THIS WEEK’S COMIC:
Deathstroke (New 52), Issue #1
By: Kyle Higgins, Joe Bennett
Synopsis: The DC Universe’s greatest assassin prepares for a new series of adventures co-starring a group of quippy young people.
Welcome to The Untitled Comic Book Newsletter! Every week I write about a random-ish comic book. This weekend I watched Australian comedy troupe Aunty Donna’s new X-Men movie, which I think was just made as an excuse for them to try and kiss each other. It’s very funny.
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— Sam Barsanti
SSSSSLLLLLAAAAAAAADDDDEEE!
Reader, I have a confession: I kinda liked DC’s New 52… at least in theory. The whole publisher-wide relaunch with a fresh start for every comic in a fresh new universe was bold, clever, and —at first! — pretty fun.
I read a bunch of the #1s when the New 52 launched, and some of them are still recognized as important, despite the general failure of the New 52 initiative (Snyder/Capullo on Batman for one and… there’s probably a second one?). But of my favorites is one that I don’t really remember anyone ever talking about: Kyle Higgins and Joe Bennett’s Deathstroke.
Slade in Teen Titans Go To The Movies
Deathstroke The Terminator (a name that predates the Terminator movie by several years, btw) was created by the great Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, and he’s one of the best/coolest/silliest/most problematic villains in all of superhero comics. He’s a professional assassin with enhanced physical strength and a sharp tactical mind, he’s super rich, he wears a costume that draws attention to the fact that he’s missing an eye because he’s so badass that he wants his enemies to know about it, and he is constantly terrorizing the Teen Titans (who are literally children). In fact, the only kids he hates more than the Teen Titans are his own kids. And the only person he hates more than any of his kids is his wife, who he loves. Also, the inappropriate thing he did in the “Judas Contract” storyline with his Teen Titans double-agent Tara has since been retconned, so we can just pretend it didn’t happen! (“Judas Contract” otherwise rules, though.)
None of that really factors into his New 52 debut, which is appropriately titled “Back To Basics.” In it, Deathstroke — a.k.a. Slade Wilson, who served as the “inspiration” for Marvel’s Deadpool, a.k.a. Wade Wilson — is hired for a mercenary job that involves working with a team of quippy young people who call themselves the “Alpha Dawgs.”
They’re all extremely obnoxious and Deathstroke hates them immediately, but it’s obvious that, as the story goes, he’ll warm up to them and realize there’s a value in having a team. Hell, this is the first issue of a new universe and a new status quo for Slade, it makes sense to shake things up. There’s even a bit at the end where Slade has to get from one airplane to another in mid-flight, and he’s suitably impressed by the grappling hook work of one of his new teammates.
Once the mission is complete, Slade returns to base to celebrate with the Alpha Dawgs, and then he… murders all of them. Because they were terrible. The issue ends with Slade saying he’s going to get serious about killing people for money, which basically just leaves everything where it was pre-52, which is really where everything should’ve stayed anyway.
It’s a great gag, though, and one that I think is designed to sort of take the piss out of the whole New 52 reboot concept. There’s no need to drastically change things just for the sake of changing things, you just need a guy with one eye who hates all teenagers!
NEXT WEEK:
Another surprise, a.k.a. I haven’t decided yet.