THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS
Deathstroke is one of the greatest Teen Titans villains of all time, and it’s his turn for a one-shot in Villains Month!
POSITIVE
The comic is over the top with the action and violence, whichworks for the comic rather than against it. Deathstroke is the world’s best hired gun (though Deadshot may take exception to that), and his experience and prowess in combat is shown in several scenes (though notably absent in others).
The comic attempts to create a sympathetic villain by showing Deathstroke’s love for his family. We see his love for his daughter, and his desire to redeem himself after failing his son. We are also treated to the New 52 Deathstroke origin.
However….
NEGATIVE
…The comic is just another origin story. An unnecessary one, as a lot of this was covered in the ill-fated Team 7 comic. It’s an unnecessary, uninteresting refresher course that directly lays out the exposition that Deathstroke loves his family.
The story covers various events scattered throughout Deathstroke’s life while also keeping him out of current events in the DCU. This means that relationships aren’t explored, ideas not fully fleshed out, and, makes for a shallow comic that adds nearly nothing to canon.
The comic is penciled by three different artists, and adds to the fragmented, inconsistent issue. Certain scenes have figures in motion and solid linework, while other scenes are sketchy and action scenes where the characters seem rigid. If the art were consistent throughout, perhaps it could have unified the comic a bit better, but as it stands, the comic does not benefit from having a plethora of artists.
VERDICT
(2/5)
While the comic itself is a mess, it had the right idea. An uninteresting villain makes for an uninteresting story, so try to make the villain sympathetic. However, even sympathy isn’t enough to make up for the inconsistent art quality and shallow writing. This one-shot is a real disappointment for Deathstroke fans.
