Ryan White
Recap
This is yet another title I just got into, and I am working backwards, which is not ideal, but Deathstroke is always an interesting character because he is so direct, dark, selfish, but also tragic and honestly one of the best assassins any universe has ever seen. But issue 7 finds us learning the back story of Adeline. Once a love and now looks to be an enemy? Once again, I am just now getting into this run. So, I have more questions than most people, I am sure. But this is apart from Slade’s backstory that turned him into the character that we know now.
Let’s start with the cover art. There is something about it I do not connect with. I think it is the purple title mixed with the blue of the DC logo and the red of the title. But that is nitpicking if I am to be honest; the background of us seeing who Deathstroke will be in the future, where you have half of his mask and then the other half blurred and electrified out, is pretty cool. In this story, we see how Slade is great at what he does, but he is split due to his relationship with Adeline.
Review
The first page opens with Adeline at a gravesite talking to her kid who has passed away. Adeline blames the secrets and disconnect with the father because she feels she has lost this precious part of herself. Pretty grim way to start, but a nice hook for someone like me. Who is just getting into the series, and it makes me wonder. Who is her kid? Who is the father? And now is she a bad guy? Tell me more! We skip to the past where it is revealed that she is pregnant and keeping it from Slade because she knows once she tells him, he will overprotect her.
I want to be very honest here. The writers teed this up perfectly, and I still did not think about it or see it coming, and that gets huge brownie points with me. The two plan on going on the mission alone (Adeline and Wintergreen). But when we get to the next page, we see that Slade was already aware of the mission and was on the boat with them. This ramps the tension up just a bit not much, but we know the secret she is keeping. So, we worry about Adeline and Slade. How does this end for them?
As we go through Gammora Island we do not see much action. This is where character development is going on. In this moment, Wintergreen reminds Adeline of the secret she is keeping and why she needs to tell Slade. Once again, the writers are setting up the big moment in the issue. The three sneak around the lab, and finally the big action piece of the issue happens where they are fighting a bunch of aliens and do not know what they are fighting. They want to keep them alive for maybe a panel or two before the moment happens. One of the aliens claws Adeline right in the stomach. I literally yelled “Noooo!”
That is when Adeline said, “Kill them all,” which Slade has no issues with doing. This is where Slade tells Adeline she should have backed off and let Wintergreen and him handle it. She rips his head off for suggesting it, reminding him that she is the lead on the mission and he will treat her with the respect that she deserves. Slade does back down for the moment; that surprised me at first, but when I thought about it. That really shouldn’t have; Slade is extremely disciplined and does respect the chain of command even though he will break the chain if he needs to.
The three soldiers get to the doctor, and one more very short action piece takes place; they take him down quickly. He is not a threat without gadgets against three highly trained soldiers. Then we see the aftermath of the mission. The three may have accomplished the goal, but at what cost? Wintergreen insinuates to Adeline that maybe it is time to retire, and then we get back to the present where we see Adeline visiting the doctor asking for “Real power”. He hands her something that he says will make her “Unbreakable”. Adeline has aged, and she looks good but miserable, and the doctor went from having one or two burns on his face to now being covered in them. And that is where issue 7 ends.
Final Thoughts
Overall, this was a quick read, but a ton was set up here and leaves many questions. How does the baby die? When does Slade find out? What did the doctor hand Adeline, and what does she mean by “Real power”? Also, this is more so for me. What the heck happened to the doctor’s face? I know I already missed a lot of information from previous issues. When I read those, I am sure it will all make sense. I am looking forward to knowing what the endgame is. The only nitpick I have is the art, and that is more so the abstract colors sometimes don’t do it for me. But when they work, they work.
One of the last pages, when the three are on a boat leaving the island and the sun is coming up, the colors work perfectly. As you see the sun coming up and Wintergreen talking about retirement feels like a sign from the heavens that Adeline chooses to ignore. Other than that, this is a strong issue, and if you have been reading this run, I would continue because so many chess pieces are still on the board and it looks like it will have a fun ending.
Deathstroke: The Terminator #7: "I should have seen it coming"
- Writing - 10/1010/10
- Storyline - 10/1010/10
- Art - 8/108/10
- Color - 8/108/10
- Cover Art - 8/108/10
