Event Leviathan #1

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis Artist: Alex Maleev Publisher: DC Comics Release Date: June 12, 2019 Cover Price: $3.99 Critic Reviews: 30 User Reviews: 54
7.4Critic Rating
7.4User Rating

The groundbreaking and always-inventive team of writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Alex Maleev (Jinxworld's SCARLET, Marvel's Daredevil) reunite on a mystery thriller that stretches across the DC Universe and touches every character from Batman to Superman to the Question to Talia al Ghul. With startling ease, a newly dangerous and aggressive Leviathan wipes out all its competition and now turns its sights to molding the world into its vision of order. Can the new threat's growth be stopped...and who's guiding its new agents of chaos?
RATED T+
Includes a code for a free digital download of this issue.

  • 10
    ComicBook.com - Nicole Drum Jun 12, 2019

    Engaging and well-considered, Event Leviathan #1 both looks and reads like thriller, offering just enough in the way of twists and turns to take readers on a story that is both a little predictable and a bit unexpected, leaving the quiet possibility that this is a threat that the heroes may not be able to stop"while also making one wonder exactly who the heroes really are and what cost is worth paying for a "better world." Read Full Review

  • 10
    But Why Tho? - Aaron Phillips Jun 12, 2019

    Overall, Bendis, Maleev, and Reed have delivered a truly enticing first issue for Event Leviathan.The ending was left on a great cliffhanger but felt satisfying enough that you should be eager to pick up issue two next month. Read Full Review

  • 9.6
    Supergirl Comic Box Commentary - Anj Jun 14, 2019

    I loved this. It whet my appetite for more. And that is what a mini-series and a mystery should do. So who is Leviathan? Do you have a theory? Read Full Review

  • 9.6
    Chuck's Comic Of The Day - Chuck Jun 14, 2019

    More than any other Event in recent memory, I'm looking forward to seeing where this one goes! Read Full Review

  • 9.2
    Comic Watch - Kevin Rossi Jun 12, 2019

    Event Leviathan kicks off in style leaving me wanting more. Go grab a copy at your local comic book shop as soon as you can. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    The Super Powered Fancast - Deron Generally Jun 12, 2019

    Alex Maleevs art is fantastic throughout this issue. It is beautifully detailed, dark and gritty with great character shots. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    Lyles Movie Files - Jeffrey Lyles Jun 12, 2019

    As the official kickoff to the event, this was a lot of build-up and a very slow burn. That's nothing new for Bendis, who specializes in intimate, heavy dialogue stories. That approach works fine for this story as it's more of an investigate mystery than the standard mega superhero clash. We didn't get a ton of story progression here, but there's more than enough of a hook to keep me excited about the next issue. Read Full Review

  • 8.5
    Doom Rocket - Brendan Hodgdon Jun 12, 2019

    Regardless of its ultimate significance in the DC Universe, the thrillingly-executed craft of Event Leviathan is impossible to ignore. Bendis, Maleev and Reed are working at an incredibly high level here; they're clearly aiming to craft a new kind of event experience, one that recalls classic mysteries of yore in its willingness to slow down and let the characters do the talking. Read Full Review

  • 8.4
    You Don't Read Comics - Jason A. Fleece Jun 12, 2019

    DC Comics fans and Brian Michael Bendis fans will find a lot to love in Event Leviathan #1. Critics of Bendis who decry his tendency toward extreme verbosity will see their fears confirmed. All in all, its a compelling, if flawed, first issue setting up what could be an exciting new era at DC. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Comic Crusaders - Johnny "The Machine" Hughes Jun 12, 2019

    I am not sure where I stand on this book. Maybe I am getting event-fatigue with the, for me at least, anti-climax of Heroes in Crisis and the ongoing elongated Doomsday Clock, meaning that with this book, DC may be a victim of its own not quite success. On the other hand, having Bendis and Maleev back on a book will no doubt bring fans of their Marvel stuff over to the their perceived dark side if DC Comics. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Black Nerd Problems - Brandon Lawrence Jun 12, 2019

    In this comic, Oliver Queen has an air in between Batman's seriousness and complete comic relief. It promises a fun dynamic. All of this framed by Alex Meleev's iconic artistic style makes Event: Leviathan a must-read. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Geek Dad - Ray Goldfield Jun 12, 2019

    Coming off the excellent Superman: Leviathan Rising, I was intrigued by how the first issue of Brian Michael Bendis' first official event comic for DC would be. After reading it " well, it's very much a Bendis comic. In fact, it's probably the most Bendis Bendis comic I've read in a long time. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Nerdly - Dean Fuller Jun 19, 2019

    A quiet start, but with plenty of world building for the book. Event Leviathan is not your typical summer crossover event, this one looks to have a little meat on its bones, a little more substance than we are used to. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Graphic Policy - Logan Dalton Jun 12, 2019

    Plus its fun to see the crack team of Bendis and Maleev get down and noir-y in a new universe. Maleevs use of shadows that imply Batman is hiding something are a thing of beauty, and as long as youre okay with a little bit of decompression with your espionage noir, Event Leviathan #1 is worth checking out and is more Agatha Christie than Michael Bay. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Forces Of Geek - Atlee Greene Jun 12, 2019

    Overall, Event Leviathan is off to a good start. Hopefully, we get a little more meat in the next installment with that pattern increasing in each outing. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Dark Knight News - Bryant Lucas Jun 14, 2019

    Overall, this issue was great; however, I do have a cautionary note. If you are interested in jumping into this event, make sure you do some homework and read Bendis' Action Comics run. It also wouldn't hurt to read theYear of the Villain one-shot. Otherwise, you'll most likely be lost. Final Verdict: do your homework, and then give it a read. Read Full Review

  • 7.1
    IGN - Jesse Schedeen Jun 12, 2019

    Event Leviathan #1 has mood to spare, but it doesn't give this mystery series the early momentum it needs. Read Full Review

  • 7.0
    Newsarama - Justin Partridge Jun 12, 2019

    Armed with a monster hook and a sparkling take on Lois Lane, Event Leviathan #1 is a lot of fun - provided you don't mind seeing a lot of people talk in a single location for the duration, that is. Read Full Review

  • 7.0
    Comic Book Bin - Philip Schweier Jun 12, 2019

    Maleevuses a monochromatic palette that works well here. Darker blues for the Batmanand Lois scenes, bright oranges for others. Its pretty much one or the other,which some might consider rather limiting, but it creates a unifying affect forthe scenes hes presenting, and allowing his rendering to challenge the color "effectively, I might add. Read Full Review

  • 7.0
    AIPT - Ritesh Babu Jun 12, 2019

    A restrained mystery built around character interaction, Event Leviathan is a great showcase of Maleev's incredible artistic talents, as he recasts the DCU in his vision. Read Full Review

  • 6.8
    Monkeys Fighting Robots - Colin Tessier Jun 12, 2019

    Event Leviathan #1 fails to build on the momentum of the Leviathan Rising one-shot. Instead, it simply spins its wheels; Bendis doesn't offer many new nuggets of information in the story. The event may be a slow-burn mystery but, with such a dull first issue, Bendis may have already smothered the flame of the fans' intrigue. Read Full Review

  • 6.0
    Comic Book Revolution - Rokk Jun 12, 2019

    Anyone who has read Action Comics or Year of the Villain #1 will be completely bored with this issue. Those readers can easily skip Event Leviathan #1. It is not worth the cover price. Those readers can simply hop aboard Event Leviathan #2 when the story actually begins. Read Full Review

  • 6.0
    Weird Science - Eric Shea Jun 12, 2019

    The first issue to this event comes off as a bit of a bore in my mind because we really don't do much to further what we already know from all the prologues and specials proceeding this.  The art is fine, but because of the lack of any real backgrounds aside from rubble, it comes off a bit boring too.  This isn't the best of first issues to something, but I still look forward to this event wowing in the months ahead and hope that this was just a necessary issue to catch people up. Read Full Review

  • 6.0
    Sequential Planet - Ethan Maddux Jun 13, 2019

    Despite its lackluster start, Event Leviathan still has plenty of potential. Alex Maleev's art is still a joy to look at, and the dialogue is mostly solid. This is not a poorly constructed issue. It's just (excuse the pun) an uneventful one. Read Full Review

  • 6.0
    Kabooooom - Matt Morrison Jun 12, 2019

    In the end, Event Leviathan is tolerable but your ability to enjoy it will depend upon how well you can withstand BM Bendis' clunky exposition for the sake of Alex Maleev's artwork. Read Full Review

  • 6.0
    The Batman Universe - Ian Miller Jun 14, 2019

    Alex Maleev and Brian Bendis create a moody, gorgeous, if somewhat slow-paced first chapter of Event Leviathan. Read Full Review

  • 5.7
    Multiversity Comics - Alexander Jones Jun 13, 2019

    laden premise but still carries a mysterious personality. Read Full Review

  • 4.0
    Critical Blast - RJ Carter Jun 17, 2019

    At least the art by Alex Maleev is appropriately moody both in pencils and coloration. But that's not worth our $3.99 per issue if the story is completely lacking the hooks needed to make the reader invest in the premise. Read Full Review

  • 4.0
    DC Comics News - Ari Bard Jun 17, 2019

    Event Leviathan #1 is a visually spectacular book with a lot of potential, but it ultimately falls flat in its attempt to draw you in for the large event or satisfy any doubts or questions you may be having. Read Full Review

  • 4.0
    Batman-News - Brian Warshaw Jun 12, 2019

    Event Leviathan #1 is a huge disappointment. It looks nice in static, but its oft-abysmal dialogue can't sustain the conversation-centric plot, and the Leviathan sizzle at the end isn't worth the pages that precede it. Read Full Review

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