Writer: James Bonny
Artist: Paolo Pantalena
The latest issue of Deathstroke, which continues the search for Slade’s daughter, Rose, is a wild ride that stays true to spirit of the current plot line while pressing forward at breakneck speed.
Not only does it include several surprises and a shock ending, it also draws together Red Hood, the main antagonist of the issue, and the two, newly introduced villainous characters—Snakebite and Lawman—giving us something fun to gawk at and talk about.
We’re also spurred to feel sympathy for the world’s greatest mercenary, because if Deathstroke didn’t have trust issues before, he certainly has reason to have them now. In the span of just a few pages, he’s lead further down the rabbit’s hole and into another “wild goose chase” in his quest to find Rose, but not before being betrayed by his newly trusted best friend, Victor Cruz, and then by his own daughter, Rose (who appears to either be brainwashed or under some controlling spell initiated by Lawman).
Rose, the villain
As I’ve mentioned before, I like James Bonny’s writing style. It’s fun to read. This issue continues that good writing, but I’m not too keen on the artwork. Although the cover by Tyler Kirkham and Tomeu Morey is great, the art work on the inside pages left something to be desired. There’s too much inconsistency between panels and too many sharp, triangular shapes for my taste as shown in the panel below.
Deathstroke vs. Red Hood
Regardless of the unsatisfactory art effort, the compelling storyline is enough to save the issue so, I’d suggest giving it a read.
Additionally, apart from starring in his own title Deathstroke also makes an appearance in this month’s Green Arrow issue #50. You may also want to give that a try.
Rating:
