Series – Deathstroke (2014)
Writer – Tony S. Daniel
Art – Tony S. Danel & Sandu Florea
Publisher – DC Comics
Summary from Comixology – “Someone is after Slade Wilson, but the question is why and can they take down the world’s greatest assassin?”
Overview –
I’ve always liked Deathstroke. I have a bunch of old 90’s issues of Deathstroke the Terminator, including a Michael Golden signed copy of issue 12. I’ve read them all at least once or so. He was never high on my list of favorite characters, but he’s always interested me. I always saw him as cross between Wolverine and The Punisher, with maybe a dash of Thunderbolt Ross thrown in. He’s got cold determination, unrelenting focus, calloused purpose, but he’s also got a sense of honor that people misunderstand sometimes. I have not kept up on him throughout the New 52 but that’s about to change…
Highs –
This first issue of Deathstroke is executed so flawlessly. We get introduced to Slade Wilson, mercenary, and then get to see Deathstroke in action as he lays waste to a whole crew of dudes. It’s intense and amazing. The violence was honestly more brutal than I expected from a DC title. At one point someone gets their face smashed in by nothing more than a fist, and Deathstroke takes out a guy by slabbing him through the mouth and out the back of his head with the handle of his sword… the F—ING HANDLE. My jaw literally dropped.
The art here is very good. I can’t say it’s earth-shattering or anything, but it’s very crisp and clean, and it matches the feel of the story very well. No panel feels like it’s out of place or inconsistent.
One other thing I’d like to address positivily, and even thank DC for, is the $2.99 price tag on this book. Hopefully that doesn’t change in the future, but for someone who has been trying to scale down his monthly comics budget, it’s nice that this is only a $3 book. I feel a little more comfortable adding it to my pull-list for this reason.
Lows –
I genuinely found nothing in this book that I would consider a “low” point. I won’t even try to make something up out of fear that Slade will find me and murder me with his pinky-toe.
The Final Say –
In a week where a handful of great #1’s premiered, Deathstroke #1 is the best. It’s brutal, exciting, and will leave you asking, “Wait… what the hell?” But not in a “this is stupid” kind of way, In a “dear god I need the next issue NOW” kind of way. I’m giving it a 4 out of 5 stars. If you’re bummed that Marvel is doing away with Wolverine for now, pick this up. I promise it will fill that Logan-shaped-hole in your heart.