Added on May 13, 2014  Kara O'Connor  comic book , Comic Review , image , Matt Hawkins , Rahsan Ekedal

Think Tank Fun With PTSD #1: It’s Some Stressful Science

Dr. David Loren has been searching for a way to use his genius for good. In the current issue of Image’s on going science chronicle,Think Tank: Fun With PTSD, he may have found his cause.

 

Think Tank: Fun With PTSD #1
Writer/Co-Creator: Matt Hawkins
Artist/Co-Creator: Rahsan Ekedal
Publisher: Image Comics/Top Cow
Release Date: May 14, 2014

Buy a copy of Think Tank Fun with PTSD #1 now!

Published through the Top Cow arm of Image Comics, Think Tank: Fun with PTSD reunites us with our protagonist, Dr. David Loren. Loren, who at the age of 14 was enlisted by the government to utilize his whiz-kid intellect in building WMDs, is now an adult and an advocate for using his supreme genius for good.

The newest installment of Think Tank opens with Loren showcasing a program known as Space Puppy in which Loren’s cute little pup, Newton, assists in experimenting with zero gravity. The program is revealed to be a fake and is used by Dr. Loren to amuse a children’s ward of cancer patients. Too much cute.

After concluding his volunteer service, Loren discovers his longtime friend Petty Officer Morgan has been arrested for the murder of his wife due to severe PTSD. The doctor goes into hyper mode and delves deep into PTSD research in the hope of saving his friend from a presumably erroneous fate.

Originally introduced as a limited series, Think Tank has grown in popularity and if it continues to gain fans, co-creators Matt Hawkins and Rahsan Ekedal plan to make Dr. Loren’s story an ongoing series.

While I personally enjoyed the dense science talk that permeates the story,  I could understand if the use of it was a turn-off for some. At times the story did become overshadowed by the use of the clinical terms Hawkins seems excited to utilize. Ekedal’s black and white art is a mix of cartoon and lifelike fringe, and Loren’s snarky facial expressions were rendered perfectly to match his cynical attitude.

The best part of the issue was the plethora of science-related info at the back of the issue, including more details on PTSD and links to adorable YouTube videos of kittens in zero gravity experiments (don’t worry, none were harmed – it’s merely a cuteness explosion). The icing on the proverbial cake is – while the issue is priced at a lofty $4.99 – 25 cents of each purchase goes to the Wounded Warrior Project in the hopes of actually assisting some of these oft-neglected veterans who suffer from PTSD.

The next issue promises to be in color, which I personally find exciting. It also feels good to buy something that strives to do some social good. However, if I’m to be absolutely honest here, as long as there are cute puppies and kittens flying in zero G, I’m impervious to its power over me. Join the Think Tank as soon you’re done watching those kitten videos.