Leviathan Wednesday: Manhunter #23 And Manhunter #24

Welcome back to Leviathan Wednesdays where I look at the character of Mark Shaw in hopes of figuring out why he turned and became Leviathan.

We are about to close a pretty big chapter in his timeline. Manhunter #23 and Manhunter #24 are the last issues of his solo title from the late 80s, closing out the Dumas storyline and wrapping up any number of lingering plotlines. 

In retrospect, I can see why this book only lasted a couple of years. For the most part, Shaw is ineffective, getting routinely beaten up by the villains and never seems to improve in his game. 

On the other hand, when I reread this book, I could easily see how Shaw became Leviathan. The themes of the title are fascinating from that viewpoint. It has to do with identity and masks. Loyalty and charisma. Technology and truth. All of those are seeped into the Leviathan character. 

All that makes Shaw a complicated character. One that I know gets explored a bit more in later volumes of Manhunter, some of which I will cover here as part of this side mission. 

Kudos to Kim Yale, John Ostrander, and Grant Miehm for picking up the baton that Steve Englehart passed off. 

Also, I have to love the cover to Manhunter #24, a clear riff on the iconic moment of 'Spider-Man No More' in Spider-Man #50.

On to the books.

Leviathan Wednesday: Manhunter #22

Welcome to Leviathan Wednesday where I look at Mark Shaw's history to try and see how he eventually becomes the mega-villain (or mega-hero depending on your viewpoint) Leviathan.

I have been reviewing the 1980s Manhunter series recently and have been intrigued about how much of it revolves around honor, masks and hidden identities, stolen technology, and cult behavior. It has really been a good foundation on why Shaw would take the turn he did.

Based on the perceived importance of the storyline in this series, I have reviewed several issues or just one.

Manhunter #22 is an issue that demands being viewed upon on its own. Written by John Ostrander and Kim Yale with art by Grant Miehm, this issue is, in a word, crazy. I have read it several times and I am not sure I follow exactly what is going on. We get a new retelling of the Manhunter army origin, a new wrinkle added into the mix explaining the Lionhead Shan which is key to their organization, and a sort of revamp/polishing of Shaw's character.

To be honest, using retrospect, I actually wonder if this story takes place mostly in Shaw's mind, which would dovetail nicely into the Leviathan history. 

Buckle up for a psychedelic, hallucinogenic ride! Here comes Saints and Sinners part 5!

Leviathan Wednesday: Manhunter #20 And Manhunter #21

We are nearing the end of the Manhunter series from the late 80s. And that means another chapter in Leviathan Wednesdays is going to come to a close. 'Saints and Sinners', of which Manhunter #20 and Manhunter #20 are the middle chapters, is the last story arc of the title with and extra epilogue issue finishing the series. 

Writers John Ostrander and Kim Yale keep the action going and Grant Miehm's art really gets dynamic and innovative as this story proceeds through these chapters.

This storyline and indeed this blog post takes a bit of a turn at the end. Throughout this Manhunter title and indeed in the first 2 chapters of this arc, Manhunter has been a relatively grounded book. Mark Shaw is a bounty hunter with some advanced skills and tech. But he is still a bounty hunter without true super powers. 

The plots have been fertile ground for someone like me who is looking at this title through the lens of Shaw's ultimate destiny as Leviathan. The stories revolve around spy agencies, masked killers, duplicity and charisma. As I have said more than once ... and as I will probably say later this post, no wonder Shaw became Leviathan. He is forever embattled by the things he loathes and hopes to destroy in the present as Leviathan. 

But the 'grounded' part of this book? Well, that is about to end. So buckle up, there is a lot that happens here so the post is long and things are about to get weird.

Leviathan Wednesday: Manhunter #18 & Manhunter #19

Welcome to Leviathan Wednesday, a side project where I look at Mark Shaw's history in comics and then forward project what I see onto his ultimate move to becoming Leviathan.

We are approaching another key moment in his history. 'Saints and Sinners' is a 6 part arc occurring at the tail end of his solo series in the 80s. While he remained a bit player in Suicide Squad after this, the end of the Manhunter book put another pause on his comic career.

But what better way to end this run then by having Shaw take on a version of Dumas, the villainous assassin we met in the first arc. I'll probably cover this in three posts but settle in. This one gets a bit wonky.

The creative team remains consistent. John Ostrander and Kim Yale plot. Yale scripts. And Grant Miehm is on art. This is a relatively action packed story and touches on a lot of the characters and plots and history of Shaw so this is a solid read for Leviathan buffs. Miehm really stretches himself nicely here, giving us innovative page layouts and dynamic fight scenes. I feel he is starting to feel it here.

Onto the book.

Leviathan Wednesday: Manhunter 16 and 17

 With announcement of a June Checkmate comic, it looks like Leviathan Wednesdays will be cutting it close to when a new Leviathan comic is on the racks. Manhunter volume 1 ran 24 issues. There is a handful of the Kate Spencer Manhunter book I'll need to cover as well. The timing might be perfectly right. I love it when an ad hoc plan comes together.

Today I'll review Manhunter #16 and Manhunter #17, two 'done in one' issues both which play into my deep dive into Mark Shaw nicely. Both issues build on this significant ongoing narrative I have been uncovering as I try to decipher why Shaw turned into Leviathan. 

In Manhunter #16, Shaw is again faced with a case where lies and misinformation have led to tragedy. But it also shows Shaw's passion for justice. We are reminded of his history as a public defender and how that passion led him to the Manhunter cult to begin with.

In Manhunter #17, Shaw and Batman tangle. And while Shaw has a thirst for justice, he definitely has a thirst for cash. And that life as a bounty hunter isn't going to endear him to Batman. No wonder these two have issues in Event Leviathan.

Two more significant steps on the way to Leviathan. 

On to the books.

Leviathan Wednesday: Manhunter #15

 Welcome again to Leviathan Wednesday, a look back at Mark Shaw, Leviathan. In this blog series I have been looking at Mark Shaw's comic history from Manhunter to Privateer to Manhunter again. We also look at his history from hero to criminal to hero/bounty hunter.

I have to say I have been enjoying this look back as I try to piece together why Shaw becomes Leviathan. Today I look at Manhunter #15, one issue in the late 80s solo series. 

Now I have been amazed at this series as it has been, so far, an appropriate foundation for the Leviathan turn. Every issue has been showing Shaw being lured into missions by spy agencies, betrayed by spy agencies, discovering hidden information, or glomming onto new tech. No wonder he became Leviathan.

But another thing that has become more and more evident is the physical beating Shaw has taken in these adventures. It is one thing to be duped by shadowy cabals. It is another thing to be battered and nearly killed over and over. Shaw, as Leviathan, says he is trying to protect humanity from hidden information, super heroes and super villains, and the different spy agencies in operation. Some of that has to come from his own brushes with death at the hands of these people.

Nothing shows that more than Manhunter #15, an issue by John Ostrander, Kim Yale, and Grant Miehm. Shaw is basically dying in this issue, pummeled by a supervillain after being clobbered by others just the issue before. No wonder he wants the world to change.

On to the book.

Leviathan Wednesday On A Thursday: Manhunter #13 and #14

Welcome again to Leviathan Thursday (pushed back a day given Supergirl news)  as I look at Manhunter #13 and Manhunter #14, delving into Mark Shaw and his descent from Manhunter to Leviathan. 

As I have said before, the title is a sort of standard super-hero book. But Shaw is a fascinating character. And as I have said before, the stories all involve technology, spies, and lies. Shaw is immersed in it. But he is also impacted by it, often detrimentally. So no wonder he walks down the path to Leviathan.

This will be an odd post covering two issues. One is a stand alone silly issue. One is a middle chapter in a huge crossover story and I am only covering this issue. But both have interesting bits which continue to pave this road to villainy.

Writers John Ostrander and Kim Yale do a great job keeping this book a mix of adventure, snappy dialogue, and intrigue. The first issue has art by John Koch who has a house style standard approach to the affairs, almost borderline cartoony. The second issue brings back Doug Rice. His art remains stylized and energetic, working well with the action.

Settle in. I'll try to be pithy!

Leviathan Wednesday: Manhunter 10, 11, & 12

People who frequented this site back in 2019 know that I had a Leviathan Theory. Ted Kord was Leviathan. That was my theory and I was sticking to it. 

When it was revealed that Mark Shaw was Leviathan, I was a bit blind sided. Sure, in retrospect, many of the clues pointed to Shaw. But it still felt like it came out of left field. I know that is because I was a bit too married to my guess.

I found Leviathan to be an intriguing anti-hero though, still do. His goal is for truth to win out, for their to be no secrets, and for the destiny of humanity to be in the hands of the people, not shadowy organizations perpetuating a never-ending game of trickery.

With that in mind, I began this deep dive into Mark Shaw's history. And all I can say is after reviewing a decade of stories, Shaw being Leviathan makes more and more sense. Today's three parter from Manhunter #10, #11, and #12 really shows how Shaw came to his current beliefs.

In this arc, multiple spy organizations and shady cabals are vying to get their hands on some unknown alien weapon. Shaw has to get the tech into the hands of the 'rightful owners'. As the tale unfolds, you see Shaw's greed for new technology as well as showing him just how many secretive groups are out there trying to gather power for themselves.

Written by John Ostrander and Kim Yale with art by Doug Rice, you can see just how this adventure was a couple of giant steps down the road to the ultimate destiny of Leviathan.

Settle in. This is a 3 parter being reviewed. On to the books.

Leviathan Wednesday: Flash #22 and Manhunter #9

Welcome to what has basically become Manhunter Wednesday, my deep dive into the Mark Shaw character as I try to show how his history leads him to become Leviathan.

Last week, I reviewed Manhunter #8, an Invasion crossover. This week I cover, as quickly as I can, Flash #22 and Manhunter #9, more Invasion information.

This is a decent story if you look at it from the viewpoint of Shaw seeing how secret organizations and duplicity lead to disaster. Remember, Leviathan is all about destroying spy organizations and abolishing secrets. What better storyline to hammer home that than a secret invasion by shape-shifting aliens. Moreover, let's throw in an immature hero like the then Wally West who almost gets taken in by it all. Shaw learns he can't trust heroes to see through these things.

Writers William Messner-Loeb, John Ostrander, and Kim Yale give us a pretty crazy story. Within the issues, Fidel Castro gets a lot of lines. In some ways, Castro almost gets a sympathetic voice. That is kind of odd. I don't delve into that too much here as I am concentrating on Shaw. But that stuck out to me.

The art is by Greg LaRocque in the Flash issue and he gets to showcase his talents nicely. There is a costume party in the issue with everyone in superhero or villain garb. LaRocque has different invitees pair off in the boozy atmosphere so we see Superman and Starfire flirting, etc. As a fan of his Legion work, it was nice to see his stuff here. Frank Springer and Pablo Marcos give us some solid if uninspired work in the Manhunter half.

Settle in. It's a two issue review so it'll be long but I'll try to keep it brief!

Review: Manhunter #8

I am now 8 issues into my look at the 1980's Manhunter series as I gather clues into the ultimate transformation of Mark Shaw to Leviathan. It interesting for me to see just how much of this early run has been devoted to secret societies, masks, and outright duplicity. No wonder Shaw is so disturbed.

Manhunter #8 is no different, with Shaw tangentially involved the DC event Invasion. Shaw gets sent to Cuba to check up on the Flash and runs into Durlans. The whole thing, in many ways, is nonsensical. But from that 10000 foot view of Leviathan, it is just one more brick in the foundation of this turning of Shaw from hero to leader of the Leviathan army.

Writers John Ostrander and Kim Yale again show us a Shaw who is haunted by his Manhunter history. Shaw again sees secretive, manipulative groups trying to control others from behind the curtain of disguise. These themes have been prevalent from the beginning of the series. Whether Brian Michael Bendis read this to get his ideas for Leviathan is a mystery. 

But the plot of Durlans trying to take over Cuba but not really using their powers or being ruthless seems a bit inane.

The art here is done by Frank Springer with inks by Pablo Marcos. This is standard fare, nothing fancy.

On to the book.

Back Issue Box: Manhunter #7

It feels like I am settling into a nice routine of doing my Mark Shaw retrospectives on Wednesdays. I hope to continue this as we approach Event Leviathan:Checkmate.

As I said when I began this side project, sometimes I'll review multiple issues. Sometimes just one. It all depends on the tone of the books and how much they add to the Leviathan mystique. Today I'll review Manhunter #7 written by John Ostrander and Kim Yale with art by Doug Rice.

Once more, this is a good issue where you see how Shaw is working with and against shadowy organizations. And whether these cabals are 'good' or 'bad', they always end up hurting people, destroying them. 

But more than others, I thought this one also showed the other side of Shaw, the one who laughed and joked enough in Event Leviathan that I thought for sure it was Ted 'Bwa-ha-ha' Kord. 

This issue is also drawn by Doug Rice whose dynamic manga-esque style was a draw for the book. Here Rice shows his dynamic approach to the art nicely with the Count Vertigo battle. As you can see from the cover, his approach to showing Vertigo's power is to show a very geometric landscape showing height, much different than the usual wavy, seasick approach I mostly see the Count's effects displayed.

On to the book.

Review: Manhunter #6 & Suicide Squad Annual #1

Why did Mark Shaw become Leviathan? 

I have been looking at his history and trying to find clues in his background that twisted him into the commander of Leviathan. I know hindsight is 20/20 and I am picking out the things that make sense given the present. But in doing this deep dive, I am more and more impressed with Brian Michael Bendis choosing the character to head this new organization.

That brings me to Manhunter #6 and Suicide Squad Annual #1, a two part story which shows how shadowy organizations which keep secrets destroy lives and hinder humanity. These are important foundations to the Leviathan credo. So while this story has been pretty much forgotten, it is one more brick in the building of Mark Shaw, Leviathan.

Manhunter #6 is written by John Ostrander and Kim Yale with art by Pablo Marcos and Romeo Tanghal. Suicide Squad Annual #1 is written by Ostrander with art by Graham Nolan and Tim Dzon.

Let's just dive in!

Back Issue Box: Manhunter #5

Today I continue my deep dive look at Mark Shaw by taking a close look at 1988's Manhunter #5.

The first 4 issues set the stage. We see Shaw has set up his new identity as bounty hunter Manhunter.  We met his family. We see his father has a history of craving justice just like his son. We saw him fight with Dumas, a masked assassin who could be Shaw through a mirror darkly. And we meet the local police, hard-nosed Lieutenant Best.

Issue five is an interesting book, a stand alone story which deals more with Officer Sylvia Kandrey, a police officer who is savvy with early computer skills, akin to an early version of Oracle. Kandrey is slick with early databases but also shy. Somehow she gets trapped in Shaw's web. 

In fact, from a Leviathan viewpoint, that is the most interesting part of this issue. How could Leviathan convince an army to follow him like zealots? Well, when you see how quickly Kandrey falls to his charms, you wonder if his charisma is super-human. 

The issue was written by Kim Yale with art by Mary Mitchell. John Ostrander isn't around this time. 

So let's look at this done-in-one issue with a lens towards looking at a Leviathan future.

Back Issue Box: Manhunter #2-4

Today I continue my deep dive into the character of Mark Shaw, looking for clues in his past that could have predicted his descent into Leviathan. I have reached his solo title, Manhunter. And as I said in a past post, I'll probably be a little loose with my coverage, not necessarily having a single post for each issue. Instead, I'll batch as feels appropriate.

Today, I'll cover Manhunter #2-#4, completing the first arc in this title. We saw the set-up in Manhunter #1. Shaw has moved on from super-heroing into bounty hunting. His family has mixed feelings about it. A reclusive actress named Olivia Vancroft has taken in interest in adding the Manhunter mask to her collection. And she has hired Dumas, a masked assassin with shape-changing abilities to procure it for her.

This storyline brings Shaw to Japan under false pretenses, has him wanted by the police, and gives us some needed backstory of his family. But most of all, for me, it begins to show how secrets, deceptions, and masks play huge roles in Shaw's personal history. You can see how his hatred of secrets and his understanding of the powers of masks is cultivated.

Writers John Ostrander and Kim Yale infuse a lot of Japanese culture into this story, a nice way to play into the shogun style costume Shaw wears. And Doug Rice and Sam Kieth bring the same energy to the book they brought to the opener. 

On to the book.