Leviathan (2000 AD) [Paperback]

The main story arc of Leviathan, presented in its entirety in this volume, originally appeared in 2000AD in progs 1351 to 1360. Also in this volume are three short stories, the script of the first episode and various concept sketches from the series.

The premise of Leviathan was (and still is) very promising. In 1928 the Leviathan, billed as the biggest ocean liner ever built, vanishes on its maiden voyage to New York along with its designer William Ashbless. Twenty years after its disappearance, the ship drifts in a lifeless, featureless sea, its passengers caught in a similar state of resignation and ennui. Many of the passengers have gone missing or have committed suicide. Some fear that they are already dead and they are living in Purgatory. ...And no-one believes that they will ever reach their original destination.

Enter Detective Sergeant Aurelius Lament of Scotland Yard, one of the passengers in 2nd class. He is summoned by the Captain to investigate a gruesome murder of one of the passengers in 1st class. The victim has apparently been mauled by a Stoker, one of the beasts said to inhabit the lower bowels of the ship. DS Lament reluctantly agrees to help, but changes his mind when Ashbless finds a scapegoat - an innocent infiltrator from Steerage Class posing as a waiter - then tortures and kills him. Shocked by this experience DS Lament turns to drink. Then he receives a visit from the Captain who tells him that no-one has heard from the engine room in five years despite the best efforts of several search parties - all of whom are missing, presumed dead. More importantly, the Captain asks why the ship still has light and power years after the ship's fuel should have run out. His interest piqued, DS Lament decides to leave the tranquillity and relative civility of the upper decks to brave the iniquity and barbarism found below.

Before purchasing this slim volume, I was expecting an Agatha Christie-esque murder mystery crossed with J G Ballard's 'High Rise' and Dante's 'Inferno', all set on a big boat. While all of these disparate themes were present within the story, I could not help thinking that the story felt incomplete. It started well, with the first twenty or so pages being exemplary (up until the point where the poor unfortunate from Steerage was executed and DS Lament decides to solve the mystery of the engine room). D'Isreali's art added so much to the feel of the story - 1920's Art Deco opulence, mixed with a dark, menacing sense of things not being as they should be. However, as soon as DS Lament stepped into the lift taking him into the lower levels, the story began to feel rushed. I was expecting more of the scenes within Steerage and the area near to the engine room; there was vice, crime and debauchery, yes, but little sense that you, the reader, were descending into ever greater wickedness and weirdness as DS Lament explored the lower levels of the ship. To use an apposite aphorism, in a story such as Leviathan the journey is as important - if not more important - than the destination. While the dénouement was well executed it felt premature. With double the number of pages the main story arc would have been something very special indeed.

The short stories all have the Tharg's Future Shock format, i.e. take an idea and run with it for a few pages and add an unexpected twist at the end. All of these vignettes added context to life onboard the Leviathan and were thoroughly enjoyable. I was surprised that only three of these short stories had been written given the popularity of the series with 2000AD's readers at the time. Unfortunately the remainder of the material in the book was a complete let down. Concept sketches and scripts do little for me; to me they are less an opportunity for the reader to see 'behind the scenes' and more an indication of a paucity of REAL content.

In summary, I enjoyed this volume and was impressed by the quality of the artwork, concept and (to an extent) the storyline. It's just a shame that the brevity of the series didn't do the Leviathan and its fate justice.

(On a completely unrelated note, I believe that the plot of Leviathan would work well as a movie, what with the 1920s period drama, mystery thriller and horror aspects. I wonder if the old Titanic set is still kicking around somewhere...?)

Good story although it did get a bit bitty towards the end, would have liked to see more about the stokers.great artwork,I love
Graphic novels and 2000ad produce the best. More please.