Sale: December 4, 2013
Price: $3.99
Format: B&W
Pages: 32
OUTBREAK, Part Three
World War III is imminent! And the only person stepping forward to prevent it is the slacker genius Dr. David Loren! Can a lab rat who has never even fired a handgun stop a weapon of mass destruction?
In the words of Top Cow:
This is it! The penultimate issue!
With this second-to-last issue, the first dramatic story arc Top Cow’s science-fact epic prepares for an explosive conclusion! China and the United States stand at the precipice of a third World War – will it be mutually assured destruction, or does the unwilling hero, Dr. David Loren, have what it takes to save the world from this terrible conflict? After all, he did design most of the weaponry – does he hold the key to shutting it down?
Think Tank readers must sometimes wonder if Matt Hawkins has acquired access to a top secret time machine which allows him to jump a couple months into the future and then back. How else can he explain plotting and writing a script sometimes months before similar events occur in the world. The level of research that he puts into this book is astounding which is the only other plausible explanation for how the story has been aligning with events in the world.
This issue has been no exception when it comes to a well written book. Hawkins managed to take the reader back in forth in the timeline as events unfold in a manner that is not disruptive or disconcerting. This movement back and forth in the timeline adds to the effectiveness of the story as there are multiple things to keep track of and understand as they unfold.
I’ve run out of adjectives to talk about the art. Rahsan Ekedal continues to amaze me with his ability to render hi-tech, human expressions, the fun and the horrendous. I’ve read this issue twice already, and on the second pass noticed different details in the art than I did on the first pass. This has been the norm with Think Tank and Ekedal’s art. Ekedal has a tendency to put little details into his art, that when you are engrossed in the story you might miss unless you either pause to appreciate the art or go back through a 2nd, 3rd or more times. This is fantastic, as it means that the books can be enjoyed multiple times as you wait for the next issue. Come on, who else doesn’t wish they could be reading issue 12 as soon as they finish Think Tank 11. Or if you haven’t been able to read Think Tank 11 yet, don’t you wish you could have done so as soon as you got to the last page of issue 10? I know I feel this way at the end of each issue.
There are so many things happening in this issue and I would love to tell you about each one, but if I did that then you wouldn’t get to enjoy it for yourself.
You probably already realize that I keep Think Tank at the top of my Must Read list and recommend it be added to yours as well.
For an eleventh issue in a row Think Tank scores a perfect 10/10, giving this series a perfect track record.
Though I wonder, if the story plotting is coming as a result of a secret time machine is it fair to give them a perfect score? After all Hawkins hasn’t offered the use of that time machine to any of us. Then again it might simply be the result of diligent research so we will allow the score to stand.
Here are some preview images of Think Tank 11 to wet your appetite:
