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Review: Leviathan Rising #1

By Philip Schweier
May 29, 2019 - 08:42

Jinkies, for all the talent that worked on this 80-page giant, I expected a bit more. Granted, it’s only the first issue, but after all the build-up in Action Comics, I expected more answers and fewer sidebars.

Who is Leviathan? We still don’t know, nor his or her full agenda. The story begins with a conversation between Leviathan – a nebulous being, at best – and Ms. Leone, a leader in the Metropolis underworld. She was originally introduced in Action Comics a few issues back, though at the time I failed to see her purpose. A soft introduction followed by a greater role makes sense in a “real world” sense, but less so from a serialized narrative standpoint.

I’m happy to go with it because I think Ms. Leone could be a major player in Superman’s world. What Bendis seems to be doing is thinking like a criminal in a world of super-heroes. If Superman really existed, and you were an underworld figure in Metropolis, you would follow a very specific strategy in order to avoid any unpleasantness. It makes total sense; something other writers should take note.

The overall issue has many facets: Clark Kent is kidnapped, Jimmy Olsen marries a multi-dimensional jewel thief, the JLA gets involved, and Supergirl returns to learn the fate of her adopted family. Each sequence is presumably written and illustrated by the different creative teams. I’m a bit confused as to how Jimmy’s storyline is related but I’m willing to keep an open mind. I can’t say it interests me much. I’ve seen the charming female jewel thief routine too many times, plus there’s a story element that strikes me as derivative of Captain Marvel.

I’m optimistic the next issue (and those that follow) will build upon the established foundation. Answers will be forthcoming, if we are patient. But if not, well, I doubt I’ll be surprised. Many of DC’s recent “events” have failed to live up to the hype, but this is the first one to feature Bendis. I am too much of a DC fan to be anything but optimistic.

Rating: 6 /10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12