REVIEW: ‘Event Leviathan,’ Issue #3

Event Leviathan #3 is published by DC Comics, written by Brian Michael Bendis, with art and cover by Alex Maleev, and letters by Josh Reed. In the prior issue, Batman and his collaboration of the world’s best detectives had accused The Red Hood of being Leviathan. The current issue follows immediately on from the events of the last, as we witness the fallout from the pursuit of Jason Todd.

The group has convened in Superman’s Fortress of Solitude, assessing the damage, and analyzing details of their collective failure to capture the Red Hood. Damian serves up the best evaluation as he candidly remarks that perhaps Jason ran because this group of superheroes approached him at night, on top of a roof, outnumbered, and proceeded to accuse him of being an international terrorist while chasing him off the top of said roof. Event Leviathan #3 covers two points in time, something employed by the previous issues, via the memories of the group in a narrative style we see the heroes give chase to Jason.

Given all of the action in this issue, the biggest action sequence to date in Event Leviathan, Maleev is on deck as his art stands alone on quite a few of the panels, with some fabulous lettering provided by Reed. Reed’s contributions here really help boost the intensity of these action sequences, as the two creators invent a visual that draws us headfirst into the tension of the battle. There is also a lot of narrative work to plow through in the latter stages, and given the intonation of the story, I was impressed with how Reed balanced the display of the dialogue among the panels without it feeling cluttered.

Three, technically four including Superman: Leviathan Rising, issues in of the six-issue series in and I am continually wowed by the depth of artistry, and meticulous attention to detail that Maleev is able to conjure in his illustrations. The artist is also as credited for the cover, and alternative cover, which I have failed to recognize in my previous reviews, but holy smokes they are truly captivating.

One image that caught my eye, of the many worthy of discussing, is during a fight scene as Batman, Robin, and Red Hood crash down through a skylight as the glass shatters and falls all around them. The panels from here only get better as the trio canon into a pool of water, rising instantly and jumping straight into the action, as the fighting rages on.

Bendis has created a fantastic series so far, and the tension continues to rise, as more and more questions seem to present themselves. As quickly as the team are collecting clues, they are just as quickly evaporating in their hands, almost like they’re trying to catch smoke. This is where Bendis has really shone, as he continues to resist giving away any real clue as to who this master villain is. Every scrap of detail instantly reveals itself as false hope.

This story is tantalizing, and my hope is that the reveal for this villain is held until the very last minute. Let us savor the speculation, let us drive ourselves mad as we pour over these prior issues trying to solve the riddles in the hope that somewhere there is a small detail we missed. The ending to Event Leviathan #3 sets up an extremely juicy story-line for next month that you won’t want to miss!

A bloody brilliant issue, but I’m worried I may be driven mad trying to figure this out!

Event Leviathan #3 is available now wherever comics are sold.