The big mystery into who destroyed the DC Universe’s spy organizations takes a contemplative break.

Event Leviathan 3
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Alex Maleev

This may be the first Bendis-written issue since he came over to DC Comics that I didn’t really care for. After the big confrontation with the Red Hood in the LAST ISSUE, the assemblage of great DC Universe investigative minds – along with Plastic Man and Green Arrow – gather at the Fortress of Solitude to lick their wounds. Because the Red Hood somehow managed to beat Batman, Robin, Manhunter and Green Arrow and escape with nary a scratch.

He does, however, stop for an interview with Lois Lane to explain why he gets being made the patsy, but swears that he’s innocent.

Really, who wouldn’t stop for an interview with world-famous reporter Lois Lane?

Red Hood drops some doubt into Lane’s head about who the heroes should be looking at, which causes some confusion at the Fortress when the heroes find a listening device planted by Amanda Waller, which leads to the issue’s cliffhanger. Waller is confronted by Leviathan, the man leading an army ready to kill her. And that’s when Superman shows up.

Originally solicited as a 5-issue miniseries, EVENT LEVIATHAN will now run six issues, which gives Bendis a little bit more room to maneuver in telling the story. But stopping at the halfway point for little more than incremental movement to the story feels like a waste for what is supposed to be such a big event.

The issue does set up some interesting developments for the second half of the miniseries, but this one felt a little too much like a rest stop before the action hits.