Slade Wilson is a character of extremes. He’s considered to be the Teen Titans’ deadliest enemy. He’s known as one of the greatest assassins who’s ever lived. He’s been an abysmal father to his three children. Deathstroke: The Terminator #1, part of the first wave of DC’s “Next Level” initiative, appropriately takes things to another level by exploring the extremes Slade would go to if he lost everything.
“Everything,” in this case, is the money Deathstroke’s made as an assassin and his longtime mentor/confidant, Wintergreen. Before things go sideways, Deathstroke is contracted to take out a whistleblower. To get to his target, he’ll have to go through an army of guards, a heavily armored fortress, and a pair of metahuman assassins with a healing factor that rivals his. Little does he know that someone has set a trap, and there’s no escaping it.
Keeping with the theme of extremes, the creative team of Tony Fleecs and Carmine Di Giandomenico delivers a debut issue that’s equal parts bloody violence and deep character work. The violence comes from Di Giandomenico, who’s clearly loving the chance to cut loose with a character like Deathstroke. Slade puts bullets through skulls, launches a motorcycle into a group of guards and causes an explosion that burns them alive, and impales other victims with extreme prejudice. The standout sequence comes early in the book, when he defies his client’s wishes to carry out the assassination quietly and sends a minivan careening through the air, culminating in a beautiful detonation.
Equally beautiful is the color work by Ivan Plascencia. Most of the issue is set at night, with the moon casting a silvery light over everything. Pretty soon, the sky is filled with fiery red explosions, dark red spurts of blood, and the whizzing silver of bullets and blades. Through it all, Deathstroke stands out thanks to his signature orange and blue armor, including his mask.
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While it’s clear that Fleecs can script plenty of brutal moments, he also takes the time to dive into Slade’s mindset via a letter that the mercenary writes to his daughter, Rose. In said letter, Slade confesses that though he’s tried to change for her and for others, it’s hard. The thin line between heroism and villainy, at least to me, is choice. You either choose to do the right thing or choose to inflict pain upon others. At the very least, Fleecs having Slade admit his faults makes for a more intriguing story.
The other thing to admire about Deathstroke: The Terminator #1 is that it serves as both a standalone story and a setup for future issues. That is a tricky balance to maintain, but it helps that the action and character work go hand in hand. It’s also a great way to introduce Deathstroke to a new reader. Whether you know him from the Teen Titans animated series, Arrow, or Batman: Arkham Origins, or you’re just new to DC, the creatives give you everything you need to know about the character in a single issue.
Deathstroke: The Terminator #1 launches a bold, bloody new journey for Slade Wilson that also serves as the perfect introduction to the character. It’s also proof that books about villains can work in the right hands.
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