By d. emerson eddy — “The Lowensteins killed themselves today. Isaac and Julia. They were fine people and good friends. I will miss them dearly. Their warmth and compassion helped me greatly in the dark days after Mary passed away.”

So begins Leviathan, by Ian Edginton, D'Israeli, and Tom Frame, following on a newsreel recreation that gave exposition on the setting for the story. The terseness of the prose, diving succinctly into the bleakness of the situation, plays with both genres that this story straddles, noir and horror, instantly pulling the reader in, refusing to let go. Edginton and D'Israeli proved that they could work magic with Scarlet Traces and they do so again here.

Serialized across 2000 AD Progs 1351-1360, Leviathan drops us on to the world's largest ocean liner, a truly massive floating city, that launched in 1928. It promptly went missing on its way to New York. It's been lost in a still world for twenty years, the fuel should have run out five years earlier but the ship is inexplicably still running, and bizarre murders have begun across the First Class section. Which brings in our narrator and protagonist, Detective Sergeant Aurelius Lament, providing insight into the social strata across the ship, the mystery of the stokers, and the revelation that the murders go much deeper than the current crop. First Class just didn't care or know about them because they happened on the lower decks. The story leads us through the society of the ship and gives us the horrible secret at its heart.

D'Israeli delivers some of his absolute best artwork on this story. He uses an exaggerated angular cartooning style, somewhat similar to Paul Grist or Philip Bond, but enhances it with some stunning detail and interesting use of textures. There's an experimentation here with line weight and tone for character outlines, specifically flesh rather than clothing, that's fascinating. Coupled with incredible designs for the ship and the antagonists (the discovery of who and what they are is half the fun), this is an amazing visual treat.

In addition to the perfect tone and atmosphere set by the narration, Edginton's dialogue for the characters also breaks differently across the social classes. There's a haughty air to the First Class passengers compared to the broken speech patterns of steerage. The narration boxes and word balloons all nicely lettered by Tom Frame, giving us a particularly interesting approach for one of the main antagonists.

Overall, the original Leviathan story from Edginton, D'Israeli, and Frame is a wonderful self-contained noir horror that plays on the claustrophobia of being lost at sea on a singular vessel, but also broad enough that its the size of a city with its own social structure. It's a perfect setting for more stories, even beyond the shorts that the creative team told afterwards. I'd love to see the 20 years spent adrift explored even more in the future. 

Classic Comic of the Week: Leviathan from 2000 AD

Leviathan
Writer: Ian Edginton
Artist: D'Israeli
Letterer: Tom Frame
Publisher: Rebellion
All Alone On Infernal Seas!
In 1928 the largest cruise liner the world has ever seen is launched. With a crew and passenger complement totalling nearly 30,000 people the Leviathan is bound for New York. However, it never reaches the Big Apple and simply... disappears!
Twenty years later - with the Leviathan stranded on an unearthly sea - Detective Sergeant Lament begins to investigate the mystery at the liner’s heart. What he discovers will change his world forever - but it might just bring the Leviathan home…
From the creators of Scarlet Traces and The Great Game comes a unique story that will continue to haunt the reader long after the last page has been turned!
Release Date: September 1, 2013
Price: $7.99
More Info: Leviathan from 2000AD

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d. emerson eddy is a student and writer of things. He fell in love with comics during Moore, Bissette, & Totleben's run on Swamp Thing and it has been a torrid affair ever since. His madness typically manifests itself on Twitter @93418.