REVIEW: ‘Deathstroke #1′ is anything but perfect
To sum it all up..
DC Entertainment continues its current dominance in the comic book industry due to its Rebirth phenomenal gambit, and most of its title releases are undeniably well-written, direct to the point, accessibly fun, and most importantly, the renewed connectivity with the past and the present of the old DC Universe and the current run. DC Universe Rebirth: […]
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Posted
August 25, 2016 by Paul Ramos
FULL REVIEW
DC Entertainment continues its current dominance in the comic book industry due to its Rebirth phenomenal gambit, and most of its title releases are undeniably well-written, direct to the point, accessibly fun, and most importantly, the renewed connectivity with the past and the present of the old DC Universe and the current run.
DC Universe Rebirth: DEATHSTROKE #1 follows up the previous issue, Deathstroke: Rebirth #1, as Slade Wilson fulfills his usual mercenary task with a twist, in the imaginative minds of the creative team comprised of Christopher Priest and our very own uber-talented Pinoy crack team led by Carlo Pagulayan and Jason Paz. The twist is the inclusion of the anti-hero’s dysfunctional familial role as shown in the flashbacks, especially in answering whether or otherwise Slade is anything but a perfect family guy. However, there are times that Priest’s dialogues are somewhat familiar to his previous works, particularly with his Deadpool run, but in a tamer and more politically correct tone. And, the cliff-hanger is more of a stretch than a plot-twist, although I feel that Priest has something in-store for the next chapters to come.
I follow Carlo’s art since his magnificent entrance in the Planet Hulk series (the BEST Hulk story in the 21st century, if not one of the best Hulk narratives ever). His current Deathstroke interiors are somewhat scratchy in many panels and during the motions involved. Yet, his sequential paneling is undeniably getting better since his Convergence run last year. His partner-in-crime, Jason Paz, improves or enhances Carlo’s illustrations, especially the edges that are prominent in many pages. And fellow kababayan Cox‘s colors simply hit the right tone and context in the shifting of the narrative. And most importantly, Carlo’s female portrayal, Slade’s wife, is simply one of the most gorgeous women in comic book mainstream right now. When is the last time he drew a very beautiful lady… during his Elektra years under the penmanship of Greg Rucka. You need to see this issue right now!
Deathstroke #1 in the DC Universe Rebirth explains the revisit of the mercenary’s dysfunctional familial past and the status of his latest mercenary gig. Priest’s script is basically average, but he at least retains the flavor and respect of source materials that made Deathstroke a fan/cult favorite since in the 80s. But the biggest draw here is Carlo’s illustrations, most particularly his take on Slade’s troubled wife.
