DEATHSTROKE: THE TERMINATOR #3 (DC COMICS)
A code for killers.
Unwritten rules that can never be broken. What happens when someone crosses that line? Slade Wilson intends to find out.
Wintergreen has been killed. Slade’s assets have been stolen. He literally has nothing left but revenge. Deathblow and Deadshot are in his way. Something has to give.
DEATHSTROKE: THE TERMINATOR #3 by Tony Fleecs, Carmine Di Giandomenico, Ivan Plascencia, & Wes Abbott (DC COMICS) breaks down the code Slade Wilson lives by.
Let’s take a closer look at this complex situation.
DEATHSTROKE: THE TERMINATOR #3 by Tony Fleecs, Carmine Di Giandomenico, Ivan Plascencia, & Wes Abbott (DC COMICS)
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
Fleecs doesn’t wait to bring the action. The opening sequence is straight to the point. Slade’s view of events isn’t matching up with his attackers. The banter between professional killers seems off. Slade hearing voices isn’t helping matters. There is no shortage of loud action within these pages. Seeing Deathblow re-emerge is a sight to be seen. His hesitation to kill allows for a strong pivot point to view inside Slade’s very shattered vision of life.
The flashback sequence of the Code Of Killers birth is a strong moment. Wintergreen and Slade’s words carry much weight. Even with opposition, there is no falter in their tone. Once Ra’s Al Ghul crashes the party, readers see how Slade’s convictions do not allow him to stand down. It leads into a new era for his twisted profession. The decree also causes personal damage. For how Slade wants perfection, he is perfectly flawed when it comes to family. This results in finishing with a bang. Pacing speeds up Slade’s frantic moves until the final page changes everything. Fans had better brace for that impact now!
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Di Giandomenico & Plascencia hold nothing back as the brutal fight begins. Panels are filled with back and forth action. Even with Slade being weakened, he’s still going toe-to-toe with two formidable foes. The only thing that tips off his attackers of any notions is the eye presentation. While subtle, the art shows how upset Slade has become searching for answers. Deathblow’s close-ups to shoot provide a great transition piece to the deeper portion of the book.
Wintergreen’s opening speech at the chateau creates a calm and uneasy room. The reactions of the guests listen but with little reaction. As Slade steps in, he commands the room. This gets upstaged by Al Ghul and a fantastic two page spread. Readers see fast action as the League brings a fight. This leads into a solid finish to the skirmish. Once the moment moves to a personal conversation, Slade’s confidence starts to slowly break. From here, pages and panels snap back t the current reality. There’s plenty of excitement in this sequence. It all builds to a show-stopping full final page. The image serves as a huge exclamation point to a more mysterious story.
FINAL GRADE: 8.4
Slade Wilson lives by a code, but not everyone follows it. Fleecs dives into Wilson’s psyche to unlock his “moral” rules. Di Giandomenico & Plascencia never shy away from loud action images. Fans haven’t seen this version of Slade Wilson before and won’t want to miss this story.
Let me know your thoughts on DEATHSTROKE: THE TERMINATOR #3 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
