The detective squad has confronted Red Hood and come away with very little. They are no closer to answering their question, who is Leviathan? Minor spoilers for Event Leviathan #3 follow.
Event Leviathan so far has been a solid slow-burn mystery that really taps into a side of the DC Universe that isn’t used that often. The last story that focused on a universe engulfing mystery was Identity Crisis so it has been a while. This issue picks up the steam though and really moves forward the mystery. Plus, there’s a lot more action in this issue that changes that pace drastically, and for the better, compared to the previous two issues.
The mystery behind Leviathan has obviously been the driving force behind this series and we move one step forward two steps back in this issue. Not quality-wise, just discovering Leviathan’s identity-wise. Red Hood felt like the obvious choice as to who Leviathan is. A little too obvious, so it’s good to see that this isn’t the case. However, this puts the mystery back to square one with very few leads to follow. This creates for an interesting dynamic between this hastily put together detective squad and it really helps to build up anticipation. This series so far has been nothing but build. Eventually, things will hopefully erupt and utilize that build that has happened, creating an exciting climax.
The best single part of Leviathan #3 though has to be the interaction between Lois Lane and Red Hood. These are two characters that really have never been together, yet they are great together in this issue. Brian Michael Bendis writes Lois wonderfully and to see her tenacity, even with a gun in her face, is great. It’s great to see Lois getting her due as of late and this issue adds onto that very well.
Alex Maleev’s art is yet again magnificent in this issue. It’s the perfect combination of noir-sensibilities and superheroes. When there’s action, it’s fluid and exciting in ways that feel like they pop off the page. Then when it’s simply a scene based around dialogue, the pacing, blocking, and subtle nuances of his art are fantastic.
His art balances the fantastical elements of the DC Universe with the grounded elements of a noir incredibly well. The colors are bright, yet shrouded in darkness. It’s a style and tone that can really only be captured with Maleev’s style and painting. Maleev’s art is perfect for this story and there are very few artists that could seemingly be a part of this series, which is to say he’s not easily replaced.