DC Reveals Secret Detective Team in Event Leviathan

In Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev's Event Leviathan, most of the plot has been driven along by a group of elite DC Universe detectives assembled by Lois Lane, who have been investigating the infiltration and apparent destruction of various intelligence agencies within the DC Universe by Leviathan, the group formerly run by Ra's al Ghul's daughter Talia Head. In this week's issue, after Lois fled the Batcave, fans learned that she is not entirely trusting of the people on her team, and that she has a second team, working behind the scenes, doing basically the same job but without eliminating her first team as suspects.

The second team of detectives, who showed up on the final page of Event Leviathan #4, includes Ralph Dibny, Harvey Bullock, John Constantine, Zatanna, Renee Montoya (as the Question), and Deathstroke. While the events of Deathstroke have recently seen Slade killed, then maybe-revived, all while his daughter wears his suit, some questions could be raised about just who that is in Event Leviathan, but the likely answer is just that it's Slade and this story takes place around the events of what's going on in Deathstroke.

"All I can say for this, and I knew it going in, but from the minute we announced this book, everyone started yelling at me about the other detectives, including Elongated Man — most importantly Elongated Man: 'how dare you not include them?'" Bendis told ComicBook.com. "I say this with a big smile, but it is so hilarious. Just let the story unfold; I'm gonna get there! It's the end of the second act. It's actually very structured. But I have to wait like four months before I can say 'See, I had it! I promise you, I've got it under control.'"

Bendis had similar comments about Lois Lane, back when her absence in his early issues of Superman and Action Comics raised some fan hackles. Reminded of that this week, he laughed, "See? She's the best one! She has two teams, maybe more!"

One major DC Universe detective will not be joining up, though, and Bendis has genuine regret for that character's fans.

"I'm going to say, [given] Alex's art style, that the chimp may be one too much," Bendis admitted. "I don't know what it is; I thought about it a great deal, and I mean no disrespect to Detective Chimp and his abilities and his legacy, but I thought about it and I thought ,'let's keep it human for now.'"

Event Leviathan #4 is on sale now, wherever you get your comics both physical and digital.