Comics

Advance Review: ‘Think Tank’ #1

Published

12 years ago

July 27, 2012

BigJ

To date every release Top Cow’s Minotaur Press imprint has been great. Last year the imprint released the criminally underrated horror series “Echoes” by writer Joshua Hale Fialkov & artist Rahsan Ekedal, which made many of Bloody-Disgusting’s writers year end lists. Now Ekedal has returned with Top Cow head honcho Matt Hawkins for the release of their new series “Think Tank”.

WRITTEN BY: Matt Hawkins
ART BY: Rahsan Ekedal
PUBLISHER: Top Cow/Minotaur Press
RELEASE: August 1st

“Think Tank’s” concept is simple; slacker scientist Dr. David Loren works for the military and makes a conscious decision to stop creating weapons of destruction. In effort to force Loren’s hand, the Military threatens to deport his best friend and make his life miserable. Loren succeeds in developing a device that gives users the ability to read minds, but refuses to hand it over. Fed up with his antics, the Military sets out to take down Loren and the device by any means necessary.

Writer Matt Hawkins does a good job of creating a compelling cast of characters that each play a important role in the overall story. As a lead protagonist Dr. David Loren plays likeable slacker perfectly and it’s easy for readers to identify with his plight. Hawkins dialogue is spot on, his pacing keeps the story moving and there is never a dull moment in the entire issue.

Ekedal’s artwork is simply stunning and he turns out some astonishing pages. The stark contrast of black and white mixed with Ekedal’s washes make the art pop off the page. His strong grasp on storytelling allow him to suck the reader in for the more intimate moments and also make the action sequences look epic in scope. Ekedal makes “Think Tank” look like a blockbuster movie on the printed page and he remains one of the hidden gems of the comic book industry.

“Think Tank” #1 has everything a good first issue needs and sets up the series with a nice cliffhanger ending. It’s impossible to read this issue and not be anxiously awaiting the next.

You can check out a preview for the book right here.

Rating: 3.5/5 Skulls

Reviewed By: Big J

Comics

‘Witchblade’ is Getting Resurrected This Summer in New Comic Series from Top Cow and Image Comics

Published

1 week ago

April 18, 2024

Meagan Navarro

Witchblade, the popular comic series that initially ran from 1995 to 2015 and launched a TV series, is getting resurrected in a new comic series from Top Cow and Image Comics. It’s set to unleash heavy metal, black magic and blood this summer.

Look for the new Witchblade series to launch on July 17, 2024.

In Witchblade #1, “New York City Police Detective Sara Pezzini’s life was forever fractured by her father’s murder. Cold, cunning, and hellbent on revenge, Sara now stalks a vicious criminal cabal beneath the city, where an ancient power collides and transforms her into something wild, magnificent, and beyond her darkest imaginings. How will Sara use this ancient power, or will she be consumed by it?”

The series is penned by NYT Best-Selling writer Marguerite Bennett (Animosity, Batwoman, DC Bombshells) and visualized by artist Giuseppe Cafaro (Suicide Squad, Power Rangers, Red Sonja). The creative duo is working with original co-creator Marc Silvestri, who is the CEO of Top Cow Productions Inc. and one of the founders of Image Comics. They are set to reintroduce the series to Witchblade’s enduring fans with “a reimagined origin with contemporary takes on familiar characters and new story arcs that will hook new readers and rekindle the energy and excitement that fueled the 90’s Image Revolution that shaped generations of top creators.”

Bennett said in a statement, “The ability to tell a ferocious story full of monsters, sexuality, vision, and history was irresistible.” She adds, “Our saga is sleek, vicious, ferocious, and has a lot to say about power in the 21st century and will be the first time that we are stopping the roller coaster to let more people on. I’ve loved Witchblade since I was a child, and there is truly no other heroine like Sara with such an iconic legacy and such a rich, brutal relationship to her own body.”

“The Witchblade universe is being modernized to reflect how Marguerite beautifully explores the extreme sides of Sara through memories, her personal thoughts, like desire and hunger, in her solitude and when she is possessed by the Witchblade. So, I had to visually intersect a noir True Detective-like world with a supernatural, horror world that is a fantastic mix between Berserk and Zodiac,” Cafaro stated.

Marc Silvestri notes, “This is brand new mythology around Sara, and I can’t wait for you to fall in love with her and all the twists and turns. Discover Witchblade reimagined this summer, and join us as we bring all the fun of the 90s to the modern age and see how exciting comics can be. I can’t wait for you to read this new series.”

Witchblade#1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, July 17th, for $4.99 for 48 pages. And it’ll come with multiple cover variants.