Deathstroke #46: “And They Came to Jericho…”

Priest continues his intricate saga of not only Deathstroke but the entire Wilson family as we see Jericho accept the “Dark Gifts” offered by Luthor. Where most of the tie-in books to “Year of the Villain” have felt forced (in my personal opinion), this book feels so natural that something to this effect could have been the plan all along. Because the series frequently reflects back upon itself, Priest’s run on Deathstroke is not particularly new reader friendly but in a wonderful way. Any given panel could turn out significant as Priest plays the long game here.

The “Fall of Jericho” begins in earnest in this book as we see the many results of Luthor’s gift, including some form of telepathic manipulation added to Joseph’s powerset. His altering of fiance Terrence’s mind sets Joey on a clear and slippery path towards a seat at the table with the Legion of Doom, although the apparent return of Slade from the dead (of course, we knew this was coming) will complicate that ascension/declension narrative.

Pasarin does great work using the layouts throughout this issue to manipulate both reading time and narrative time. Repetition of panels as you see below do an excellent job of slowing down the narrative, creating a space for an extended moment in time to linger. The entire art team does an excellent job here, particularly given the structure of the story and the sheer volume of text presented.