Deathstroke #6, which I presume arrived this week or is about to arrive, features the return of Carlo Pagulayan and Michael Jason Patz as well as Matthew “Ja Zaki” Bland, aka The Red Lion. Joseph (Jericho) Wilson makes his post-Rebirth series debut as well. Also, what to do with poor Richard, Rose’s misbegotten boyfriend, and an ending that will likely be talked about for quite some time.
*Please* mark any spoilers. Thanks!
Next week or the week after, I think.
Next week.
It’s out, I got it earlier today, and like it too.
Ja Zaki’s new Black Panther-esque suit’s pretty cool. Is it intentionally similar to BP’s one?
I enjoyed his battle-cry where he’s reeling off his self-appointed titles, so I’ve been enjoying the character so far.
Slade using Steel’s boots reminded me about that story Priest did ages ago where the Police confiscated them, then returned them to Steel in pieces at the end of a really long day. Rather enjoyed that one too.
It appears that DC clipped the Red Lion’s ears just before shipping. He actually looked a lot more like BP, so I’m guessing the lawyers pulled him back from that. Now he kind of looks like a mashup of The Red Hood and Kraven The Hunter. 🙂 Stay tuned, RL is still developing. 🙂
Spoilery spoiler spoilers. (I can’t get it to change font color to black through this interface, or I would.)
So, in the Wikipedia entry on Jericho, it’s stated that Wolfman considered making him gay, but didn’t want to veer into stereotypes with the sensitive prettyboy also being gay.
Well, by making him very much his father’s son, I think we’ve eliminated that problem. 🙂
I’m actually hoping our take on Jericho will work very much *against* stereotype. I’m hoping the readers will eventually get so into Jericho that the investment will be in his storyline more so than his sexuality.
The “telepaths aren’t so worried about the body parts” thing goes back at least to Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Darkover books, BTW, so it’s not something that fandom will have to work really hard to get through.
*Spoiler*
Excellent ending, but my favorite part was a single panel earlier on: Slade asking Matthew to call off his pet lions while one of them gnaws merrily away on Slade’s arm. Made me laugh more than it was possibly intended to, but still, great visual!
Thanks, Stephen! Kudos to Larry and Carlo– my script just said “DS attacked by lions.” 🙂
Another great issue, I’m 100% sure Deathstroke is in good hands after this issue.
I loved Deathstroke and Wintergreen talking about how old they were, it feels like the good old days where Wintergreen would talk and give Deathstroke advise on his life, I really hope Wintergreen lives this time around…
Also The Red Lion was very entertaining, I won’t spoil anything but he’s a very interesting character, I’m also surprised you Brought Patricia trayce aka the Vigilante into this, its amazing I even remember the comics where Deathstroke trained her in before the new 52 started.
I’m wondering what are The Red Lions stats like abilities? Or should I just wait to see, I’m not sure if he’ll continue to be a Supporting character.
Also would you say Deathstroke is a master swordsman?
Red Lion is a project in development. He basically took one of DS’s old uniforms and spray-painted it red 🙂 Don’t want to spoil what’s coming, but let’s just say Matthew Bland aka Ja Zaki aka The Red Lion (Ja Zaki is Swahili for “Red Lion”) will be dropping in at the most inopportune moments to vex his frenemy Slade.
Yes, I’d consider DS a master swordsman at this point. Look for the origin of DS’s sword in issue #9.
I may or may not have mentioned it before but although it’s taken me a while to get into the book I’m glad I persevered and now fully on board. I still have to read the book twice to fully get the story but that’s mainly due to the fact I zip through comics anyway and I do enjoy picking up on things I hadn’t noticed before.
I’ve not picked up a modern comic book since 1994 (I still buy back issues of books from the 80s) but thanks to you I’m enjoying reading an up-to-date book.
ps. A big thank you to Hama and Carlo. It’s nice to finely read a comic book where the storytelling is really good and I’m not cunfused by stupid panel layouts.
I am absolutely loving this series. Best Deathstroke I’ve read since since his co-creator was writing his adventures. I can’t think of a single thing I’d change.
I have to admit that for all the surprising moments in this issue, the one that made me blurt out a profanity was the Luis/Richard reveal. You went WAY back for that one! That kid appeared in what? Three issues in total in the early 90s? Wow.
Oh, and nice touch with naming the Canadian guy Isherwood. 😉 I figured it couldn’t be a coincidence but just got my confirmation in a comment to that issue. I was liking that character’s look and thought he might have potential, but it looks like I shouldn’t get too attached. Oh well. 🙁
Hey Mr. Priest! How’ve you been? As you know i posted a question to you a month ago, but i guess you were busy and also it was an old thread so you probably didnt see it, you asked whether i was using a mac as i couldnt use emoticons on this site, im using an iphone and i still cant use emoticons on this site, why is that so? Also sir, i really really hope im not bugging you or anything but remember the batman/cap question? I guess you didnt have time to answer, so im asking you on this new thread. Is there a skill gap between them? As in, Are they equals in fighting skill? Once again, i really really hope im not disturbing you or anything, this site is the only site that i can reach you, as you dont have twitter. So i really hope you understand. Thanks Mr. Priest. Cheers!
” As you know I posted a question to you a month ago, but i guess you were busy…”
Hi Rohit: as I mentioned, yes, I tend to be very* busy. I try and post here when I can, but please understand I have a lot of plates spinning.
“… Is there a skill gap between (Captain America and Batman)?”
Rohit, I try not to get into philosophical discussions comparing heroes and fighting styles and all of that because, frankly, I’d just be guessing. That stuff changes so often and I’m really focused on what I’m doing.
Regarding the site: if you are using an iPhone, you are using a Mac -) It’s all Mac OS of one flavor or another. I couldn’t tell you exactly why some features don’t work on this site, it’s a very old template and I unfortunately do not have time to tinker with it.
Thanks again for stopping by and Happy Thanksgiving!
First I want to say that I love your re-creation of the Wilsons, Mr. Priest. It’s a breath of fresh air Slade’s book isn’t about how many heads he can chop off in one swing and that Wintergreen is also finally back!
SPOILERS
Next, I am a huge fan of Jericho and I am quite (happily!) surprised at how you’re handling his sexuality. While I agreed with Wolfman and Perez’s original intent about avoiding stereotypes I still always saw Joey as being attracted to someone based on themselves rather than physical characteristics especially with his powers, but I guess he’s more bisexual here? I am very interested in where this goes and while I love that reveal I do hope we still see Joey being a (Mute!) hero again. I know you said in another comment you didn’t care for Psychopath Joe and I wholeheartedly agree so I trust you to make this story more nuanced than previous ones.
I’m also curious if we’ll learn about any of the Wilsons pasts with the Titans soon. Will your updated take on Judas Contract be coming soon?
Thank you for your time and such a great book!
Sam, thanks for the kind words. Joseph *is* mute. I just chose to straddle the fence between a literal portrayal of a mute person and hearing his words because I believe it is important to stress that mute and deaf persons are still normal people. There is absolutely no difference between reading an email from a deaf person and reading an email from a hearing person. The deaf person has a personality, cracks jokes, lives their life just like everyone else.
By not allowing us to hear even a simulated voice from Joseph, I’m afraid I would promote more of the “other” mentality Joseph has traditionally been subject to. I want him to be normal, to be funny and to be the light struggling to overcome Deathstroke’s darkness. We’ve obviously given Jericho a very deep well of regret that will inform his progress, but we’re rooting for him to succeed.
As for Judas Contract, stay tuned for that announcement but, yes, post-Rebirth Titans event is in the works and Deathstroke will be an important part of that.
Wow, thank you very much for replying Mr. Priest! Don’t worry, I was very aware Joey is still mute, I was just very glad it was remembered as that is apart of him that was sadly ignored in past incarnations. What he uses to help himself is very interesting even if a bit odd seeing him with word balloons of some sort yet many people with similar disabilities use devices to communicate so definitely not that odd. I do understand your reasoning and I am looking forward to Joey finally getting a new character journey that does his tap into his old character some way instead of “evil and crazy.”
I am *soooo* tired of “evil and crazy.” It’s always bothered me that so many writers saw Jericho as defective or disturbed just because he could not speak. It always bothered me that Rose’s Asian heritage was all but ignored. In some ways, I am trying to echo the kinder, gentler DC of 2016 which aggressively protects the dignity of a very diverse DCU. I also like the idea of Deathstroke having somehow managed to produce a genuinely good and noble (albeit obviously flawed, as we are exploring in Jericho’s story arc) offspring, which has to irritate him on so many levels.
yes, that’s one of the things that always drew me to Joey as well as the Wilsons as while. And yes, ignoring Joey’s disability and Rose’s heritage are a couple of the bigger sins done to the Wilson family in the past. Both I am very glad you are making efforts to fix and be more obvious.
I also want to say I am enjoying your Rose and her relationship with Slade. Which is something as Rose was a character I had trouble liking since she was simply known as Rose Wilson and was Lian Harper’s babysitter. I felt since Johns’ Teen Titans it shortened her character by her the “sexy bad girl of big villain” and use for “sexy” scenes that were sometimes basically her sexually harassing her teammates. Then there’s the getting drugged by Slade part that didn’t always sit well for me even if I could see Slade getting that desperate to be that manipulative not to mention took a lot of Rose’s agency away and felt a bit contrived. In yours their relationship is very much messed up and difficult but thankfully not so much that there’s mind control drugs…at least I hope so.
Also hope you had a peaceful holiday!
There’s a lot of Rose history I’m kind of whistling past the graveyard, mainly because Alex tells me she’s only around 18 years old (I thought she was much older). Hence I’ve asked artist Joe B to draw her to look much younger than she has traditionally appeared, to stress she’s still very much a kid. To take even a little of that past into account, she’d have to have been underage when she was trying to seduce whichever Robin that was. Of course, lots of underage kids are sexually active, but Rose, as I see her, is kind of sexually agnostic. She wasn’t putting out for Richard, which is not to say Richard would not have gotten there eventually, but that sex is not top of Rose’s list. I don’t see her as the oversexed schemer but as an ideologically confused young woman trying to figure herself out.
Slade drugging her and making her crazy– I won’t say that didn’t happen, but that seemed a little much to me. I believe Slade dotes on Rose, which makes the schism which has developed between them all the more ridiculous because neither is actually talking to the other–hence a widening misunderstanding on Rose’s part (she thinks he’s out to kill her). Slade, for his part, has no idea what Rose is thinking. This echoes many father-daughter relationships; I love you, I can’t stand you, I’m putting a hit out on you so I can pretend to protect you in order to spend time with you.
As smart as Slade is, when it comes to Rose, he’s just a typical dad– an idiot.