This article contains spoilers for Event Leviathan
The last issue of Event Leviathan finally revealed the identity of the mysterious character who dismantled the DC Universe’s most powerful secret agencies this Wednesday — but it looks like the mystery’s not over yet, since the new Leviathan Dawn one-shot will continue the story in February.
In the Leviathan Rising storyline running through his Superman titles, Brian Michael Bendis introduced the secretive operation as it systematically dismantled all the secret agencies the DC Universe had to monitor its many strange events. He followed that up with the Event Leviathan miniseries with artist Alex Maleev, teaming up Batman with some of the DC Universe’s other greatest detectives, including Lois Lane, Green Arrow, and the Question, to find out who was responsible for the terrorist attacks on intelligence agencies around the world.
Leviathan remains mysterious, an apparently new threat with deep roots in DC history. They took their name, not just from the biblical monster, but from the organization created by Batman’s old enemy Talia al Ghul in Grant Morrison and Chris Burnham’s Batman Incorporated. This naturally made Talia a prime suspect when Leviathan reappeared; but in the end, she helped Batman and the other heroes discover their leader’s true identity. The real culprit turned out to be Mark Shaw, formerly the superhero known as Manhunter, and mentor to the detective team’s own Manhunter, Kate Spencer. In Event Leviathan‘s final issue this week, Superman confronted Shaw, who revealed his identity and tried to recruit him. When Superman refused, Shaw disappeared, but his threat was far from over. The series ends with a cliffhanger as Leviathan promises to release every state secret on earth for public consumption. Only then was the story’s one-off sequel, Leviathan Dawn announced:
Exploding out of the pages of the Event Leviathan miniseries, this all-new special blasts the DC Universe into a dangerous and brave new future! With Leviathan arrived, its leader’s identity revealed, and its plans known, what happens next? Now the heroes fight back! Leviathan changed the rules of the game, so now’s the time for the biggest players to get together and figure out a new strategy in this brave new world. It’s an extra-sized super-spy yarn from the Eisner Award-winning team of writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Alex Maleev!
Fighting Leviathan’s latest gambit is sure to be a major priority in the upcoming one-shot, and there are more developments in that final issue that it will likely have to grapple with too. Event Leviathan #6 confirmed that Lois Lane’s father, General Sam Lane of A.R.G.U.S., who had been hospital-bound throughout the miniseries, was one of Leviathan’s casualties. And the final page reveals that Leviathan has successfully recruited one of DC’s oldest heroes. The Guardian, created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby as the adult protector of their forties Newsboy Legion team, and recently played by Mehcad Brooks on CW’s Supergirl, is seen discussing Leviathan’s future plans with Mark Shaw. Could more heroes have joined his cause?
The story won’t end with February’s special either. Bendis has promised more tie-ins in the future, ”There’s going to be specials and miniseries that connect to a larger story as it goes and fallout in the books themselves — not just the ones I’m writing — to other books with any character that showed up in Event Leviathan like Batgirl. The fallout will be felt in their books, too.” What will these miniseries and specials be like, and what new secrets will they reveal? Stay tuned.
Leviathan Dawn will be available at your local comic shop on February 20th. Event Leviathan is available now.
