Checkmate In June!

Back in 2019, this blog, and indeed my mind, became obsessed with Event Leviathan. I was going to solve the mystery about who was behind the Leviathan mask. I had a #LeviathanTheory and I was sticking to it.

Turns out I was wrong.

It was Mark Shaw behind the mask. 

But the Shaw reveal made sense with what I knew then. I followed Leviathan from the mini-series into the Superman books. I bought the followup one-shot, Leviathan Dawn, which was to lead into Event Leviathan:Checkmate, a sequel mini-series.

In this, many of the main players in the Event Leviathan hero squad teams up with some new faces to take down Leviathan.

I was ready. 

I found Leviathan so interesting, a sort of populist revolutionary asking everyday people to rise up against the insanity of shadow organizations and superhero/supervillain nonsense. Sure, his methods skew a bit warped. Maybe he is more anti-hero than super-villain.

I was ready.

Alas ... the best laid plans. The administrative and creative changes at DC Comics put the book on the back burner. 

So I waited. And waited.

I stoked the Leviathan fire, reviewing the history of Mark Shaw through First Issue Special to Justice League to Suicide Squad to his own book, Manhunter. 

And then, the news broke on Friday.

Checkmate is coming out on June 22.

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!

Back Issue Box: First Issue Special #5

 I was riding high on the Event Leviathan wave when the world turned.

Whether it was the pause in comic production because of COVID or the regime change at DC which led to a massive decrease in editors, the Event Leviathan:Checkmate mini-series that was supposed to come out this summer has been delayed ... hopefully not shelved.

I have heard interviews with Brian Michael Bendis in which he has said it is going to come out. But because of something it was 'building to' has changed, he has had to alter it. 

Now you probably know if you come here that I was obsessed with solving the Event Leviathan mystery, posting Leviathan Theory articles and laying odds on the suspects. I was all in. And this delay for a book I was looking forward to was disappointing.

During that same downtime, I tried to support my comic store by buying supplies and trades. One thing I ordered was the 1st Issue Special hardcover, collecting that offbeat series. And 1st Issue Special #5 was the first appearance of Jack Kirby's Manhunter ... that is Mark Shaw ... that is Leviathan.

I read that issue for the first time and it once again whet my appetite for the Leviathan series. So I figured I would do a brief look at the history of Shaw and the Manhunters. Please note that the screen shots of panels here are from a digital version.

On to the book! Prepare to meet Leviathan!

Event Leviathan Hardcover

I walked into my local comic store in the day it was destined to close as part of the COVID19 pandemic. All non-essential businesses were asked to close their doors. And for some unknown reason, comic stores were deemed non-essential.

It was a good week for books. I had 9 on the pull list so I knew I would have at least a good amount of new stuff to parse out while waiting out the social distancing mandates.

But then I saw this on the shelf ... the Event Leviathan hardcover collection.

I wanted to help my store. I knew I needed some new stuff (or at least new format of stuff) to read.

And, let's face it, Event Leviathan was a big deal for me this last year.

 Who is Leviathan?

It was a question I was determined to answer. Or at least to think about. Or investigate.

I looked at all the clues. I had my main Leviathan Theory. But I also had others. And I tried to back up my claims. I tried to get Brian Michael Bendis to weigh in or maybe give something away on Twitter.

I was pretty obsessed with the mystery.

So I decided reward the engagement of the mini-series as well as my store and bought this collected volume of the Leviathan Rising special and the mini-series itself.

DC April 2020 Solicits

The April 2020 solicits for DC Comics came out last week and there were a couple of interesting surprises and a 'not surprised' solicit as well. There are plenty of anniversary issues and plenty of dollar facsimile comics as well. Not a bad springtime month.

Here is a link to all the solicits for you to peruse over on Newsarama:
https://www.newsarama.com/48662-dc-comics-april-2020-solicitations.html

And now onto the blog-specific solicits.

SUPERGIRL #41
written by JODY HOUSER
art by RACHAEL STOTT
cover by CARMINE DI GIANDOMENICO
card stock variant cover by DERRICK CHEW

Free of the infection and reeling after the events of Year of the Villain: Hell Arisen, Supergirl crash-lands in an area being devastated by a catastrophic storm. Suffering from a series of hallucinations and memories of her past, Kara struggles to keep her mind clear enough to save the people she swore to her cousin she’d protect. She’s got a lot to prove after endangering Smallville and all its inhabitants. Will she be able to save everyone including herself? Or is this the end for our hero?

Well it looks like we are back to Supergirl, freed of the infection which made her dark and edgy.

That means we have reached the 'redemption' portion of the Supergirl cycle of 'hero-edgy-redemption' plotlines.

As I have said I am a bit tired of this cycle. I also am a bit tired of the endless different looks at Supergirl's Kryptonian memory. Maybe we can settle on something this time?

Looking forward to see what Houser/Stott do away from a crossover.

February 2020 solicits

The February solicits for DC Comics have been released and there are a couple of surprises worth mentioning. Overall, we still seemed a bit mired in The Year of the Villain. And the Superman books take a turn that I don't know that I agree with. And hey ... I become a comic book character.

So overall it looks like 2020 might be coming in hot!

To see all of the DC solicits, here is a link to Newsarama's coverage:
https://www.newsarama.com/47882-dc-comics-february-2020-solicitations.html

Onto the books.

SUPERGIRL #39
written by JODY HOUSER
art by RACHAEL STOTT
cover by KEVIN MAGUIRE
card stock variant cover by DERRICK CHEW

After the Lasso of Truth reveals something unexpected about Supergirl’s infection, Wonder Woman is quickly running out of ways to try to bring Kara back peacefully. Making matters worse, the government has sent robotic military backup to Smallville to deal with the possible atomic threat of Infected Supergirl—and neither Wonder Woman nor Supergirl is prepared for the innocent casualties this could mean for the town.

What do you think the unexpected truth is?

I'd bet good money that Kara 'wasn't really corrupted, she always felt that way' or some such Dark Supergirl nonsense. Hopefully I am wrong.

I am interested to see what Jody Houser will do with the character once this crossover stuff ends. I liked the Orlando/Houser back end of the pre-Andreyko run. So I actually have high hopes.

Review: Event Leviathan #6

Event Leviathan #6 came out this week, the end of one of the better crafted comic mysteries in the recent past. 'Who is Leviathan' was a question which plagued me, nay consumed me. This blog could have been called Leviathan Theory Comic Box Commentary these last few months as there seemed to be a weekly post looking at clues.

And I have to sadly say that this time I was wrong. My carefully crafted theory that Leviathan was Ted Kord turned out to be wrong. While a backup theory turned out to be right, it was hardly a mystery by that point.

Here is the thing about great mysteries. Sometimes the reveal is a let down. And while the ultimate identity of who Leviathan is makes total sense, some of the details behind it remain a little bit troublesome. And everything wraps up so unbelievable quickly that we are basically left with a 'to be continued'.

Still, this issue is something of a marvel, told in flashback, with truly spectacular art and colors by Alex Maleev. Leviathan is set up as a big villain for the future. And, I suppose, it all makes some sort of sense.

I have to give kudos for Brian Michael Bendis for giving us this treat over the back half of the comic year. At a time where personally I needed something fun to think about, this mystery was perfect.

On to the book.

Leviathan Theory - One Last Post

I have had my Leviathan Theory.

I have had my Leviathan back-up theories.

I have had odds and I have had changes to odds.

I have puzzled and puzzled.

I have looked for clues and I have looked at things thinking they were clues but wondering if I was reaching.

All of this means that this has been a great story with a great hook. Kudos to Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev for crafting this story.

And today, four hours from now, I'll know if I was right ... on any level.

So let's just take a look back at something which I hope will bear out as being important in the mystery.

The Watchmen Overtones.

Bullet Review: Wonder Woman Annual #3 - Leviathan Theory

Last week was a dreaded 5th Wednesday of a month which meant books were light.

One surprise in the midst was Wonder Woman Annual #3, written by old friend Steve Orlando with art by V Ken Marion.

Now I am an admitted Steve Orlando fan. I liked his Supergirl. I thought Electric Warriors was fascinating. And his stuff recently on Wonder Woman was really solid. So when I saw Orlando was writing Diana again and it was an Event Leviathan tie-in, I was in.

Turns out the Leviathan piece is at the end and only adds a little to my Leviathan Theory. But the story itself was very solid. This is what an Annual should be, a big stand alone story.

The plot is simple. The main plot takes place five years ago. ARGUS placed an undercover ape agent in Gorilla City to spy on and perhaps undermine current legitimate ruler Gorilla Grodd. Grodd discovers the spy and begins torturing the turncoat. Suddenly ARGUS is on a rescue mission. And Diana isn't happy. What ARGUS did was wrong.

But there is more here. We see how one of the ARGUS agents is a young soldier named Helen Paul, a girl Diana saved from a terrorist attack 12 years earlier. Helen was going to be burned to death in a fire at a Nazi stronghold. But Diana saved her and put her in the care of ARGUS.

So where do we go from there?

Sales Review: September 2019

The sales number for September sales have come out and as usual, ICv2 is a great place to go for a breakdown. Here is a link: https://icv2.com/articles/markets/view/44317/top-500-comics-september-2019

It was an interesting month overall. Spawn #300 came out and broke the 250K number. Spider-Man #1 came out and broke 150K. The Hickman X-titles all came close to 140K. Those are healthy numbers. And Doomsday Clock #11 finally hit the stands and cracked 115K. For comics, which always seem to be fading, that is a solid top 10.

As for Supergirl, it was a rare calendar month where 2 issues hit the stands. Due to some delays to recolor and redraw some Legionnaires, Supergirl #33 was put on pause until the pages were fixed.
And it was an interesting month storywise for the Girl of Steel. Supergirl #33 was the end of the Rogol Zaar epic and tied in closely to the Unity Saga. Supergirl #34 had Supergirl return to Earth and be suddenly thrust into the Event Leviathan and Year of the Villain arcs. Suddenly Kara was plugged into the main DCU again.

Since both issues were tied into bigger events, I wondered if sales would show a bump. Both issues also had 'card stock' covers.

Let's look.

Leviathan Back Up Theory Revisited: New 52 Superman

I have had a Leviathan Theory which seems to be completely wrong. I thought that Leviathan was Ted Kord. I thought that the Enforcer was Captain Atom. I thought that the woman who confronted Director Bones early on was Nightshade.

That seems to be wrong. More and more things seem to be pointing to a Manhunter.

But I have also had back-up theories. One early guess was that Leviathan is the New 52 Superman, At the time, I thought this was unlikely. In fact, in my own personal odds table, I listed the New 52 Superman as being a 100:1 bet.

So why I am I revisiting? Well, let's revisit two important early clues.

Let's start out with one of the first clues.

Superman finds a note that says that he and Leviathan want the same thing.

So this is someone who thinks like Superman.

And then this comment from the Question.

Wouldn't it be a twist if Leviathan turned out to be Superman?

And wouldn't it be a classic mystery writer trick to tell us the answer before the mystery even really unfolds?

And let's not forget the doubling down of the trick. In Event Leviathan #3 Plastic Man wonders if Superman is Leviathan as well. Two bites at the apple ... how very tricky Mr. Bendis!

Now let's dive into new clues, specifically from Event Leviathan #5 and Supergirl #35.

Levithan Theory: Event Leviathan #5 Clue Review And Back-Up Theory Laurel Kent

We are one month away from the big reveal. Who is Leviathan?

But in Event Leviathan #5, it was heavily implied that Leviathan is a Manhunter. This pretty much eliminates my Leviathan Theory that Leviathan is a cabal of Charlton heroes.

And it is pretty late to be bringing up new back-up theories. But I have to give blog friend Greg Araujo (@garaujo1 on Twitter) complete respect for coming up with a peach of a theory this late in the game.

You see everyone jumped on the Manhunter bandwagon recently and it seemed a small jump to get to Mark Shaw, the last Manhunter. He has had ties to the Justice League. He was a hero at one point. He is a Manhunter. He fits the bill.

But the most obvious answer isn't always the right one.

So let's do a deep dive into the clues we saw in Event Leviathan #5 which will lead to the back up theory listed in the title.

We'll start out by reviewing the names eliminated by Lois' second group.

Steve Trevor, Director Bones, Amanda Waller, Talia Al Ghul, Ra's Al Ghul, Max Lord, Batgirl, Jimmy Olsen, Ra's Al Ghul, Red Hood, and Kate Spencer - none are Leviathan.

Review: Supergirl #35

Supergirl #35 came out last week and was another issue putting Supergirl in the middle of the Event Leviathan and Year of the Villain storylines. It is wonderful to see Supergirl enmeshed in the major crossovers of the DCU. In fact, Supergirl gets to face off against Leviathan himself. And during that encounter, a possible clue is revealed.

Now that the Rogol Zaar/Mistress of the Ax story is over and Kara is back on Earth, writer Marc Andreyko gives us a Supergirl who is more classic in tone. This is a Supergirl who seems ready to fight injustice but also has a strong sense of compassion. It is a bit interesting to see her simply shed all the anger and angst we saw for a year ... but frankly I am glad it is gone. And it is nice to see elements of what came before, specifically her relationship with the Danvers, brought back to the book.

Artist Eduardo Pansica continues to shine as the book's artist. There always seems to be one impressive splash of Supergirl flying in each issue. This issue includes a brawl with Leviathan and Pansica is able to bring some fire to the proceedings with page layout and rapid fire panels.

This was a good issue. On to the particulars!

Review: Event Leviathan #5

 Event Leviathan #5 came out this week and as usual, I absolutely loved it. I thought for sure this issue would end with the big reveal of who Leviathan is. Instead we someone being heavily implied as being Leviathan. But until I see an actual answer, I am holding out hope on my Leviathan Theory.

This issue rolled along as most of this mini-series has, a thorough review of clues and suspicions punctuated by some brief moments of action. This issue had a lot of facts drop and a lot of guesses eliminated with very little fanfare. It makes me wonder if this story could have supported 9 issues or 12 instead of the quick 6 it is being told in. We have lots of suspects crossed of the list here. We get lots of clues here, mostly in dialogue patterns and speeches. But best of all, this is clearly a Superman story as Lois and Clark are the core around which everything revolves.

And since we didn't get a reveal, you are going to get another clue review as well as a dandy of a new back-up theory, supplied by a blog friend who will get full credit when that post happens.

Brian Michael Bendis continues to have snappy dialogue with flourishes like Zatanna saying she is a fan of Lois and Constantine being called Sting. The whole thing crackles.

And Alex Maleev continues to stun with his art, stylish, moody, and brimming with emotion.

On to the issue.

Event Leviathan: This Time I'm _____

Now I have had a Leviathan Theory and I have been talking about it since the middle of May. In short, Leviathan and his cohorts are the Charlton Heroes and Leviathan himself is Ted Kord. And I am sticking to that guess. In fact, I have been so certain, I have claimed the phrase 'This time, I'm right' to discuss the book.

Along the way, I have also looked at other leading candidates for who could be under the mask. And I have posted those back-up theories here, reviewing all the clues I found and how they supported or disproved people.

And I have to say, I have so much fun just throwing myself into the assignment. I hope you guys have enjoyed it too.

But keep reading, because there will be a sad statement at the end of this post.

Review: Action Comics #1015

Action Comics #1015 came out this week and was a very entertaining issue which focused on Naomi, the latest young hero in the DCU. But it also added some important details to both the Invisible Mafia storyline and some Event Leviathan information.

For someone like me, who collects Naomi, this issue was a great recap of that title and its hero. I love that book and so seeing Naomi now entering the bigger DCU was a treat. It also hammered home the fact that her origin is a little bit Superman and a little bit Batman, one of the wrinkles I like.

On top of that, her interaction with Superman cements that writer Brian Michael Bendis has Superman's voice down pat. Between his helping Naomi here and his inspirational turn in Superman #15, this has been one heck of a month for the Man of Steel.

But this is more than a primer on Naomi. The Red Cloud side plot continues to plod along. And a huge juicy clue about the identity of Leviathan was dropped here. Remember though, this is my review post. The clues will be reviewed next week. But I am starting to have some resurgent confidence about my Leviathan Theory. Maybe this time I'm right.

This is my favorite issue so far from artist Szymon Kudranski. This issue has him drawing pages from Naomi's point of view. It has quiet moments and battle moments. And it has his usual elan about page layout and panel borders. Strong stuff here. On to the book itself!

Event Leviathan Clue Review: Supergirl #34

I know that the reveal of 'Who is Leviathan?' is going to happen as the cliffhanger of Event Leviathan #5.

That's only a couple of weeks away.

That also means I don't have much more time to show my insanity and review clues which may or may not be there.

As you know, I have a Leviathan Theory and I am sticking to it. And part of that theory is that we are dealing with some Watchmen overlay. And as such, I am always looking closely for such clues.

So let's look at Supergirl #34.

At The Block, Shay Gravitas  pings Eliza's robot hand as a way for Supergirl to track her adoptive mother.

When the signal comes in, we see a dot within a circle on a light blue field.

Hmmm ...

Leviathan Theory: Event Leviathan #4 Clues Review

I have a  Leviathan Theory. Ted Kord and the Charlton Heroes are Leviathan.

And at the beginning, I was convinced I was right. There was enough Watchmen overtones and reverberations to make me think there was a reverse analog plot happening. And I am still on board with my theory.

But there are other clues and other suspects. And there are clues pointing to lots of people.

In the past, I have used my clue review posts to try to back up my claim. But now, I think it is better for me to use these to review all the clues I saw.

That means some will point to the Charlton heroes. Others will point to different back-up theories I have. And still others will just be some things I noticed which don't point to anyone necessarily but make me pause and wonder if I am missing something.

Believe it or not, it starts with the cover.

Event Leviathan Clue Review: Millennium Legion of Super-Heroes #1

On Wednesday I do an in-depth of review the clues I found in Event Leviathan #4.

But over on the Comics Beat, blog friend Cori had the luck to interview Brian Michael Bendis about Event Leviathan. Here is a link to that post:
https://www.comicsbeat.com/who-leviathan-isnt-brian-michael-bendis-interview/

First off, I am, to use local parlance, wicked jealous.

Second, I was intrigued to learn that there was a clue hidden in the Kamandi pages of Millennium: Legion of Super-Heroes #1. I actually didn't mention those pages at all in my bullet review so shame on me.

So let's take a peek.

Review: Event Leviathan #4

Event Leviathan #4 came out this week and it was another fascinating issue in a wonderful mystery book. We have turned the corner in this book, now in the back half. And between some reveals here and a doozy of a cliffhanger, I am definitely still plugged in.

The deception, secrets, and feints continue to fly here. There are is enough to chew on to make me add yet another suspect to my list of who Leviathan is. And while my main Leviathan Theory remains unchanged, I have to consider the fact that this time I might not be right.

Brian Bendis continues to capture the voices of the detectives trying to solve the mystery. And mostly this is a back room conversation between our sleuths as they try to unravel this tangled yarn ball. I do have to chuckle seeing the group continue to snipe and suspect each other. Perhaps that is what Leviathan wants.

Alex Maleev continues to marvel here. While I think of him as a street level artist, perfect for the dark alleys of a noir mystery, he shines here tonight with the more sci-fi and super-heroic aspect of this issue. Love this cover, especially the diagonal color separation between the blues of Superman and the red of Leviathan. Visually arresting.

One last reminder. This is the review post for Event Leviathan #4. The clue review will post next week.

On to the book.