Comic Review: Leviathan Dawn #1

Leviathan Dawn #1

DC Comics

Writer: Brian Micheal Bendis

Artist: Alex Maleev

I like Event Leviathan. I don’t think it’s revolutionary by any means, but it was fun and brought me back to Bendis’ Avengers days. With that said, when I heard about Leviathan Dawn, I wasn’t sure if it was something I wanted. Has the plot run dry at this point? Is there anything left to say? Upon reading it, I still don’t think I have answers to those questions. Despite that, this is a great issue that’s a step or three above it’s predecessor.

Event Leviathan was very much a team book, and therefore mostly consists of large groups of characters interacting. There’s no inherent problem with that, but six straight issues of it does get to be a bit much. Leviathan Dawn, on the other hand, strikes much more of a balance. This issue has a healthy mix of one-on-one interactions that dig deeper into the characters than more crowded issues can. They’re unique interactions, too. It’s not Batman talking to Robin; it’s Green Arrow and Steve Trevor, or Robin and Manhunter. These unusual combinations of characters make the writing sing. It brings out perspectives from these characters that we don’t usually see, on top of shining the spotlight on some less popular characters.

To demonstrate just how well this is pulled off in the issue; I came out of it finding Damian a sufferable character. He acknowledges his flaws, admits fault and apologizes to someone. He does all of this without ever feeling like a different character, instead, he feels like one that’s grown. Growth has long been Damian’s biggest hurdle as a character in terms of longevity. He has one trait (arrogance) that tends to overshadow any other facets of his personality he may be capable of showing. The Damian who is present in this story is one with staying power, and it’s one of the rare times this character works.

I began to notice a pattern regarding Alex Maleev’s art throughout this issue. Each time there was a shift in perspective, I would think to myself “Oh, Maleev should draw a Green Arrow book!” “Oh, Maleev would kill on a Batman and Robin title!” After a few rotations of that line of thought, I realized he can just draw anything. It doesn’t stop at his ability to draw the characters, as there are some really fantastic environments here that are lush with detail. His scratchy style allows for loads of variety in the pencils that are able to convey so many different moods. It’s flexible, and it’s perfectly suited to this kind of story.

Leviathan Dawn #1 is the sequel (epilogue?) that I didn’t think I wanted. It improves upon Event Leviathan in nearly every way with a heavier emphasis on character progression. Maleev’s art is breathtaking and the script is incredibly tight. At the end of the day, this story exists to remind the reader that the Leviathan plot isn’t done for, but more importantly, it makes you okay with that.