DEATHSTROKE: THE TERMINATOR #4 (DC COMICS)
Can Slade Wilson trust himself?
When Wintergreen is killed, it starts a downward spiral of chaos for Deathstroke. His money is gone. No allies. No mercy is being shown.
Deathblow and Deadshot manage to track him down but not for the reasons one would think. They know who killed Wintergreen. It was Slade Wilson?!
DEATHSTROKE: THE TERMINATOR #4 by Tony Fleecs, Carmine Di Giandomenico, Ivan Plascencia, & Wes Abbott (DC COMICS) sees a family reunion on the horizon.
Let’s take a deeper dive into the manic story taking place here.
DEATHSTROKE: THE TERMINATOR #4 by Tony Fleecs, Carmine Di Giandomenico, Ivan Plascencia, & Wes Abbott (DC COMICS)
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
Fleecs slows down the pace to let Slade get a small breather from his reluctant ally. With his captors ready to strike, Slade’s daughter comes swooping in for the save. As with every Slade relationship, it is “complicated” to say the least. The writing shows the friction between father and daughter. This continuously escalates as they make their escape. There’s no sugar coating their words. Slade’s character has been routinely questioned but never about his family.
Their escape leads to a small diner in the middle of nowhere. The banter surprisingly gets lighter as the personalities start clashing. It exposes Slade’s broken nature. Behind the human physical perfection has always been a flawed moral compass. Rose’s dialogue pushes buttons in-between a dark humor interlude. Readers watch and see how protective Slade is of his daughter, even if he can’t verbalize it. It leads to a fractured finish while throwing another huge curve into play. It’s never easy when it involves Slade Wilson.
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Readers know Di Giandomenico & Plascencia can bring the action with ease for this series. Showing the emotional strains of the Wilson family is a challenge. This gets tackled after Rose’s save. A superb two-page spread shows Ravager jumping into action. It leads to a more unstable face-off between family. Both Slade and Rose are angry at the situation and who to blame. It lights a spark to escape and letting the issue find its’ strength.
The trek to the diner is not without drama. Rose’s confliction of actions are very noticeable here. Slade’s tough demeanor never folds. It leads to a very hilarious and awkward full page image of the pair getting food. Once here, the panels focus on their “tough love” conversation. Readers see the angst of repressed feeling come into view. This is only broken up when Slade handles someone’s disrespect. The closing pages blend in both themes of family and fighting to send events home. A very peculiar final panel raises some eyebrows heading into next chapter. Always a great visual ride with this series.
FINAL GRADE: 8.6
Sometimes, it’s all about family. The Wilsons get some time to reflect and process their dysfunctions while Wintergreen’s death haunts. Fleecs leans into their unstable dynamic with a strong script. Di Giandomenico & Plascencia brilliantly open old wounds as Slade contemplates his next move of survival. The world of Slade Wilson is anything but ordinary.
Let me know your thoughts on DEATHSTROKE: THE TERMINATOR #4 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
