How do the greatest detectives in the DC Universe react to a mysterious catastrophic event?
Event Leviathan 1
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Alex Maleev
The opening chapter of a mystery needs to grab hold of the reader right off the bat, completely engulfing you in the experience as you try to keep up with or stay ahead of the characters. Bendis has been building to this story for a few months now in the pages of ACTION COMICS, and he’s done a great job of making this seem like a mystery for the ages. The SUPERMAN: LEVIATHAN special from two weeks ago especially had me so excited for this.
But as I started reading the opening issue of the miniseries, I realized that all of my expectations for the series were going to be exceeded. Not being much of a Marvel reader, I don’t have a lot of experience with Alex Maleev’s art. I did love his work on SCARLET last year, but for his first major work on DC Comics characters, I was blown away.
With the super secret spy organizations in the world destroyed, and Leviathan making a play for a new world order, some of the best strategic minds on the planet are going to have to work out what’s coming next. Not a whole lot of action happens in the first issue of EVENT LEVIATHAN, but it does bring a part of our team together. Batman, Lois Lane, Green Arrow and Steve Trevor review what’s already happened and start to narrow down the suspect list in the wake of the latest building explosion.
Unfortunately, with everything that’s happened, most of them can be placed pretty high up on that list. Will Leviathan try and turn public support against the world’s best reporter and a highly-respected ARGUS agent, who both just happen to be romantically linked to two of the strongest heroes in the world?
It feels like Bendis has such a perfect grasp on what this story needs to be and how to make it a classic whodunit. I’m already more hyped for this than I ever was for HEROES IN CRISIS, the most recent mystery event that left almost everyone disappointed. The feel and tone of the first issue was moody, atmospheric and is setting up a tense mystery of who is trying to wrest control.
This should go down as a classic, and the first issue should be a must-read.