"Everyone needs community, Rose. Especially those who claim they do not."
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In only the second comic book he's written in over a decade, veteran writer Christopher Priest creatively deconstructs and humanizes the story of Deathstroke by confronting the mercenary's addiction to violence with his need for emotional intimacy. Known as the Terminator to all but Slade Wilson to the select few, Deathstroke turns out to be far more complex character than he's ever been written as before, thanks to an intentional focus on his failure to maintain healthy relationships with his family members and loved ones. Political subterfuge and old school badassery undercut this central theme, while a vibrant cast of supporting and guest characters provide a believable human context in which Deathstroke can inevitably wreak psychological and physical havoc. Add in the fact that the artwork is consistently excellent, and there's no question that Christopher Priest's Deathstroke is decidedly one of the best titles DC has put out in years.
The only reason I ever took a look at this run was because it was constantly being recommended on Reddit. And I'm so happy that I did - just behind Superman, Deathstroke is my favorite Rebirth title. As a comic book character, Deathstroke is so mythically badass. He has an eyepatch, Minnesota high school hockey hair, and one of the most aesthetically pleasing costumes ever created. But despite these characteristics, he's never been written as a particularly deep character; he barely got any solo attention before the Flashpoint, and in the early New 52, Deathstroke was nothing but a musclebound, Liefeld-esque bruiser. But with a writing veteran such as Priest at the reins, Deathstroke has finally received the nuanced characterization and solo attention that he's deserved since his creation. If you haven't read this yet, you NEED to!
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This shot features main and supporting characters in the run, along with several guest stars that only appeared in single issues (Clock King, Superman, Batman & Robin, The Creeper). For those who haven't read any Deathstroke yet, here are a few quick summaries of characters that might not be immediately recognizable. Fig formulas are at the very bottom!
Joseph Wilson: Deathstroke's younger son, depicted in the final version of the Ikon Suit, created by David Isherwood. Joseph is more popularly known as Jericho in traditional DC continuity.
Clock King: Appeared in DEATHSTROKE #0s and #1 as a one-off villain. And yes, he appeared in classic Silver Age garb. :)
Adeline Kane: Deathstroke's ex-wife. Hates Slade for ruining their marriage and for indirectly causing the death of Grant and the mutilation of Joseph. Doesn't like Rose.
Ja Zaki: Real name Matthew Bland - an African dictator/supervillain who is a straight-up parody of Marvel's Black Panther. Is a recurring ally/rival to Slade throughout the run.
Grant Wilson: Deathstroke's older son, deceased from the combined effects of the H.I.V.E. super-serum and the stress from his long-ago battle with the Teen Titans. Slade's guilt over Grant's death principally drives the events of the Lazarus Contract.
Wintergreen: Slade’s oldest and (arguably) only real friend. I’ll save the details of his background for you to find out. :)
NOTABLE OMISSIONS:
Dr. Villain, David Isherwood, Power Girl, Roscoe, Raptor
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Fig formulas:
Deathstroke: greyed Luke Skywalker hair, Airen Cracken head, erased General Cryptor Ninjago armor, LBM Batman torso, Simpsons S2 Marge left arm, cut Scu-Batsuit utility belt
Rose Wilson: Storm hair, SW Rebels Sabine Wren head, Hobgoblin torso, dark azure arms, S4 Musketeer CMF legs
Joseph Wilson: Captain Marvel hair, White Tiger head, Cosmic Boy torso, Batgirl utility belt, First Order AT-DP pilot legs
William Randolph Wintergreen: Count Dooku hair, J. Jonah Jameson head, Superboy arms, S12 Gamer CMF hips, sand blue legs, walkie-talkie
Adeline Kane: Narcissa Malfoy hair, Padme Naberrie head, BvS Lois Lane base
Hosun: N52 Robin hair, Draco Malfoy head, reversed S14 Clumsy Guy cmf torso, S12 Gamer CMF arms, computer board
Red Lion: LBM Red Hood CMF head, Kraven collar, NK promo fig torso, Catman CMF utility belt, Wolverine claws
Superman (Rebirth): Superman base fig w/Senate Commando legs
Clock King: Clock round plate, reversed City Beachgoer torso, Ninjago Lloyd DX hips, dark azure arms and legs
Ravager (Grant Wilson): Damian Wayne hair, N52 Nightwing head, Ninjago Jay ZX armor, 2012 Hawkeye torso, dark blue arms w/red hands, Catman CMF utility belt BvS Superman legs w/red hips
The Creeper: LBM Joker hair, S16 Strongman head, LBM Red Hood CMF cape, S12 Lifeguard CMF torso, S3 Hula Dancer CMF legs
Batman (Rebirth): Buccaneer Batman cowl, N52 Batman torso, LBM Death Metal Batman CMF arms w/dark blue hands, Helicarrier Nick Fury legs, custom-cut Disney Maleficent CMF cape
Damian Wayne (Robin): Damian base figure with Shazam hair, S15 Grim Knight arms, green short legs
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Props to Multi_Sharp for requesting this shot a couple months back! He was the only one that did so, but it definitely gave me the push to greenlight this one. :)