[Editor’s note: This review may contain spoilers!]
Writer: Priest
Pencils: Fernando Pasarin & Carlo Pagulayan
Inks: Trevor Scott, Jordi Tarragona, & Jason Paz
Colors: Jeromy Cox
Letters: Willie Schubert
Summary
Thanks to the efforts of Joseph and Devon aka Death Masque, Deathstroke has been busted out of Arkham Asylum! However Deathstroke isn’t choosing to leave just yet. Slade has unfinished business with Hugo Strange and he’s going to finish what Strange started!
Positives
Once again Priest gives us another issue of Deathstroke with nothing but action and it was intense! Picking up immediately where the last issue left off Deathstroke is still caught in a fight against Hugo Strange! Strange is now in charge of Arkham Asylum, thanks to abusing the powers of Dr. Destiny in order to gain control of the inmates. Now Deathstroke is forced to go through Arkham’s worst in an attempt to stop Strange once and for all. I enjoyed watching Slade go through some of Batman’s worst–Freeze, Dee and Dum, Scarface, and even the Mad Hatter are just a fraction of inmates Slade takes down in an attempt to find Strange. When Slade does find Strange, the mad doctor is prepared for fight. Using gauntlets based off the ones Batman used to fight Slade, Hugo Strange takes on the mercenary one on one with a shocking conclusion!
Negatives
I have no complaints about this issue at all. The action was all over the place and it seems that Slade is back to being the good guy! Throughout the issue we’re seeing Slade take down multiple bad guys with headshots! I was thinking to myself “he’s taking out over half of Batman’s gallery!” However this wasn’t the case as it’s revealed that he’s been using his non lethal rounds again from his Defiance team days from issues back. Rose has a moment of clarity for herself and Two-Face as it seems that her alternate personality “Willow” may be gone for good. Towards the end of the issue it seems the aliens that were mentioned by Devon finally make an appearance–however it’s odd that only Deathstroke and Death Masque can see them. The aliens known as Plulorians are disguised as homeless men, and as Deathstroke and Death Masque slaughters them all–it seems to cause more problems than expected. Thanks to the breakout from Arkham Asylum and the murder of the “homeless men”, Robin and Kid Flash have picked up the case! Seen together in the last few pages Damian is determined to find Slade Wilson.
Verdict
Overall Deathstroke #40 is a good read and can’t wait for the next issue. It seems that Slade will have to deal with Robin and Kid Flash now in an attempt to recapture the mercenary. I’m personally looking forward to another Robin versus Slade fight! And also what kind of friction will this have between Robin and Kid Flash–especially since Kid Flash used to be on team Defiance with Deathstroke! So many possibilities! Hurry it up Priest!
