Deathstroke #44
Cody White
Recap
Following the deadly events of "The Terminus Agenda", supervillains from around the globe unite to mourn the death of Slade Wilson, Deathstroke. The gathered villains offer their farewells, most spiteful, while Superman and Jericho monitor from above.
The arrival of the remaining Legion of Doom members invites a much more heartfelt series of goodbyes but also sends Jericho over the edge. Joey returns to Titans Headquarters to find Robin and Red Arrow arguing over the morality of the actions and motivations that led Emiko to terminating the Terminator. Possessing the body of Kid Flash, Jericho returns to the funeral in a desperate attempt to find meaning in his father's death by apprehending as many criminals as possible.
Quickly it is revealed that Superman is merely a hard-light construction placed by Dr. Light to grant the villains a better chance at privacy and Jericho is overcome, but not before the full range of his raw emotion overwhelms Sinestro's ring, intriguing Brainiac as to Jericho's full potential.
In a final sequence, we see Rose, Hosun, and Wintergreen closing out Slade's contracts when a final, open contract is revealed. Rose, who has been teetering on the edge of legacy and independence, chooses to take that contract.
Review
For 44 issues now, Priest has been subtly crafting a web of a narrative that drops breadcrumbs here and there only to be picked up dozens of issues later and this issue is no different. The crucial moment examined here is from issue #8, in which Slade comes face-to-fist with Superman and is betrayed by Jericho on his way to defeat. This betrayal, in light of the current (seemingly confirmed; see below) death of the titular character sheds light on a possibility I had never considered before. Deathstroke is not actually a book about Slade Wilson.
At least, not in the traditional sense, that is. Instead, Deathstroke is a book about the world of Deathstroke. His friends, allies, enemies, and most central– his family. Rose and Jericho have been crucial characters in this series, receiving no shortage of development and “screen time”. This series is as much about them, and Adeline and Wintergreen, as it is about Slade. The question in the teaser (and the solicits, for that matter) on everybody’s mind is, “Who will be the new Deathstroke?” Given the clues we’ve followed for neigh on four years now, I’m not sure there’s a wrong answer here. It could be Rose. It could be Jericho. It very well could also be both or neither. The time spent in this series exploring what it is to be Deathstroke would indicate that Deathstroke is more than a character, more than a costume– it is a state of mind, a philosophy, a lifestyle choice. With issue #50 rapidly approaching, it could be time for this series to end but it certainly doesn’t need to. The story of Slade has always been about legacy, and it’s refreshing to read the work of a writer who so implicitly gets that that he is capable of making us forget for a time.
Final Thoughts
Deathstroke #44 is a fitting end to the life of Slade Wilson while also contemplating the future. The Terminator is dead; long live the Terminator.
Deathstroke #44: Children of Men
- Writing - 9/109/10
- Storyline - 9/109/10
- Art - 8.5/108.5/10
- Color - 8.5/108.5/10
- Cover Art - 8/108/10
