Think Tank, Volume 1
Written by Matt Hawkins
Art by Rahsan Ekedal
Covers by Rahsan Ekedal & Brian Reber
Top Cow Productions, Inc.
Release Date: December 5, 2012
Cover Price: $14.99

I have no qualms about deeming Think Tank one of the best new comic series this year. Think Tank, Volume 1 collects the first four issues and is the perfect spot to catch up on this smartly-written, action-packed series.

Dr. David Loren is a true prodigy-genius type who was recruited to work in a DARPA think tank when he was a naïve 14-year-old senior in high school. At 19, he was granted the elite rank of National Security Asset “” essentially he’s so valuable to the United States government that he can’t live a free life. He graduated with a PhD from Cal Tech and followed up on his agreement to join DARPA. There he dabbled with inventions like mind-reading devices, invisibility suits, and portable EMP bombs.

David is an unabashed slacker, yet even with just a small portion of his attention, he makes almost everyone else look foolishly mortal by comparison. After producing numerous inventions such as the predator drone algorithm and an electronic crowd-control gun that would never jam, he suddenly developed a conscience: he realized that he doesn’t want the blood of innocent people on his hands. David tried to leave his job, only the big wigs at DARPA didn’t much care for his change of heart.

Think Tank is a story about an idealist. Along the path of his young career, David Loren has an epiphany that all the golly-gee-whiz gadgets that he spends his days dreaming up are killing innocent people. David doesn’t feel like one of the good guys anymore; it leads him to take a principled stand that’s definitely not in his own best interests. And when he discovers that he has no choice in this matter, his rebellious nature motivates him to finally utilize his amazing genius.

I’m sure most of us would love to tell our bosses or our bosses’ bosses to F-off. It’s just pure vicarious fun to watch David conduct his own, personal, guerrilla war against his superiors by using their own aggressive ambitions and rigid protocols against them. Writer Matt Hawkins patiently sets up the final chapter throughout the entire book. Every scene and conversation in the series builds into David Loren’s ultimate 10-Step Plan to Freedom. Story elements from earlier issues play roles in the conclusion “” what seemed to be mere background information become vital cogs in the spectacular conclusion.

One of Think Tank‘s many charms is that I always learn something new in each issue. As a History Channel/Discovery Channel nerd, I enjoy reading all the juicy nuggets of information about science, technology, and military tactics “” one scene even includes an entertaining, narrative rant about the difference between strategy and tactics.

The final chapter of Think Tank, Volume 1 wraps up the first story arc with a brilliant and exciting conclusion. However, in typical Think Tank fashion, it also plants the seeds of huge swerves in the storyline ahead. This series is quickly becoming a must-read for all comic fans and this release marks the perfect starting spot for all new fans.

Free PDF Download

It’s no secret that we have much love for Think Tank, so as added incentive, the kindly folks at Top Cow have given us the opportunity offer our readers a free digital download of the first issue of the series AND a teaser trailer to whet your appetite. Go on and indulge yourself!

Right-click this link to download a free PDF of issue #1: Think Tank #1

Teaser Trailer