I first came across Unthinkable at 2010’s New York Comic Con.  It was an intriguing idea pulled from real life.  After 9-11 the government pulled together various people from numerous industries to think up disaster scenarios and unlikely terrorist attacks.  This comic series written by Mark Sable with art byJulian Totino Tedesco takes that concept and turned it into a limited series for Boom! Studios.

They’ve been hired to think the UNTHINKABLE. But what happens when the unthinkable actually happens? After 9-11, best-selling author Alan Ripley joins a government think tank consisting of the most imaginative minds in diverse fields. Their job? Think of nightmare scenarios and crippling terrorist attacks so the government can safeguard against them. But what happens when the think tank folds, and the attacks start to happen? Find out in this new mini-series from hot writer Mark (TWO-FACE YEAR ONE, CYBORG) Sable and rising talent Julian Totino Tedesco.

This is an over the top story that really starts off great and then turns into an implausible scenario much like the characters gathered attempt to think up.  And that’s to say, the actual plot is just so over the top with double crosses, crazy situations, gun fights and the type of globe trotting you’d expect in a big budget action adventure.

The biggest issue I had with this series is it feels cramped.  Originally released in 5 issues, it would have benefited from either being fleshed out as a full graphic novel or the addition of a few issues and being turned into a maxi-series.  The movement from place to place is a bit stilted and some of the scenarios could have been fleshed out a bit.

It’s still an entertaining over the top comic book.  If you’re a fan of conspiracy theories or big action adventures.  This will be right up your way.

Plot: Sable has a great concept here, but one that would have had greater justice done to it as a much longer miniseries as opposed to the five issues it was released as.  It feels rushed with stiff cuts between set ups as opposed to allowing things to organically build towards each other.  There is some great stuff here, especially towards the beginning when the story could go in so many directions.  Overall, the story was disserviced by it’s brevity in issues.  Rating: 7.25

Art: Tedesco’s art is solid.  There’s a dark/dirty feel to it that fits the world falling apart scenario of this series.  What’s especially nice are the darker scenes where detail isn’t loss which has been an issue with a lot of releases over the last year.  But the characters are unique, there’s not many corners that feel like they’ve been cut, it’s solid art.  Rating: 7.75

Overall: The comic series is entertaining, but most importantly it’s unique.  While it doesn’t quite live up to it’s promise and potential it’s still a fun read and I was always interested to see what came next.  If you like conspiracy thrillers, this is perfect for you.  Overall rating: 7.5

Recommendation: Read

Page count: 128 pages    Price: $19.99     Release: Out Now