[Editors note: This review may contain spoilers!]
Writer: Priest
Pencils: Carlo Pagulayan and Fernando Pasarin
Inks: Jason Paz, Jordi Tarragona & Wade von Grawbadger
Colors: Jeromy Cox
Letters: Deron Bennett
Summary
Deathstroke is held captive by Hugo Strange in Arkham Asylum! It’s now revealed that Strange has been running the facility the entire time Deathstroke was there, and Deathstroke has to find a way out! Surrounded by some of Arkham’s worst under Strange’s control can Slade Wilson find a way out? Or will he too become another servant of Hugo Strange?
Positives
All is finally revealed in this issue and I was surprised! Hugo Strange once again proves himself as a mastermind as he drugged Dr. Destiny for use of his powers! Once Destiny was drugged, Strange then used hypnotic suggestions to make the staff and patients of Arkham Asylum carry out his orders! From the very beginning of Slade’s entrance into the Asylum Strange has been running it all! Candace, who has been Slade’s therapist since his entry, has been revealed to have been a spy, working for Strange to gather all the information possible on Slade. Slade did develop a slight attachment to Candace because of his eventual revelations to her, and it’s this attachment that Strange uses to his advantage! Attaching the still breathing doctor to a hook, Strange intends to give her to Victor Zsasz in a sick attempt to “cure” Deathstroke of his one true problem–his connection to humanity.
Negatives
I have no complaints about this issue as Priest does a great job of showing what everyone is getting into in this issue! Rose is actually working with Two-Face on a mission to find out more about her other self “Willow”. The answers isn’t what she expects it to be, but I expect that she now has some closure about it. Joseph embarks on a mission of his own to rescue his father Slade, while Hosun and Devon aka Death Masque steal a police car in an attempt to break into Arkham and get Slade out! It seems that Deathstroke really has more connections to humanity than he thinks!
Verdict
Deathstroke #39 is a good book and entertaining read! The beginning is especially funny since we find out that Slade actually reached out to Earth’s heroes for help while he was fighting his alien war against the Pulorians and the responses he got were interesting! I especially laughed when he reaches out to the Titans and Justice League! Our issue ends with Joseph breaking Slade out of Arkham, along with help from Hosun and Death Masque–however I don’t believe that’s all we’ve heard from Hugo Strange though! Can’t wait to read the next issue!
