Leviathan was the criminal secret organisation run by Talia al Ghul, daughter of Ra's al Ghul. But of late in the comic books, it seems to have become a little more than that and even out of Talia's control. It appears to be all part of Brian Bendis' contributions to DC's Year Of The Villain and he gets to write his big crime conspiracy stories that once upon a time used to be his stock-in-trade, within the DC Universe.

And in today's Action Comics #1010 by Bendis and Steve Epting, we get a new origin for that original version of Leviathan. As Spyral agents Chas and Anya, better knows as Clark and Lois, head to London to meet their old runner Tyger… and we get a new story.

Leviathan was, basically, a training exercise for Spyral in the down times.

UPDATE: That'll teach me to be clever clever. (No it won't). That particular take on Leviathan was from Grayson #13 and #14 by Tom King, Tim Seeley and Mike Janin, which Bendis rather neatly picked up on.

That's the one. I was clearly distracted by the geographical issue to come…

There's more to uncover though when you dig down. That meeting place is a bookshop…

Called Coates Books. Full of espionage thriller novels and graphic novels like these:

The Janus Directive from Checkmate. Velvet. Crossfire. Many more… Three Days Of The Condor was the name of the film, the novel was Six Days Of The Condor. And a few Bendis books too. But being called Coates Books – that is just the kind of thing that Brian Bendis might slip in to tease he will be bringing in Ta Nehisi-Coates, currently writing Black Panther and Captain America for Marvel Comics, over to the DC side…

But I can't think about that now. I'm distracted. By scenes like this:

Okay, where in London could you stand on a rooftop, Steve Epting, to see both the London Eye and the Shard in shot like that together … where you can also turn sideways to see St Paul's Cathedral on the skyline too?

I've had a go, and Big Ben aside, even if you cross the Thames, position the Shard behind the London Eye in the distance – a) you'd see the Thames and b) the South Bank would get in the way and c) St Paul's is still in the wrong position…

Still, at least you can't see the spires of Cambridge University, I suppose.

ACTION COMICS #1010

(W) Brian Michael Bendis (A/CA) Steve Epting

One by one they fall: A.R.G.U.S.! The D.E.O.! The Kobra Cult! And now, Spyral! Clark Kent and Lois Lane go undercover to find out who is behind all of the attacks on the top-secret and underground organizations of the DC Universe! Is it the rise of a new power in the DCU called Leviathan? Named one of the best comics of the year by Paste magazine!In Shops: Apr 24, 2019

SRP: $3.99