So, here is Rose Wilson as I see her: younger, edgier, desiring to please Dad while still being repulsed by him. Now with her own place and a new boyfriend, we welcome the other half of our art team– Joe Bennett (whom I worked with on Captain America & The Falcon and The Crew), and Mark Morales to the series. Carlo and Jason return with issue #6 (hey, this thing ships twice a month!).
The issue begins a character arc for Rose who will ultimately begin to question her motives for being “The Ravager,” and what she can hope to expect from this father-daughter relationship.
This issue also offers up maybe the most sensual image of a woman eating a PB&J sandwich in comics history.
Loved the story, Priest, but should I read anything into the fact that Rose seems to regularly interact with characters with the same first name? 😉
Er–? Not sure what you mean…
Trying to avoid spoilers here, but:
Ricky.
Richard
And Dick (born Richard 😉 )
Y’know… hadn’t even thought of that.
There’s a reason some of my friends online compare me to the DCAU version of the Question… I see patterns that may or may not be there. =)
Hi, I just wanted to say I love what you’ve done with Deathstroke, Rose, and everyone and everything, I’m a huge Deathstroke fan and although only in my teens, I’ve read nearly every comic he’s been in.
I was wondering if you could tell me whether Rose is enhanced and how fast, strong, smart etc she is compared to her father.
You know, that’s a good question. I am now about fifteen issues in and have been meaning to find a place to address this. So, this is not cannon, just my point of view on Rose:
I believe she has her father’s powers to some extent, we just have not had space to focus on her. The book gets pretty crowded as we go along. We are bringing in new characters slowly as we go, but very soon we’ll have a very full supporting cast and everyone is competing for screen time. 🙂
I believe she has some form of rapid healing but perhaps not as rapid, and that she is maybe half as enhanced as Slade in terms of her reflexes and brain power. But she’s also fairly immature and hot-headed like her deceased half-brother Grant, so she tends to be more impulsive and, therefore, vulnerable.
We address her precognitive power to some degree in issue #10, but, SFAIC, she really does not see “the future.” Not sure about all these made-up powers…
Thanks for the very kind words.
Thank for replying :), I do Hope Rose gets some spotlight in the series, I’ve always loved Deathstroke but Rose, i don’t know how to explain it but she’s always been a special character to me.
Her mini series was also one of my favorite comics at its time back in Teen Titans Volume 3.
And I apologize but I have a few other Questions..
1.Does Slades Mind still work faster than a normal persons, possibly like a Supercomputer, and does he have Photographic memory and possibly reflexes, Basically is his mind as powerful as any other version of Slade or even More/Less so?
Also
2.if Slades suit can take hits from Superman, Does Batman even stand a chance in a Hand to Hand fight?
3. And lastly how Skilled is Slade, I know Adeline trained him, most likely to fight Peripherally/3D and in Guerrilla Warfare(Like in his Origin story), but how does Slade compare in Skills to Batman?
And your welcome, you’re story reminds me of Slades first series and I love it:)
Feels like your rewriting Batman and Slades first appearance back in Deathstroke #7 if memory serves.
Also I just remembered, is Deathstroke’s Staff capable of One shotting Helicopters still or how powerful will it be shown to be? And will it have many different functions or just blast?
As for how something will be shown to be– that’s literally called “a spoiler.” 🙂 DS doesn’t use the staff a whole lot, but it is essentially the same device as the Wolfman-Perez days.
Oh, there’s a lot of ways to stop someone who is merely immune to brute force. The suit won’t stop a sleeper hold (although Slade is hard to get into such a hold suit or no suit), won’t stop knockout gas, and won’t help at all if Batman outmaneuvers Slade so that he’s lost before the fisticuffs even start.
I wonder, would Adamantium Claws be to much for the Ikon suit? I’m meaning in a Wolverine vs Deathstroke encounter (Like the one that happened in a crossover long time ago)
Claws…? Oh, come on 🙂
Yeah. What HE said.
The suit’s computers basically watch all around him for anything approaching too fast or too hard, and devote resources to the biggest threats. Something already touching is an iffy prospect…Slade doesn’t want to be surrounded in a bubble bobbing about on the surface of a lake (the pushing aside of water would keep him “afloat” but he wouldn’t be touching the water so he couldn’t swim) or have all the air pushed away, so it probably has a pressure threshold.
So, Wolverine could gently put his fist against Slade, then pop the claws and hope they penetrate a decent amount before the suit reacts and hurls his fist away. Anyone good at soft style martial arts could probably touch Slade, and the right nerve strike might get through partly before the hand is smacked away. And a good martial artist who knows how the suit works could probably use light taps to jerk Slade around as his own suit over-reacts.
Rest assured, Rose is a major part of this series. Stay tuned.
1) Slade is really, really smart. His mind is not, however, a supercomputer. I’m trying to shy away from the “uses 90% of his brain” nonsense. If Slade could access 90% of his brain he’d be Charles Xavier.
2) The suit does not give Slade superpowers or enhanced strength. It will not save him from drowning or being run over by a bus. Now, if the bus fall son him, sure, maybe. But people need to relax– it’s not a Galactus Suit. It can be defeated if you just ask Dave Van Domelen how.
3) This question is open for interpretation as everyone sees Slade their own way. As I see him, Slade is Batman’s Reverse Flash. I’m fairly certain that’s what Marv and George had in mind: he is Batman’s equal in every way. I don’t think Deathstroke has a combat style. If he did, it would make him too easy to figure out. I think he adopts whatever he needs for the job.
According to one site I’ve read, anyone using “90% of their brain” is actually having a seizure….
Thank you for answering:), I’ll leave you alone for now but I’ll probably show up again after #4 Lol
Great comic, this is the definite Deathstroke imo. Is Rose going to be joining Slade in Gotham though? didn’t appear so from the way this issue ended.
Well, the issue ended with heading for the rendezvous point, not leaving town entirely.
Slade is my favorite fictional character, I love his history and supporting cast so I really want to thank you, Priest. Your rebirth series are the best of all what happing to Deathstroke since Marv Wolfman finished his book in 1996. And one of the best rebirth series, I think.
I love the story but more than that I love characters.
I have mixed feelings about Slade himself but anyway he’s cool. I mean, he’s a bastard, of course, more than he has ever been, I think. But I see in him a lot of details that makes Deathstroke that character that I loved again and after each issue I want to read more and intrigued about what will happen next. Don’t feel smth like that about comic book for some time, so thank you for this feeling!
I felt in love with your Wintergreen at his first appearance, now I felt in love with Rose too (also happy about she’s half-cambodian again and trained by Nightwing again!). She’s awesome. Have no words to tell how much I enjoyed your vision of her. 🙂
Can’t wait to see Joey.
Separately of all of it I want to say thank you for flashback histories, flashbacks is my sort of kryptonite (but unlike kryptonite it makes me feel good, lol) so I can’t be indifferent about that. Especially because they’re really interesting and help to understand who these people are, not following standard scheme ‘Slade’s origin: army-experiment-Deathstroke’ in couple of pages which many other writers liked to use. (btw, can’t stop thinking about Slade, Bill and Adeline relationship looks more like ‘lovers’ than ‘husband, wife and their friend’ in flashback cause of scene in Deathstroke #1 when Bill interrupt Slade’s and Addie’s charming talking about divorce and jokes on them (and still alive after that, lol) and cause of Wilsons family looks dysfunctional, strange and abnormal enough for this kind of relationships… Sorry, I can’t keep silent about that, it’s stronger than me 🙂 )
And I have some questions. Maybe I’m not attentive enough or smth of that will be answered next issues, but…
SPOILERS
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Why Slade continue to wear Ikon suit? I mean, he didn’t like it, did he? He changed his decision about it?
Did Adeline knew about Rose? Her words looks like she did. Or Slade come and tell ‘hmf, sorry, dear, I have a daughter and I couldn’t came and save our son because of these’? (I’m exaggerating of course, but…) or Adeline’s agent finally found Slade?
Wintergreen when they come for Rose and Lily were about 55 years old, right? He looks very young for this age and very aged after 8 years.
Rose thought that William is dead. Because Bill and Slade faked his death or because he disappeared in unknown direction?
Who cared about Rose after boys saved her and Lili (?) from Cambodia? Lily? Slade? Bill? Someone else?
Sorry for attack you with questions but I feel so much interest 🙂
Hi, and thanks for the very kind words:
1) Slade continues to wear the Ikon suit because he left his latest iteration of his own uniform in Africa (Matthew “Jakazi” Bland has it).
2) Adeline works in covert ops; she’s a smart lady. We assume she found out eventually about Rose. Specifically how is yet to be revealed.
3) Yes, Wintergreen aged a great deal in 8 years 🙂 It is safe to presume that, eight years ago, he was dyeing his hair 🙂
4) Rose thought WG was dead because *everyone* thought WG was dead.
5) Rose’s mother, Lillian Worth, raised Rose in a NY house of prostitution after being rescued from Cambodia. Lillian, BTW, is not Cambodia but is Hmong Chinese. Many Hmong helped U.S. military and intelligence factions during and after the Vietnam war and ended up displaced and hiding from vengeance-seeking Vietnamese.
1. Yeah, I remember about it, but I thought he has more than one set of uniform cause it’s not look like smth that would live and not be damaged for a long time. So, he just solve problems when they come, right?:)
3. Hah! I thought about it but he is looking very good in his age anyway! So I start to doubt about his age 🙂 one day of that 8 years he decided that he doesn’t look seriously enough?:)
Thank you for the answers 🙂
So you changed Lily and Rose’s race from Khmer to Hmong? That’s… incredibly disappointing to say the least. Any particular reason? As part Khmer myself that was always an important part of my love for Rose.
Wow. This was a totally unanticipated reaction. I’m a bit at a loss of what to say. Changing Lillian from Khmer to Hmong was my choice, a result of research into Vietnam-era history of US involvement with the various Asian cultures of the region. In keeping with Marv Wolfman’s original concept of Deathstroke’s rescue of Lillian Worth, I was looking to ground this story in as much reality as possible, which included properly motivating Deathstroke/Slade to rescue this woman. Many Hmong had assisted the US military during the war and needed to be evacuated from Southeast Asia. I felt having Lillian be one of those displaced Hmong, working as a US intelligence subcontractor in Cambodia rather than be a native Khmer, created more dramatic possibilities for the series. It never occurred to me, and it obviously should have, that Deathstroke would have Khmer fans or that anyone would be disappointed or offended.
In striving to return to the original intent of Wolfman-Perez while updating it for 2016, I am stretching for as much authority in storytelling as possible. I won’t always get it right, but my intent is to create a rich tapestry and as reasonably authentic a world for Deathstroke as I can. Sorry you (and likely others) were disappointed by this creative choice. It’s all on me.
And, yes, over the next few months I’ve no doubt I will be apologizing profusely to the Hmong community for what I’m sure I’ll get wrong as Rose ultimately begins to investigate and embrace her mother’s heritage. Just know mine are the very best of intentions to add width and breadth to the daughter of The Deathstroke: a character whom I feel has virtually unlimited potential.
Rose is a character I’ve only read about sporadically. The first few times I saw her she struck me as a bit of a tough-girl, while other appearances she seemed a bit overly-cloying towards Slade.
Your incarnation of the character seems a good balance between the versions I saw before Priest, as well as being fairly interesting in of herself. I thought she came across as a fairly believable teenage-character.
Thanks. God knows we’re trying 🙂
Well thanks for the response anyway. I will say it’s more than a bit disheartening to know Rose won’t be exploring her original Khmer heritage…but I guess it’s something. Cambodian characters I’ve found to be rare in comics, so having one who was part Khmer was exciting for me, even if her heritage was rarely brought up. Just knowing was enough. The new 52 whitewashed her into being Addie’s kid so that was crushing too. I was thrilled when I heard Lily was back in canon again. Just…wasn’t the way I was expecting. I guess all I can do is try to adjust to the change and hope to find another Khmer character elsewhere.
Sneaky, Priest. Very sneaky.
It took me a while to remember, but I soon zeroed in on the right memory. 🙂
I have a Question for Priest, how would you Write a Comic where Black Panther/Tchalla meets Deathstroke?
Like is there anything special you would make happen or anything involving who would be the Victor if they fought.
I just picked up #4 and 5 today (I keep forgetting this is bi-weekly!) and just finished #4. I am really enjoying the series so far, particularly the quirky father-daughter dynamics. One thing that really struck me as I was thinking about that though, is something that I’d always noticed in your writing, but hadn’t ever consciously put into words:
Luke – Danny
T’Challa – Ross
Eric – Woody
Ka-Zar – Shanna
Slade – Rose
You have a remarkable talent for writing all of the pathos in dysfunctional relationships; the humor, the caring, the angst. It makes your characters very believable.
Finally found the place to post this,thanks a ton Dave. Hey Mr. Priest, it’s an honor to write to you sir! I just want tell you that I’m loving your Deathstroke series, a big fan! I love the way you explore Slade Wilson and what he is all about. It’s clear that Deathstroke is a villainous amalgamation of Batman and Captain America. I Just wanted to know and I hope you don’t mind answering, but are these three each other’s equals? For instance, is Batman Cap’s equal in fighting skill? I posed the Batman question because you recently wrote him guest-starring in your Deathstroke series, so just wanted to know what you’d say! I really hope I’m not disturbing you sir, once again thanks in advance ????
Hi Rohit! I think Deathstroke is comparable to Captain America and, ahem, Deadpool in terms of strength and skill. Deathstroke is physically stronger and faster than Batman, which is why physical fights between them have always seemed a bit ridiculous to me. Theirs is a battle of wills and techniques, which I have attempted to demonstrate with the back end of issue #4 and the entirety of issue #5. Thanks!
Thanks Mr. Priest, but what about comparing Batman and Cap, are they equals in fighting skill?
Not trying to be pushy sir, but what about the Batman and Cap question? ???? I won’t judge you on what you would say, I’m asking because you’ve written both these characters, so I just want to know what you would say.
Hi Rohit: sorry for the wait but please understand I’m a pretty busy guy 🙂 I get up here on the site as much as I can, but I am usually juggling chain saws out here. Also, as for who-can-beat-who questions, well, that I usually prefer to leave to the readers to decide because they usually know more about that stuff than I do.
Just bear in mind Captain America has superior strength (he has the Super Soldier serum), while Batman is quite a bit more ruthless than Cap and would have creative solutions to bridge the strength gap between them. It would be a tough call. The rule is: Cap Always Finds A Way, which suggests his ultimate triumph over Batman, while Batman is, like, the smartest hero in comics. Except Deathstroke, of course.
Thanks Mr.Priest 🙂 , but i never asked who would win, im aware that you said cap is stronger, but i just asked are they equals in skill? Like how Deathstroke is batman’s equal in skill, so shouldnt Cap be too? Thats the question.
The Batman vs. Captain America one-shot established that they’re so evenly balanced in skill that you might as well flip a coin…any fight would come down to random events favoring one over the other.
I agree with Dave that they are equals, but what i feel is that if they fight, the outcome would be the same as T’challa vs Cap . A stalemate. Do you agree Mr. Priest? Also, sorry if it takes a day to reply sir, time differences, i dont live in the States.
Wow accidently put three question marks at the end of the post, meant to put a smiley 🙂
For some strange reason Dave, whenever I put the laughing face smiley, 4 question marks come in place of that smiley :/
Are you on a Mac?
Nope sir, im on my phone, an iphone 5s :/