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This (literal) Event book is building to a powerful conclusion.
Writer Brian Michael Bendis knows how to keep his readers on edge, and he's been playing us throughout, using traditional mystery tropes and a lot of terrific characters.
So this series gives us several mysteries: who is Leviathan? What is his (or her) plan? Why has she (or he) apparently destroyed all the secret organizations in the DC Universe, only to replace it with a bigger one? What is the source of his (or her) power?
Using false leads, some fancy footwork and a clever story, we (the readers) have been kept delightfully off balance as the story builds to a massive conclusion.
There's a great cast of characters along for the ride, including DC's top detectives (I still don't know when Plastic Man became a detective, but I'm happy to see the apparently-no-longer-dead Elongated Man included in this series, along with several other criminally-underutilized characters.
(And by the way, if the Kate Spencer version of Manhunter ends up being behind this, I will not be happy - I love that character!)
This issue ends with the secrets about to be revealed, so we'll all suffer for the next 30 days until the final secrets are cleared up.
In the meantime, what a terrific series! Highly recommended!
Grade: A
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What fun to see an honest-to-goodness mystery taking center stage!
Event Leviathan gives us a mysterious leader for an organization that has (apparently) destroyed every covert organization in the DC Universe.
The group has even been able to stand up to Superman, thanks to a remarkable bit of technology at their command - so a team of the world's greatest detectives (and Plastic Man) are trying to uncover the identity of the person behind it and what his or her motives might be.
The plot is wonderfully twisty and just when you think you have it sorted, the rug shoots out from under you again.
The art by Alex Maleev is terrific - moody and crackling with power, a perfect match for Brian Michael Bendis' story.
Can't wait to see how this all wraps up!
Grade: A
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Apologies for the lack of posts in recent weeks - your pal Chuck has been swamped by some projects over in the real world - but those have been wrapped up for now, so hopefully I'll be able to post with greater frequency.
Thanks for your patience! Now, a review:
I've really been enjoying this series from the creative team of Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev.
Event Leviathan manages to be a pretty darn good mystery: who is Leviathan and why (and how) has he / she / it apparently destroyed all the covert operations in the world?
It's also a darned good event series, as it teams up the DC Universe's top detectives (and several of my favorite characters), including Batman, Green Arrow, the Question, Manhunter (the really good one), Robin and... Plastic Man?
Wait... since when is Plastic Man a detective? Is Elongated Man still "dead" in the DC Universe?And if so, why?
I digress.
The issue starts with a wild (if somewhat implausible) fight between the detectives and their top suspect, and then launches into some even juicer territory.
To talk about it too much would take away the fun, but it's a cracking good tale that just keeps building with each issue.
Highly recommended!
Grade: A-
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This is (I believe) the first "Event" comic writer Brian Michael Bendis has created since his move to DC Comics - conveniently, the title of it is Event Leviathan.
It promises to be the kind of large-scale story such events require.
A mysterious entity known as Leviathan has violently taken out every covert operation in the DC Universe, including ARGUS, Kobra, Task Force X, D.E.O., and Spyral - all virtually at the same time, using a strange destructive force.
The story spins out of Superman's comic, but he's not in this issue - instead, the search for Leviathan's identity falls on several of DC's non-powered heroes, including Batman, Green Arrow, the Question and Lois Lane.
The art is by Alex Maleev, and it's wonderful, mood-drenched work.
The mystery is a challenging one, with lots of interesting twists and turns in this issue alone.
More than any other Event in recent memory, I'm looking forward to seeing where this one goes!
Grade: A
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