Comics Bulletin logo
Search
  • Columns
    Random
    • The Anniversary Waltz, part three

      Jason Jeffords Jr., Will Rice
      May 16, 2010
      Columns, Fool Britannia
    Recent
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 2

      Daniel Gehen
      December 4, 2020
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 1

      Daniel Gehen
      October 30, 2020
    • Comictober 2020: DRACULA MOTHERF**KER

      Daniel Gehen
      October 27, 2020
    • What Looks Good
    • Comics Bulletin Soapbox
    • The Full Run
    • Leading Question
    • Top 10
    • The Long-Form
    • Jumping On
    • Comics in Color
    • Slouches Towards Comics
  • Big Two
    Random
    • Barry Allen is the Best Flash

      Jason Jeffords Jr., Will Rice
      February 10, 2016
      Big Two, DC Comics
    Recent
    • Retro Review: Detective Comics #826 Remains a Holiday Classic

      Daniel Gehen
      December 3, 2020
    • Stan Lee

      nguyen ly
      November 7, 2020
    • Collecting Profile: Jack O’ Lantern

      nguyen ly
      October 31, 2020
    • DC Comics
    • Big Two Reviews
    • Marvel Comics
  • Indie
    Random
    • Image/Skybound Announce New Series Heart Attack

      Jason Jeffords Jr., Will Rice
      August 20, 2019
      Image, News, Press Release, Previews
    Recent
    • Review: The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist

      Daniel Gehen
      December 14, 2020
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 2

      Daniel Gehen
      December 4, 2020
    • 4.5

      TMNT: The Last Ronin #1 Lives Up to the Hype (Review)

      Daniel Gehen
      October 29, 2020
    • Reviews
    • Archie Comics
    • Boom! Studios
    • Dark Horse
    • IDW
    • Image
    • Oni Press
    • Valiant
  • Reviews
    Random
    • 4.0

      Team-Up Review: 'Secret Wars #1' Kills All of Your Favorite Characters in Entertaining Fashion

      Jason Jeffords Jr., Will Rice
      May 12, 2015
      Reviews, Team-Up Review
    Recent
    • Review: The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist

      Daniel Gehen
      December 14, 2020
    • Retro Review: Detective Comics #826 Remains a Holiday Classic

      Daniel Gehen
      December 3, 2020
    • 4.5

      TMNT: The Last Ronin #1 Lives Up to the Hype (Review)

      Daniel Gehen
      October 29, 2020
    • Singles Going Steady
    • Slugfest
    • Manga
      • Reviews
    • Small Press
      • Reviews
      • ICYMI
      • Tiny Pages Made of Ashes
  • Interviews
    Random
    • Philip Gelatt: Epic Historical Spy Fiction

      Jason Jeffords Jr., Will Rice
      September 4, 2011
      Interviews
    Recent
    • Interview: Jon Davis-Hunt Talks SHADOWMAN

      Daniel Gehen
      June 8, 2020
    • Interview: Becky Cloonan talks DARK AGNES and Her Personal Influences

      Mike Nickells
      March 4, 2020
    • Simon Roy

      Interview: Simon Roy on His Inspirations and Collaborations on PROTECTOR

      Mike Nickells
      January 29, 2020
    • Audio Interview
    • Video Interview
  • Classic Comics
    Random
    • …Jackass by Day : A Review of The Essential Werewolf by Night

      Jason Jeffords Jr., Will Rice
      October 30, 2015
      Classic Comics, Classic Comics Cavalcade
    Recent
    • Countdown to the King: Marvel’s Godzilla

      Daniel Gehen
      May 29, 2019
    • Honoring A Legend: Fantagraphics To Resurrect Tomi Ungerer Classics

      Daniel Gehen
      February 15, 2019
    • Reliving the Craziest Decade in Comics History: An interview with Jason Sacks

      Mark Stack
      January 2, 2019
    • Classic Comics Cavalcade
    • Classic Interviews
  • News
    Random
    • Exclusive Marvel Preview: "Nova" #8

      Jason Jeffords Jr., Will Rice
      June 9, 2016
      Marvel Comics, Previews
    Recent
    • 2020 Ringo Awards Winners Announced

      Daniel Gehen
      October 26, 2020
    • BAD IDEA Announces 2021 Publishing Slate

      Daniel Gehen
      September 29, 2020
    • A Full Replay of NCSFest 2020 is now Available

      Daniel Gehen
      September 15, 2020
    • Press Release
    • Kickstarter Spotlight
  • Books
    Random
    • Review: 'Prison Island' is a Journey to a Close-by Strange Land

      Jason Jeffords Jr., Will Rice
      September 7, 2015
      Books, Reviews, Small Press
    Recent
    • Collecting Profile: Disney Frozen

      CB Staff
      November 22, 2019
    • Collecting Profile: NFL Superpro

      CB Staff
      August 31, 2019
    • “THE BEST OF WITZEND” is a Wonderful Celebration of Artistic Freedom

      Daniel Gehen
      September 15, 2018
    • Review: ‘Machete Squad’ is a Disappointing Afghan Memoir

      Jason Sacks
      July 31, 2018
    • Review: ‘Out of Nothing’ is the Antidote to Our Sick Times

      Jason Sacks
      July 23, 2018
    • Review: ‘Bizarre Romance’ Shows Rough Edges in the Early Days of a New Marriage

      Jason Sacks
      July 10, 2018
What's New
  • Collecting Profile: Batwoman
  • Collecting Profile: Daredevil
  • Collecting Profile: Floronic Man
  • Review of Cheetah in Wonder Woman 1984
  • Review: The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist
  • Collecting Profile: Transformers
  • RSS Feed
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Contact Us
  • Write for us!
  • Visit Video Game Break!
Home
Indie
Image

Sunday Slugfest: The Monster Mash of LEVIATHAN #1

Jason Jeffords Jr., Will Rice
August 5, 2018
Image, Slugfest

(w) John Layman (a) Nick Pitarra (c) Michael Garland

With the trailer for Godzilla: King of the Monsters dropping recently, there’s been in uptick in interest regarding giant, building smashing monsters. Filling that void for the time being is Leviathan from Image Comics, and two of our newest writers share their thoughts.

Jason Jeffords Jr. – Buildings beware! The Kaiju are here! Leviathan is the byproduct of Ryan Deluca forgetting to restock beer for a party and leaving his “guests” bored and thirsty at his house. Taking this opportunity to do some good ol’ summoning (because who wouldn’t?) an acquaintance (aptly named Goth Jimmy) sets this epic into motion, but is Leviathan a stomping good time, or the dying roar of the early 2000s Godzilla? The answer courtesy of writer John Layman, artist Nick Pitarra, and colorist Michael Garland is an emphatic “yes”.

As easily as a 400 foot -geez that’s big- goliath throws a building across a baseball field, John Layman did the same clocking a homerun in the writing department. Most Kaiju-fare consist of building-smashing and philosophical questions. With the first issue of a planned five (and hopefully more), a couple common elements are present: buildings and romance. Staying out of spoiler territory, but both of those don’t survive, which is great. The whole twenty pages are fantastic, drawing me in like a Mothra to the flame. With this being the first issue we don’t get much in the way of character development but what we do get is character moments that show us how each act and react to the destruction happening around them.

Personally I feel Ryan Deluca and Johnny Burns are the most relatable -that we’ve been introduced to- due to being just regular guys on a trip for beer that get caught up in monster mayhem. With a pace that keeps running and quick smart witted dialogue it makes the read fast but fun and fulfilling. With a gigantic monster looming in the background, and a small insert page of the government (and great president cameo) making plans for future issues, it does well to keep an aura of light heartedness and self-awareness keeping the reader engaged and desiring more.

Pitarra’s art brings a certain spark that would reanimate the dead. There were multiple times I’d have to stop reading just to fully comprehend the many minor details of the art. Even the simplest of objects are detailed to the umpth degree bringing the images to life. With many visual jokes and depth after reading just once I went back and “read” the art. If the inks are the spark then Garland’s colors help bring beauty to this monster of a comic. With vivid, lush colors it helps bring the panels and monster to life. With most entertainment in life art is highly subjective, the whole picture is fantastic but the one piece that some may not like is Pitarra’s faces. I believe the art is gorgeous -as said above- but I can believe others if they say they can’t take it at “face” value.

I hope with the next few issues Layman and Pitarra keep up their Kaiju game because nowadays it’s a monster eat monster world. Plus there are questions that need answered. Will Johnny Burns be back? Why did “Goth Jimmy” have the items to summon it? Why would you summon it? Has movies taught you nothing? I mean hell, they even have a kaiju marathon going on in the beginning.

Memorable quote: “Nuh-uh, Ry. Black guy always dies first dies first in the horror film.” – Johnny Burns

Final Thought: With a monster like this who needs friends? This is one Kaiju Comic that will make a cityscape tsunami in your hand (in a good way).

William Rice – Leviathan #1 is the comic book equivalent of an AC/DC guitar solo. I’m talking about over-the-top, stadium shaking “Hells Bells” meets “Highway to Hell” meets the hormonal kaiju-fueled wet dreams of my now distant and confusing youth. It’s as rock ‘n roll as they come, and really (REALLY) fun. It’s a hilariously nihilistic spectacle that delivers on a few different levels with zero hint of pretense, though – much like a 350 foot lizard – you can see exactly what’s coming from about a mile away.

“Kaiju,” if you aren’t familiar, is Japanese for “strange beast” or “monster” and is typically associated with Japanese films featuring skyscraper-sized monsters fighting to the death. These films includes cheesy classics like 1962’s King Kong vs. Godzilla, 1968’s Destroy All Monsters and a host of other titles. However, kaiju filmmaking isn’t all just rubber suits and miniature set crushing – it’s a response to the horrific psychological uncertainties of the atomic age, with a fair number of moral ambiguities and lingering questions about the future of humankind. Sometimes the featured monster appears to punish us for foolish, humanistic misdeeds, and sometimes it appears to save the citizenry and play hero. The story of kaiju film is also the story of the Japanese outlook on nuclear energy after World War II – conflicted for good reason. Leviathan presents us with a similarly ambiguous and existential terror, reshaped for maximum impact, and aimed at modern consumer culture.

Leviathan is a uniquely American view of kaiju. And I mean that literally; look out for appearances by The Orange One himself and lackey Jared Kushner ordering a full-scale nuclear strike from the White House nursery. Apart from the pointedly idiotic cameos, Leviathan asks us to measure our own reaction to disaster in the melting pot, and suggests several points of view from which you might evaluate the destruction, the same way 24-hour info-tainment bounces from one talking head to another.  What do you do when the monster breaks loose? Are you the sleazy cameraman vying for the best angle? Are you the fearful priest who finally sees the coming of The Beast? Are you the hobo screaming bloody apocalypse in the street?

The premise of Leviathan is as amusing and easy to follow as any old-school kaiju film – big city plus big monster equals big entertainment.  Unfortunately, a simple premise often lends itself to predictability. If you’re looking for a comic book that breaks new ground with an innovative approach to storytelling, this isn’t it. But not every comic book has to be the next Watchmen, either. Leviathan #1 delivers on the promise it makes right on the cover: a kickass monster is hungry to squish the guts out of dopey morons like they were toothpaste tubes. I can’t wait to see more.

 

Image ComicsJohn LaymanLeviathanNick Pitarra

Share On:
Tweet
Review: Britannia Lost Eagles of Rome #1 Shows Lots of Promise
Review: Robots Vs Princesses #1 is no new epic

About The Author

Jason Jeffords Jr., Will Rice

Related Posts

  • The Walking Dead Deluxe Gets 6 Connecting Covers From Charlie Adlard

    Ashley Hurst
    September 9, 2020
  • Image Comics Debuts COMMANDERS IN CRISIS This October

    Ashley Hurst
    July 4, 2020

Support Us!

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

Friends of the Site

  • SOLRAD
  • Your Chicken Enemy
  • Psycho Drive-In
  • Women Write About Comics
  • The Beat
  • Loser City
RSSTwitterFacebookgoogleplusinstagramtumblr

Comics Bulletin is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for website owners to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, audible.com, and any other website that may be affiliated with Amazon Service LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, Comics Bulletin earns from qualifying purchases.

All content on this site (c) 2018 The Respective Copyright Holders