The Theory of everything by writer Dan Casey and artist Thomas Nachlik is part of Top Cow’s Pilot Season. Where fans vote on a book to see which will become an ongoing title. Unfortunately I would have to say that The Theory of Everything will not be getting my vote.
The writing while not terrible is hashing out a story that is not terribly original. While I read the book I couldn’t stop from wishing this was Quantum Leap. Now depending where the series wants to go there is potential for the story but not in it’s current form. Personally I would think that the story should focused on Charles Witten’s desire to find his wife again a little more. Jumping off further into the story would have been a better idea too. And keeping it as an academia experiment instead of bringing in the guns and the government. The book is chalk full of tired cliches such as a government agency with a silly name like S.T.R.I.N.G. While we excuse Marvel for S.H.I.E.L.D. Because it comes from another era of comics, using such a thing today is not realistic. And the mood and tone of this book wants to be taken seriously.
Mr. Nachlik’s art is very nice. And the only real complaint that I have about it might be because of the script that it comes from. Every person that carries a gun in this book seems to be at the ready, lock and loaded, even when they shouldn’t be. Ridding in a helicopter to investigate a crime scene is not a time to be holding a gun at the ready. Also the last time I checked investigators don’t enter a controlled crime scene expecting to shoot everything when it moves.
I really wanted to like this book. The title is interesting and the fact that it is a new book trying to make a mark in the industry had me rooting for it. But after reading it I would not recommend it. The story like I said of course has potential but not in it’s current incarnation. For this book to interest me it would need to have some serious changes and or time for the story to get on track. As it sits now it has the luxury of neither.