Vidgun, I agree with the OT imagery, many times in order to understand Revelation you need to look more closely to OT imagery or OT accounts ,but I think the connection between the beast of Revelation 13:1-5 with Daniel 7 is obvious since the Revelation beast I'd made up from the animal parts of the beasts of Daniel 7
Revelation 13:2
"Now the wild beast that I saw was like a leopard(=3rd beast)) but its feet were like those of a bear,(=2nd beast) and its mouth was like a lion’s(=1st beast) mouth."
I don't think that's a coincidence