Event Leviathan #1 - DC Comics
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Alex Maleev
Letters by Joshua Reed
Trouble can happen quickly, can't it? Imagine a wild fire, it can go from a spark to an inferno in a matter of seconds. Now apply that to the DC Universe, and everything that is protecting the world. What started in Superman: Leviathan Rising continues this week in Brian Michael Bendis' Event Leviathan this week.
There may be some spoilers here for Superman: Leviathan Rising, so consider this your warning if you haven't read it yet. We know that Batman has met with Lois Lane, and the investigation into just who or what Leviathan is has begun. Part of the problem is, it might have started too late. The state of the world, or at least the world behind the scenes, is pretty dire right when this book starts. There are few clues, but some are provided by a very familiar face to DC fans. Something pretty horrible has happened to this person and it leads to some pretty shocking results in the present. To say it's out of character is definitely and understatement. Now it's time to form a team to stop Leviathan, and it looks like a couple of those pieces are falling into place. As the book ends, we do get to see the masked face of Leviathan and at least a vague idea of what the plan is.
Superman: Leviathan Rising was such a strong introduction to what we were expected to see in this issue. The only problem is, that issue was so strong, I feel like it actually overshadowed this one. Sure there were a couple of shocking moments in this issue, but not enough that grabbed me and kept me laser focused on the story. I also felt like Lois didn't seem as strong of a character as she should have been. Again, I felt that way in Leviathan Rising, and here I thought she came off a bit helpless (which she is far from.) We do get more detective Batman, which I love, but the dialogue seemed a bit off to me. The star of the show here was the art by Alex Maleev. The character designs have so much edge, and it felt so right given the severity of what's going on. Leviathan also looks incredible, which is extremely important if you want to get that big bad feel. Without Superman: Leviathan Rising, I might have felt differently about this issue. The lead up was just so strong, that I felt like the start was a bit off base. That doesn't mean that I won't change my mind with future issues, because I still believe in Bendis and I know the foundation for this story is solid. I just wish this book could have capitalized on the momentum built in the prelude.
RATING: PICK UP