Renaldo's Reviews: Think Tank, Harvest, Mind the Gap and More!

Harvest #2 –
Ben finds himself the equivalent of a mercenary doctor on the black market as he tries to get off rock bottom. AJ Lieberman’s script is pretty succinct and dark as it needs to be when decorated by Colin Lorimer’s scrappy but strikingly effective pencils. It’s a gruesome and intuitive take on this societal ill that sees Dane’s thirst for money taken aback by his guilty conscience. Throw in a femme fatale and this continues to be one of the best titles out. It’s young and fresh…just like the organs inside. (10/10)
 
Think Tank #2 –
If you’re a fan of Hickman’s work, especially FF4, Secret and Manhattan Projects, then you’re missing out on one of the most intelligent books out there. It’s filled with something more than conspiracy and war. It’s science, while incorporating the aforementioned. The genius of a certain American scientist proves too much for a military hungry to slave him out to make WMDs and it’s up to Loren and his beft friend, Mannish, to figure their way out of servitude. It’s witty and pretty eclectic in its uncoloured pages by Rahsan Ekedal, but throw in his amazing art and the brilliance of Hawkins, you find that Einstein indeed has a son in comics…and here’s where we find that brain. This is near-perfect a comic. (10/10)
 
Thieve of Thieves #8-
James Asmus expounds on Kirkman’s story about a master thief who continues to elude the authorities and every time it seems he’s cornered, he pulls a new trick out his sleeve. Until he loses the George Clooney suave and all his aces, it seems that the book really can’t keep the antagonist down. Throw in complicated romances and the need to placate families during their most desperate times, and you’d see that even the nastiest thief has the softest spot for those closest to him. It’s duplicity, it’s revenge…and Shawn Martinbrough’s art continues to keep the title steeped in excellence. It isn’t missing a beat…and the stakes just got higher for the starring cast. How far is too far you’d ask! (8/10)
 
Epic Kill #5 –
Raff Ienco’s pencils may be slightly more attractive than his story here but when you have such a weak story, it isn’t saying much. It’s akin to him ripping off Fox from the Wanted film…and all hopes for originality are exclaimed as shattered. The pace and story is one of the most tedious and dragged out affairs I read in some time and while hoping for a grand climax, the finale is pretty bland. Ienco’s story lacks a cohesiveness and fluidity as it tries to build on a simple assassination…but there’s a class and culture lacking throughout. I expect better. (5/10)
 
Mind the Gap #4 –

While issue 3 threw me off a bit, the pace that Jim McCann lacked before, it’s ramped highly here and the final page shows why this book keeps being a hit. In its own mental complexity, Elle shines in a comatose state as she never loses the human edge. While she’s in astral panic, Rodin Esquejo keeps on delivering some breathtaking artwork that pinpoints suspect from panel to panel. The intrigue factor is high and with more details coming to light on Elle’s attack, it’s all about how this brilliant story unfolds in the gleam of exquisite art. It’s a beautiful comic…and then some. (10/10)