Leviathan Dawn #1: Welcome to the Team

Leviathan Dawn #1 covers a lot of ground, but does so at a good pace. The issue acts as an introduction and prelude to Event Leviathan: Checkmate, which will be released this April. The duration of Leviathan Dawn follows Colonel Steve Trevor as he visits various figures from past Leviathan issues and series to recruit them into Checkmate. I thoroughly enjoyed Trevor’s visits with each individual; they were all unique and none felt unnecessary.

Brian Michael Bendis, as always, does a brilliant job writing for a large cast of characters, and I am already excited to read more interactions between the team members. In addition to Bendis; writing, Alex Maleev’s art fits this book perfectly. Even when Event Leviathan fell flat, Maleev’s art was gorgeous and set the visual tone of the series perfectly. Leviathan Dawn, and I hope Event Leviathan: Checkmate, has a similar feeling as its precursor. I am guessing Checkmate will be working in the shadows and not always going by the book, which is more than welcome. Maleev’s art thrives in the dark, and it perfectly complements the nature of the series.

An aspect of Leviathan that has not been explored until now is its political power. Towards the end of the issue, the team learns that Leviathan has taken control of Markovia. The voice of someone reporting the story says, “When asked what it took for Leviathan to gain control overnight … the High Chancellor simply said, ‘They paid cash.’” Event Leviathan and Action Comics have both shown how powerful Leviathan is, but now readers are seeing another side of that strength. An entire country, though a small one, willingly turned over ownership of everything to Leviathan just days after Mark Shaw’s reveal.

Shaw’s influence can be seen again earlier in the issue when Dr. Netz reveals that she tried to sabotage Leviathan. When she claims she, as well as the other scientists working for Shaw, was kidnapped, everyone else expresses that they feel rescued. Their willingness to comply can mean a number of things. The first is that they really are brainwashed, as Netz claims, the second is that they truly believe in what Leviathan stands for, the third is that they are becoming richer than their wildest dreams, and the fourth is that they are terrified because they know exactly what Shaw is capable of. Leviathan wins either way.