Book Review: Deathstroke vol #1 (New 52)

Book: Deathstroke volume #1: Gods of War (issues #1-6) written and illustrated by Tony S. Daniel with ink by Sandu Florea and color by Tomeu Morey

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Publisher: DC Comics

Description:

Slade Wilson is the world’s deadliest assassin. His reputation doesn’t just precede him, it’s his most important asset. So when Slade is betrayed by his trusted friend and handler and left for dead, the world thinks Deathstroke has finally been terminated. Slade’s most valuable possession has been taken from him.

Now, the world’s deadliest assassin has awoken with a completely different face and a completely new mission: find the man who arranged for his death, and who is building an army that will threaten every nation on Earth. Find Odysseus.

But as Slade hunts Odysseus, Odysseus hunts the one man who will unlock his ultimate power and ultimate victory. And all three have one thing in common-a shared history that could destroy Deathstroke’s new life before he even has a chance to build it!

Writer/artist Tony Daniel (DETECTIVE COMICS) carves a new path for the DC Universe’s deadliest killer…and newest hero?


Rating: 1 star

Review:

Right off the bat the writing for this is horrible but the artwork is great (which by the way is the best thing about this). However, good artwork can not save a poorly executed, poorly written group of issues. This is just a sad piece of work.

This new take on Deathstroke has him being de-aged after some kind of mysterious treatment that I-Ching performed on him that ended up kicking up his healing factors. Slade had been ambushed and was nearly dead. He woke up a much younger man who was now being hunted by someone named Odysseus and he no longer had any of his resources which were supposedly taken by his friend Benjamin Williams.

A mysterious man called Red Fury, who had recently hired Slade wants him to find the others that Odysseus is after.

There is so much going on in this convoluted story, from a back story showing Deathstroke rescuing his son Jericho then killing Odysseus, who turns out to be Slade's own father Charles Wilson. Also two operatives of Odysseus, Lady Shiva and Bronze Tiger tried separately to kill Deathstroke but their plans didn't work. Jericho is in Gotham looking for his sister Rose with another New 52 change that now has Rose as the older sibling.

The mystery about who Red Fury is, was solved with Slade finding out that Red Fury is Kendal James a member of some shadowy organization. The organization is trying to stop Odysseus as well as keep him from using Jericho's powers to further his plan.

Slade having no money or any other resources is now forced to work with the organization. But first he's going to Gotham to find his son. For some reason he sought out Harley Quinn's help who was still mad at him for double crossing the Suicide Squad. She had a plan of her own to double cross him by leading him to an abandon school where multiple people were found murdered. With Batman showing up believing Slade was the cause of it. Of course they fight but the younger Slade was unable as well as being unprepared to take on Batman. Seriously, Slade's inner monologue actually stated that Batman was the last guy he hoped to meet in Gotham. It's Gotham, Batman would be the one person you are absolutely most likely to run into if you're a villain.

This was just a pointless violent story filled with a lot of characters that added nothing to it. This story made no sense and to think it started out with so much potential but then went downhill. The author tried to inject a little humor in it with Harley's scenes but it was stale.

I don't know why they decided to make Deathstroke young but he works best as a cold and hardened calculating old man. The new Slade is not very smart, he's weaker and can barely fight. I guess that's the thing, despite the title of this book it's not Deathstroke. It's just some guy who happens to have the same name as Slade Wilson and wears a costume similar to Deathstroke.

The New 52 sure knows how to ruin a great character, the funny thing is, Deathstroke previously had a series in the New 52 but it was canceled again due to bad writing. I wonder if this one will be too.