Review: Deathstroke
#1
Submitted: Joshua Williams, Comic News Writer
2 September 16
Submitted: Joshua Williams, Comic News Writer
2 September 16
“Deathstroke #1:
The Professional Among Thieves,” written
by Christopher Priest, with art by Carlos Paqulayan, Jason Paz and Jeromy Cox,
begins with Slade Wilson being betrayed.
Wilson accepted a mission that takes him to a war-torn African
country. Wilson finds himself in the
middle of a crumbling alliance between a dictator and a supervillain. With a country caught in the cross-fire,
Wilson must choose between his own mercenary code and saving an old
friend. Meanwhile, how will Wilson
maintain stability at home?
As the new Deathstroke story-arc begins, we finally
get to see what drives Wilson and how his past affects his present. Having never read a Deathstroke story-arc, I
was a bit confused by this issue. It is
essential that you read the Deathstroke
#1: Rebirth issue to get a better sense of what’s happening here. As it turns out, “The Professional Among
Thieves” acts as a #2, because it picks right up after Deathstroke #1: Rebirth (released August 10, 2016). This episode is very dialogue-heavy, moving
the plot along gracefully. Additionally,
the dialogue delivers a balanced aspect of Wilson’s background and his
humanistic qualities. Priest
successfully does not make Wilson a sympathetic anti-hero, but depicts Wilson
as a family man with a code and conscience… though Deathstroke never hesitates
to kill.
The plot continuously jumps back and forth between
past and present events. Priest intends
to delve more into the characters background by using this technique and does
so successfully. However, jumping back
and forth can confuse first-time readers.
Readers won’t know when he is in the past or in the present unless
previous issues are read. The back and
forth formula becomes murkier considering the villain is the Clock King, who
can control time.
Who is the Clock King?
Why is he in need of protection?
How do his powers work? Perhaps
the Clock King’s presence here is the foreshadowing of another villain, who is
more powerful. Maybe more insight into
the Clock King’s powers will reveal this!
It could be anyone from any point in time!
It’s nice to see DC using the complexity of its
villains. Giving insight into the mind
of a villain proves that being a villain is just as stressful as being the
hero. Oftentimes, villains have
responsibilities and morals especially as it pertains to family. As the Wilson family is in the beginning
stages of falling apart, the art team really delivers on this portion of the episode. Wilson’s wife wants a divorce and his sons
are having some growing pains. The
scuffle Wilson and his wife share is very well done and builds tension nicely
especially with Wintergreen’s effect on the Wilson family. I am anxious to see what happens with the
potential divorce and the rest of the family dynamic.
THE
VERDICT: Priest delivers a modern story
involving issues of today including politics, roles of women, and American
intervention abroad. This saves the
issue for me. The anxiousness for more
specifics, as to where DC and Priest go with one of their most complex
super-villains has me wanting more.
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