Event Leviathan #2 Preview

[Chubistian]

Red herring. Leviathan is obviously Ric Grayson. They have overcome the Teen Titans, now they form the all new Suicide Squad. Wally West! Ric Grayson! ... Donna Troy!?

Cool issue, but I think I'm missing a lot of stuff or have a poor memory, or probably both. When Did Barbara Dissapear? Something to do with her solo book? And all these clues leading to Jason are new or were treated in a tie in comic? Spectacular job by Maleev

[phonogram12]

I really do not think setting up Jason as a red-herring is Bendis’s aim. Jason is being written as extremely sympathetic here. His reactions are all appropriate, his priority is Barbara, he is the one to suggest the truce and he asks a bunch of smart, sensible questions. Uncharacteristically he doesn’t lose his temper at all, and his response to being accused is just weary resignation. Batman is repeatedly drawn looming over him and putting him in the position of inferiority, as are the detectives when they come on the scene. He is accused not only of being the villain responsible for all these potential deaths, but of being so crazy that he does not even realize he is doing it and he is just resigned and even polite about it. We get seven separate panels in that two page spread showing him becoming more hurt and withdrawn as their accusations build up.

Gosh yes, I was just re-reading the issue and thinking about this. Hats off to the artist for the effective way they displayed Jasons increasingly resigned body language in that scene. Doesn't even fight it, knows no one will be willing to reason with him. It comes off as kinda sad honestly.

Agreed, I'm not sure if this is meant to be a direct response to my position, but rest assured, I don't think Bendis is trying to convince us as an audience of Jasons guilt, this issue definitely has had the opposite effect, and like you said Jason comes off as sympathetic, even reasonable in this difficult position.

This is literally the most interesting version of Jason I've read since the first nine issues of the original RH&TO. Loved Bendis' Jason dialogue and Alex Maleev (once again) proves he's the absolute master of subtle (yet emotive) body language/facial expressions.

[Swallowtail]

So if they know (or atleast suspect) who Leviathan is, what would team Detective gain by chasing Jason around? Even if it is Roy or somebody who would care about his well being, he would have no reason to reveal themself to save Jason because he’d never be in any real danger even if they do capture him.

It’s not the chase per say, but the whole ‘stage a fight between allies so the villain will have no reason to suspect me’ Is a pretty classic spy fiction trope We know Leviathan’s on a recruiting drive, so if Jason is not Leviathan then Jason’s still the sort of person he is likely to recruit. So Batman hopes to get a spy into Leviathan’s organization and to circumvent any spies in his own organization by acting as if he suspects Jason when Jason is his spy. It sells Jason’s turn to Leviathan and the audience.

Just a possibility.

[Sergard]

I loved the little dialog at the end between Question and Jason.
Question: Why?
Jason: Wrong question/Question.

Seems like Jason prefers Renee. I'm not surprised. But I'm not sure if the bun was intended or not.

The Spongebob ad in the middle of the (physical copy) issue killed the mood a little.

Maleev's art style is growing on me. It's perfect for that kind of story.

[Swallowtail]

This is literally the most interesting version of Jason I've read since the first nine issues of the original RH&TO. Loved Bendis' Jason dialogue and Alex Maleev (once again) proves he's the absolute master of subtle (yet emotive) body language/facial expressions.

Agree. This is the most interested I’ve been in Jason in a long while.

[AnakinFlair]

Cool issue, but I think I'm missing a lot of stuff or have a poor memory, or probably both. When Did Barbara Dissapear? Something to do with her solo book? And all these clues leading to Jason are new or were treated in a tie in comic? Spectacular job by Maleev

Year of the Villain Special #1. Barbara and Oliver take down Merlyn, who's trying to get the hell out of dodge. Merlyn even offers to surrender to them, as long as they all fly out of there immediately, right before a Leviathan-Bot shows up and does it's thing. Apparently Oliver is transported back to his home, whereas Barbara is taken to Leviathan, who actually makes a rather compelling argument for her to join him. Leviathan even points out that neither Batman nor Green Arrow is getting this deal, but she is. It's left on an ambiguous note, and I could honestly see them writing it one of two ways- she joins up to be a double agent, or she joins up because she thinks Leviathan may have a point.

[Chubistian]

Year of the Villain Special #1. Barbara and Oliver take down Merlyn, who's trying to get the hell out of dodge. Merlyn even offers to surrender to them, as long as they all fly out of there immediately, right before a Leviathan-Bot shows up and does it's thing. Apparently Oliver is transported back to his home, whereas Barbara is taken to Leviathan, who actually makes a rather compelling argument for her to join him. Leviathan even points out that neither Batman nor Green Arrow is getting this deal, but she is. It's left on an ambiguous note, and I could honestly see them writing it one of two ways- she joins up to be a double agent, or she joins up because she thinks Leviathan may have a point.

Thanks! I certainly did miss a lot!

[Jackalope89]

Oh that's right. He cruises in on his bike and then Kathy Netz shoots Talia in the head.

Yeah ... they've thank Christmas really downplayed the Talia part of his resurrection. I mean it happened, and she did it, for her weirdo reasons, to help or hurt Bruce, and then he was apparently amnesiac and assassin training for a few years, but like ... I feel like Lost Days is probably retconned right the heck out of existence. And probably some of those daffy Chosen One New 52 decisions, too.

I do think he'd be perfectly motivated to toss her out a window in an airship. He knows enough about the Leviathan structure from assassin experience and the final showdown in Incorporated to make a play at it. And Leviathan's speech patterns feel youthful, like a younger gen DCU hero or villain, not an older one. But Dick still fits the bill better, because he's the DCU's master-spy, even if he's all messed up status quo right now and writers haven't paid much mind to Agent of Spyral since Seeley left the book.

But I'm an easy mark. I still think Bendis's claim that Huntress was in Action because he couldn't use Nightwing because of Ric Grayson was a balls out lie.

I you're referring to when Jason and Talia slept with one another, that was erased with the New52. But most of his history since the New52 (barring the "Joker planned it" thing) is still in.

[nhienphan2808]

"You taught me so"
"Thank you Damian"

Never have DC's attempt to turn Jason into Dick been so shameless. He's even dual weilding now.

[Sergard]

"You taught me so"
"Thank you Damian"

Never have DC's attempt to turn Jason into Dick been so shameless. He's even dual weilding now.

???
Wrong thread I guess.
I don't see how Jason being the prime suspect in a case or him using a katana and a crowbar is a shameless attempt to turn him into Dick?

[nhienphan2808]

I see something bad in the issue I say it. Jason feels off and just...not good.

[Swallowtail]

I see something bad in the issue I say it. Jason feels off and just...not good.

We all love Nightwing, but he did not invent, nor does he have a monopoly on dual wielding two weapons or the sarcastic thank you.

[Sergard]

I see something bad in the issue I say it. Jason feels off and just...not good.

You are quoting a dialogue that wasn't in Event Leviathan #2 (and that I don't know). That's why I'm confused and guessed that you are in the wrong thread.
Sorry if that wasn't the case. But your second line is also confusing me. You are not the only one that said that Jason feels off - others did too.
Others also said that Jason feels more like Dick in this issue - but I'm not seeing it.
I can't imagine that Bruce and Damian would suspect Dick so easily as they did with Jason. And I don't think that Dick would run away at the end. He'd probably stay and argue things out.
I also imagine Dick to be more inclined to agree with Bruce to include other heroes outside the batfamily while Jason is a more mistrusting person. So he asks if they can't keep the case in the bat-family.
I also don't see Dick saying something like "Can we put away the stuff between us so we can work the case?" because there is no stuff to put away. There are different opinions about how far Dick and Bruce have or have not drifted apart in the past but I don't think they ever had a disagreement big enough that it would harm an open investigation.

So it would help if you could elaborate your point "Never have DC's attempt to turn Jason into Dick been so shameless" a little more.

[nhienphan2808]

It's not about being original, it's that Dick is Dick and Jason is something entirely different. It weakens his character when he, with his anti-hero worldview and circumtances, acts like Dick.
Well, NOW it's the wrong thread i guess. It's more of a recurring problem with Prime earth Jason under Didio than anything.

[Zaresh]

You are quoting a dialogue that wasn't in Event Leviathan #2 (and that I don't know). That's why I'm confused and guessed that you are in the wrong thread.
Sorry if that wasn't the case. But your second line is also confusing me. You are not the only one that said that Jason feels off - others did too.
Others also said that Jason feels more like Dick in this issue - but I'm not seeing it.
I can't imagine that Bruce and Damian would suspect Dick so easily as they did with Jason. And I don't think that Dick would run away at the end. He'd probably stay and argue things out.
I also imagine Dick to be more inclined to agree with Bruce to include other heroes outside the batfamily while Jason is a more mistrusting person. So he asks if they can't keep the case in the bat-family.
I also don't see Dick saying something like "Can we put away the stuff between us so we can work the case?" because there is no stuff to put away. There are different opinions about how far Dick and Bruce have or have not drifted apart in the past but I don't think they ever had a disagreement big enough that it would harm an open investigation.

So it would help if you could elaborate your point "Never have DC's attempt to turn Jason into Dick been so shameless" a little more.

I wonder how often the user reads Jason. After reading the whole issue, I didn't feel like he was all that off, surprisingly. Bruce, still could say I felt him off; but not Jason. There are shared traits between the two, I think (well, it depends on the writer, obviously), enough to see similarity that could point to claim they're trying to copy Dick: but I disagree. For the sake of explain myself, I see each of them, Jason and Dick, like this.

Jason is sarcastic, has a black sense of humour and often jokes. He's also pretty sassy, much like Alfred; and has his way with words when he wants to be offensive or hurt someone (which is something he does in issue #2, in the last pages). Dick is more relaxed overall, and even if he's sarcastic (all the batkids are), his humour resources are way nicer, more based on puns and situational humour. He's also mean in a righteous way (pointing out what someone has done wrong); unlike Jason, who is mean when he's cornered and hurts with uncomfortable truths.

Jason's also colder than what people think; when he's angry, and dear lord he can be angry, he's not going to go screaming and crying like a madman: he will be cruel to you in your face, quietly stab you and then blow up the place after he makes some dramatic quit. No screams, no evil maniac laughs or whatsoever: just cool explosions. And if he's not angry, which is the case here, he will just leave, running or not. He's dramatic (like Bruce), but unlike Dick, he's not a showman, is what I meant. And when Dick reaches a certain point of anger, he goes off Big and Hot with his hands. You see and feel he's angry, and very, very pissed.

Here I read a Jason who was part worried, part resigned and sad, and entirely practical and focused (which is something else he is even when he's angry. Hell, especially when he's angry. Tim and Jason share that, as far as I know; well, not the anger aspect but you know).