Deathstroke vs. Batman

This miniseries has been in the works for nearly two years, having gone through several conceptual and format changes and originally presumed to coincide with the announced Batfleck film (now “The Batman” and directed by Matt Reeves). I doubt the DCEU film will echo much of our Deathstroke vs. Batman (though that would be fun!) but we’re spinning out of the momentum created by our Defiance arc into this, the ultimate custody battle between these mirror-image characters. As I see them: Batman is someone Deathstroke almost admires, if only Deathstroke weren’t so screwed up, Batman is someone he himself might have become. Deathstroke, meanwhile, is someone Batman is still capable of becoming if he compromises his self-discipline. This character study is an interesting challenge for me as a writer, and I am delighted to be reunited with artist Carlo Pagulayan– one of the most underrated and brilliant draftsmen working today–who launched the Rebirth Deathstroke two years ago.

36 Comments

  1. Thad says:

    Looking forward to seeing how you ruin Damian and Talia! (Kidding.)

    That’s an interesting take. I was never a Deathstroke fan before your run, but I’ve been enjoying your version a lot (“could have been Batman if he wasn’t so messed up” is a good summary). And Carlo did some great work; it’ll be nice to have him back.

  2. circ says:

    I like Pagulayan a lot, but he seems to struggle with a monthly book. Some of his best work was teamed up with the ‘old schooler’ Hama. Nevertheless, bring on this supposed six-parter.

  3. Looking forward to checking this out, Mr. Priest! As a sidebar, I’d also love to see a sequel to the “Prodigal” one-shot from years ago! (Best Batman one-shot I’ve ever read!)

  4. Jack says:

    Most anticipated story for me this year, though I do hope Damian isn’t Slade’s son haha.

  5. Ian Miller says:

    I’m incredibly excited about this. I have no illusions that DC will let Damian’s heritage seriously be threatened, but I love the concept as a way to have more awesome conflict between Batman and Slade, just like you did in the beginning of the series. Those were some amazing issues (I’m tempted to say “Best” but this whole run is a series of bests, so I can’t. 🙂 ).

    Today’s Deathstroke Annual was a masterstroke. I love the way you complicated Tanya’s character – breaking her down so far that she almost betrays her principals, which teases us into believing that she might go all the way and run away from her fears – but instead, you have Slade’s positive advice actually making her into even more of a hero than she already was, facing the thing she’s most afraid of, and taking it head on.

    Amazing and powerful work. Thank you!

  6. adris says:

    I desire you Good luck with Batman vs Deathstroke.

    I am Damian Wayne fan.. I am sorry that part of Damian fanbase don´t have a good opinion about you..

  7. Ken says:

    As I am one of the seven people who liked your treatment of Damian (one of the funniest exchanges in contemporary comics), I definitely look forward to this.

  8. Tom says:

    Deathstroke a Pedophile … that implies he is attracted to pre puberty girls and boys. Deathstroke has slept with Terra a 14 year old, ..Damian Wayne is 13.

    • Priest Priest says:

      Not to prolong this, but maybe you didn’t actually read the comic (which is not unusual for trolls), which places her age at 16 when he met her. And REBIRTH Slade never slept with her or had ANY attraction to her, which you’d know if you actually read Deathstroke instead of reading irrational rants about what other people assume is in the story. Which is not to defend Slade (see my other post about this).

  9. Chris says:

    Batfleck is cancer.

    • Priest Priest says:

      Affleck is a brilliant writer, director and actor. Have you seen Gone, Baby, Gone? Gone Girl? Argo? The Town– oh, my, The Town?!? Was really looking forward to his writing and directing.

  10. The Dying Detective says:

    I wish you well on your undertaking because it can’t be an easy feat to turn such a lame idea into an epic one. I hope you could portray Damian a little better than you did in Lazarus Contract because it just lacked the heart Damian has developed. And also before it’s too late and I saw your interview about the story and you mentioned Jason well pleas recall that it was Tim who was the jealous the Robin not Jason who was a wild card who did as he pleased back then.

  11. Ozymandias says:

    i love yor work and i love your damian wayne
    I am excited to seeing your damian wayne again

    • Priest Priest says:

      Thanks Oz! Unfortunately, Damian himself is not really a part if this arc. This is about two dads, about family, about fear of loss. It’s not actually _about_Damian.

  12. Ozymandias says:

    I realy liked your treatment of Damian,He’s beast.
    i hope you dont give f… about fanbase

    • Priest Priest says:

      I care a great deal about both Damian AND the fan base– including the hard-core Damian fans. But there is way to engage in conversation. Calling me names and insulting me isn’t one of them (not referring to you, Oz). There’s a bunch of really offensive comments posted here which I can’t invest in replying to, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care. It does feel a little silly to blast me over a comic many of these complainers have_not_read or even over Damian who is NOT part of this story. 🙂 I say, wait ’till the verdict is in, THEN trash me! At least then I could take the comments seriously.

      Thanks for the rationality…

  13. Ian Miller says:

    Well, first issue is out, and it’s fantastic! Great to see Pagulayan again, though I’ve really come to like Neves. If you need two artists, I’d say these two really complement each other and are both really excellent!

    I’m really curious WHICH Robin is the one giving the Greek Chorus about Batman being an Etch-a-sketch. It sounds like Jason to me, but a lot of us were also assuming that it’s Dick.

  14. Amusula says:

    Honestly this would ruin Damian for me ..Stupid, stupid plot point. DC seems hellbent on destroying the Damian Wayne Robin.

  15. Julila says:

    Who on earth are those 80% of people are they really serious?? Perhaps they are all deathstroke fans or Damian haters or trolls, definitely wrong audiences to make a vote.

  16. Batfan says:

    Pedoestoke is shit.Deathstroke doesn’t need another son. Batman is Daimian’s son. ‘Nuff said.

  17. Sofia says:

    Mr. Priest, stop trying to make fetch happen. It is not going to happen.

  18. Erika says:

    DC’s Deathstroke a sexual predator or pedophile in the comics …

    • Priest Priest says:

      DS is actually a lot of things 🙂 I’m constantly having to remind people, some of whom work at DC, that Slade is a *villain.* He’s a bad, bad man. And I’m sure (or at least hoping) you are aware that Slade and Terra’s relationship was established 30 years before I got here 🙂 In fact, DC made me water that relationship WAY down. I believe Marv’s original was much braver. The relationship was the centerpiece and gut punch of the Teen Titans’ most famous and revered story arc, The Judas Contract. Rounding the edges off of that seminal story felt disingenuous. I wasn’t happy about it at all.

  19. Bella says:

    Deathstroke is still shit.

  20. anon says:

    the Robin in the flashbacks is Tim OR Jason ?

  21. Brandon says:

    Kind of a bummer that since this story arc is so large it’s bringing so much negativity to this blog from angry people online.
    Mr. Priest- I am a huge fan of your Deathstroke series. Never thought I’d get to see my favorite character taken so seriously and written so well. I hope you have many more years of DS stories left in you. I guess the one thing I’ve waited for in your series is for DS to have one of his almost over the top action sequences where he out classes everyone. Kind of like how Grant Morrison would make Batman, Batgod. Geoff Johns had his DS whooping everyone moment in his last issue of Teen Titians and then Meltzer’s JL vs DS in Identity Crisis. Your 25th issue fed some of this hunger I had. You’ve definitely written the character in my favorite light and in no way am I saying the story is missing anything. Should I hold hope to see a Priest version of one of these sequences in a Deathstroke comic?

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