“The Terminus Agenda” Conclusion
Artists: Carlos Pagulayan, Sergio Davila, Pap Mhan, Jason Paz, Norm Rapmund, and Andy Owens
Color Artist: Jeremy Cox
Letterer: Willie Schubert
Review by Bryant Lucas
Robin’s agenda is terminated in this week’s Deathstroke #43, which wraps up a four-part crossover with Teen Titans.
Since reforming the Teen Titans back in Teen Titans #20, Damian Wayne has been imprisoning villains in the basement of their secret hideout. After capturing Slade Wilson, Damian has struggled to keep the master assassin restrained. At the end of Teen Titans #29, something or someone opened the cells for each of these villains. Now Deathstroke is on the loose along with every other villain the Teen Titans have captured over the past ten issues.
Illogical Scripting
Adam Glass and Christopher Priest are competent, excellent writers who should stick to their own books. The last issue of this crossover feels cluttered. The opening and closing sequences are brilliant; focusing on Damian Wayne and Deathstroke’s relationship. However, the middle chunk of this issue feels uninspired, irrelevant and is a hot mess that prolonged the inevitable showdown between Robin and Deathstroke.
Essentially, the sequence of events doesn’t make sense. There’s no reason to delay this showdown. It could, or logically should have happened right when Slade rescued Damian. However, in order to put all of the pieces in the right place, Priest and Glass sacrificed narrative cohesion for the spectacle and bombast of a crossover finale.
Hyper Art
There’s a lot going on in this issue, and the art struggles to keep up at times. For the record, the book looks fantastic just like every other issue. The problem for Deathstroke #43 is the pacing. As the narrative erratically jumps from scene to scene, the issue does little to help the reader navigate the various plot-lines. In short, this issue feels hyperactive and the art only adds to that effect.
Conclusion
“The Terminus Agenda” was overall highly inconsistent. The ending was stunning – seriously the last page is a jaw-dropper. However, getting to this moment was a long and bumpy road. The story lacked a natural cohesion and at times felt forced. While this tale will have some major repercussions moving forward in both titles, I found myself more interested in the fallout than actual story itself.
Verdict: read only if you’re already invested.
Images Courtesy Of DC Entertainment