Deathstroke #1

[arbre_rieur]

Four pages from the issue...





The mission is to assassinate an arms dealer and recover his briefcase. And for political and bureaucratic reasons, the client wants it done over international waters.

Comments

[darkknightjrk]

Heheh. The "Alpha Dawgs" and Slade throwing the soldiers out into the ocean was funnier. If it keeps up like this, I might pick this up in trade. :)

[coldfiredragon]

Trust me. It doesn't.

[icon_uk]

I would have thought Slade would insist on picking his own team, and have the connections to pull one together.

[aaron_bourque]

The theme of the issue is that the world sees Slade as washed up, so the employer wanted a younger team before they would allow Deathstroke on board--but Wilson's gonna prove everyone wrong!

[halloweenjack]

Nothing says "I want to be taken seriously as a mercenary" like wearing your hair in pigtails. *shakes head, wanders off*

[leikomgwtfbbq]

*looks at own pigtails forlornly* What's wrong with Pigtails? :(

[glprime]

Just keep picturing Ron Perlman in this role and it gets better and better (that's who I cast in my Secret Society film, so...)

[biod]

I'll admit that does make things better.

[blackruzsa]

Ron Perlman somehow makes everything better.

[nezchan]

Picturing Ron Perlman as the lead makes everything better.

Yes, including Batgirl.

[biod]

Ah yes, "Alpha Dawgs", the cannon fodder; the new meat we feed into the grinder to show just how experienced and "badass" Deathstroke the fantasy villain (Look at that damn armor! Look at it!) is. They're already dead aren't they?
I remain completely unenthused. Call me when they get the charactarization right and dial him down from "Bat-God" levels of overpowered.

[coldfiredragon]

Right on the damn money. On all counts. It really pissed me off too.

[coldfiredragon]

What pissed me off most about this was that Higgins spent half the issue setting up what could have been a really awesome concept then at the end axed it completely without warning.

I was enthused and the 'dawgs' attitudes actually got a laugh. The twist ending just to have a twist ending and prove a vague concept about lone wolf bad-assery completely fell flat. All Higgins needed was the action sequence of the book to bring his point across.

I will give Higgins credit for the ACTION in the book because it was good and showed off what Slade can do. I loved that part of it. It will keep my coming back to the book for at least a couple more issues.

[drexer]

Calling Deathstroke 'lovetap' is just... well you know... weird in disturbing ways.

[biod]

Especially considering past relations with younger associates *cough*Terra*cough*.

[oneirosdreams]

You know, it suddenly occurs to me how odd this is. If the whole idea behind this comic is "the world thinks Deathstroke is washed up", why on Earth, in Batwoman #1, would Kate say Deathstroke was having an "off day" if Bette fought him and won? Shouldn't the comment have been more "Yeah well, he's getting old" to bring it in line with the idea behind this comic?

Sorry, I just put down Batwoman #1 as I was perusing the latest entries.

[coldfiredragon]

I can kinda answer this question... I've been following Kyle Higgins' twitter and the interviews he's done since this title was announced as it was one of the books I was most excited about.... after this... yeah not quite as excited anymore.

Kyle's kinda looking at what Slade has done over the last few years and seen that the last time Slade has really SUCCEEDED at being 'great' was when he fought the Justice League in 'Identity Crisis'. It really was the last time we saw him plan for a fight and use his abilities to their fullest extent. Since then its been one failure or partial success after failure and partial success. This in MY opinion is because DC has shoved him into EVERYTHING when he has no chance of winning.

Kyle seems to be trying to get back to that point. I kinda agree with him. I did like the fight in Identity Crisis. I did like that Slade had a plan, that he knew the Atom would try to go small, that he had a way to possibly disable Black Canary's cry, that he took off the tails of Ollie's arrows so they would be useless. The fight really showed Slade's range as a mental strategist as well as a physical combatant. Its a part of his character that DC hasn't really showcased since.

Higgins is trying to prove that Slade can be THAT character again. He doesn't want him to fail again and again like he has over the last few years.

I read Batwoman as well and I kinda grinned a little. The author for that book seemed to have a hell of a better handle on Slade than Higgins does. Slade is dangerous but he's thrown himself into so much the last few years and failed so many times because he's not doing what he's best at that people have forgotten what he is really good at. I was really pleased that Kate seemed to remember that he is dangerous. He doesn't have to have a grand scheme in mind like he's been trying to do. He needs small manageable targets.

I hope that kinda cleared some things up and that I didn't end up confusing you more.

" 'Stroke Vision?"

[capt_satellite]

I understand that Jennifer Anniston's mother is now equipped with " 'Stroke Vision."



Too soon?

[shadowpsykie]

.... this doesn't look bad... what am i Missing????

[coldfiredragon]

This part was good. It was the twist at the end of the comic that sucked.

[lonewolf23k]

Essentially, the theme of this book is "Deathstroke's having a Mid-Life Crisis." 'Cause that's what it feels like: Slade Wilson, the aging mercenary, going out of his way to show he's still as badass and lethal as he was when he was younger. Heck, just look at his shiny new armor, full of "cool" spiky bits, and his big-ass new sword that doesn't look the least bit phallic...

[rdfox]

You know, it's amazing how, with every page I see of DCnu, I find myself giving infinitely fewer fucks about it. EVERY. SINGLE. PAGE.

[tsunamiwombat]

I now envision Deathstroke speaking in Christopher Haydens voice, because he pretty much looks like Solid Snake.

[tsunamiwombat]

Also, Christopher looks like David Carriden

[drmcninja]

What a surprise, its the new 52 and they forgot people stopped talking like that after the 90s. No, wait, they forgot the 90s stopped after the 90s.

[arbre_rieur]

Yes, but those characters are clearly meant to be doofs who are trying too hard.

[kamino_neko]

Really, the lost potential of the Alpha Dawgs isn't as Slade's crew - there are characters you can do a 'uber-serious badass saddled with probably-competent-but-too-goonish-to-really-notice team' story with...Slade ain't one of them. It can only end up like this one did.

No, if the Dawgs had any potential as continuing characters, it's as antagonists.

Picture this. Slade basically says 'fuck all a' y'all, I'm going solo again', then puts a bullet in Christoph. He turns to the nearest Dawg, tears into them for being crap wannabes, and storms out.

Then the Dawgs, of course, take that as a challenge. Cue them popping up regularly (but not constantly enough to get annoying), trying to steal his kills, or to kill the man himself. Succeeding enough on the first to not become pure comic relief, but not enough to undercut 'Stroke's badassitude. Fail on the latter every time, of course, but they should give him a good run most times...and whenever they don't. they have to recruit a new third member.

[darkblade]

So first Season Team Rocket but with guns?

[mullon]

So, the point is that they're trying to make us not feel bad when they're killed off, right?

[proteus_lives]

Ha, Slade the grumpy grandpa merc.