Think Tank #5
Written by Matt Hawkins
Art by Rahsan Ekedal
Letters by Troy Peteri
Covers by Rahsan Ekedal & Brian Reber
Top Cow Productions, Inc.
Release Date: February 6, 2013
Cover Price: $3.99

The last issue of Think Tank concluded Matt Hawkins’ original story plan for the miniseries. Everything wrapped up nice and neat. Dr. David Loren got the girl, escaped his personal prison, and played the military for a bunch of fools. Or did he? The last panel of the previous issue revealed a huge swerve: Mirra Sway, David’s first real girlfriend, works for the CIA. It looks like David was the one being played.

Think Tank #5 is a dark issue. The idealistic, free-spirited Dr. David Loren is nowhere to be found. The story jumps forward two months after Mirra betrayed David and turned him over to the military. Now David’s a jaded and dejected workaholic who single-mindedly and unquestioningly pursues project objectives. Allegedly.

Think Tank is simply one of the best comic series going today. This smartly-written series deftly mixes techno-geekery into an action-packed thriller that keeps its fans begging for more. The story focuses on Dr. David Loren, 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. David, however, won’t accept his fate without a fight; this formerly unabashed slacker unleashes an ingenious plan to escape his personal prison. It’s just pure vicarious fun to watch David conduct a personal guerrilla war against his superiors by using their own aggressive ambitions and rigid protocols against them.

This series, which was originally slated to end after four issues, revealed a huge swerve at the end of the last issue that completely derailed David’s brilliant escape. Fans have been chomping at the bit at the bit to find out where this story is heading in Think Tank #5.

We here at Geeks of Doom have been singing this series’ praises since its inception. I recently jumped at the opportunity to talk some Think Tank with co-creator and writer Matt Hawkins, and you can read the interview below.

The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia
Written by Shigeru Miyamoto, Akira Himekawa, Eiji Aonuma
Art by Akira Himekawa
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: January 29, 2013
Cover Price: $34.99

I’m starting feeling a little old these days. AMC regularly features movies from my childhood. My favorite songs while growing up are now considered “classic rock.” And now, as if to drive the point home, the Legend of Zelda is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Dark Horse Comics and Nintendo have teamed up to celebrate the occasion with a compendium of Zelda knowledge titled The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia.

This tome is instantly the supreme information source for all things Zelda. It’s all here, NES through Wii, in unimaginable exquisite detail. Hyrule Historia covers the background of each Zelda game and then slots them into an overarching timeline that brings order to the story. And before you ask, no, the dreadful Phillips CD-i games are not included or even acknowledged. If you’ve ever had the misfortune of playing the CD-i games, then we’re probably in agreement that these games must be forgotten or else we’ll have to someday send a Terminator back to, uh, prevent that from ever happening.

Emily and the Strangers #1
Written by Mariah Huehner, Rob Reger
Art by Emily Ivie
Cover by Emily Ivie and Buzz Parker
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: January 30, 2013
Cover Price: $3.99

So, Emily the Strange is a kind of a big deal. This character has been the focal point of a popular clothing and accessories label since the 90s. Emily has also starred in other comics, novels, and an upcoming live-action movie. I’ve never seen or heard of her, so how well her character ties-in with this comic is not something I can judge. All I’m looking for is an entertaining comic series, and writers Rob Reger and Mariah Huehner deliver with Emily and the Strangers #1.

Emily the Strange is a very untypical teenager. She spends her free time huddled away in her cat-infested lab inventing contraptions such as time machines and thinking caps. If Doc Brown from Back to the Future were a brooding, teenage girl, then he would probably resemble Emily.

Economix
How and Why Our Economy Works (and Doesn’t Work), in Words and Pictures
Written by Michael Goodwin
Art by Dan E. Burr
Abrams ComicArts
Release Date: September 1, 2012
Cover Price: $19.95

Great Recessions! Debt Ceilings! Fiscal Cliffs! Run for the hills! AAAAAH! Scrub away the façade of apocalyptic doom and, to many, economics is a dull and often mystifying topic. Before you spend hard-earned cash on seed banks and toilet water recycling kits, it would be wise to invest a little time into learning about economic theory and history. But where to start? And more importantly, how to stay awake while researching?

Michael Goodwin’s graphic novel, Economix, seeks to fill in the wide gap between fear-profiteering, 24-hour cable news stations, and dreary, soul-consuming Economics 101 courses. Goodwin unapologetically takes a moderate-to-liberal viewpoint on economic theory. Much of his criticisms are reserved for the undue and unnecessary suffering of the poor and middle class caused by unchecked greed and corruption in the business and financial sector. Drudge Report junkies are likely to reject this book outright and dropkick it into the nearest dumpster. That’s a shame because economics is the most discussed news topic over the past few years; an enjoyable layman’s economic guidebook is an essential addition to any voter’s bookshelf.