Hmm, I don't think the shifter got bent - it was wrapped in foam and packed in foam. If you look at the left and right brake levers from the front I can see that the left lever is raised up a little so that the top of it is inside the housing. The right hand lever sits flush with the housing.
I feel like it has something to do with the brake cable tension or length...but I tinkered with the tension yesterday and although I was able to bring the lever to sit a little closer with the shifter, it still didn't sit the way the right set did.