I don't generally like to comment too much about individual stories because of a few reasons. One reason is that my opinion of a book is no better that yours, so who really cares about my critiques on plot or art execution or my reviews of the final product. Secondly, I don't want to be a "spoiler guy" that is constantly publishing key plot points or story elements before many people even get the opportunity to read the books for themselves. However Deathstroke (2014) Annual #2, written by Phil Hester, is such a great book that I do wish to comment on it to a certain degree and I feel that enough time has elapsed since its release to safely do so without ruining any fan's reading experience.
In a story set after the conclusion of Deathstroke (2014) #20, "The Balkan" takes place in the fictional middle-eastern country of Rhapastan, in a region ruled for generations by the rival opium families; the Rhaqqani and the Wudesh. The action opens with an attack on the Rhaqqani by a savage mercenary called "the Balkan," who made it clear that he was hired by the Wudesh. In response, the Rhaqqani acquire the lethal services of Deathstroke for their retaliation. I won't comment further about how the main plot unfolds, but let's just say that the way it plays out hearkens back to such legendary rival families tales as Akira Kurasawa's Yojimbo.
Hester's writing along with Mirko Colak, Roberto Viacava, and Mike Spicer's gritty art appropriately capture a story set in one of the world's most violent and unstable regions. The story comments on several real world issues such as Western intervention in the middle-east, the cycle of retaliatory violence, and the effect of violence on youth. In regards to the last topic, he character of Adi, in particular, a young man introduced as being surrounded by violence, but not yet a participant as depicted by his hesitation to fire a gun when he had the opportunity. But as events unfold, Adi not only witnesses violent acts, but by the end finds himself starkly in the middle of events that change him in a way that will allow him to pull the trigger when the next opportunity is presented.
This issue feels different than Deathstroke's recent adventures. While situations are still tense, and Slade still does what he does, it was grounded in a real-lifelike way, feeling as real as fantasy fiction can. There was no mega-villain like Odysseus, no fantasy trappings like with the God-Killer arc, no over-the-top, super-gauntlet-styled revenge conspiracy like the recent Lawman/Dead Bastards/Ra's al Ghul arc. This was Deathstroke wreaking havoc in a place resembling the real world. There were no real heroes or villains, just actors on a geo-cultural stage and it worked. Christopher Priest has stated that wants to take the Deathstroke character and story back to their roots, and Hester and company have just shown us all that that approach works.
Hester's writing along with Mirko Colak, Roberto Viacava, and Mike Spicer's gritty art appropriately capture a story set in one of the world's most violent and unstable regions. The story comments on several real world issues such as Western intervention in the middle-east, the cycle of retaliatory violence, and the effect of violence on youth. In regards to the last topic, he character of Adi, in particular, a young man introduced as being surrounded by violence, but not yet a participant as depicted by his hesitation to fire a gun when he had the opportunity. But as events unfold, Adi not only witnesses violent acts, but by the end finds himself starkly in the middle of events that change him in a way that will allow him to pull the trigger when the next opportunity is presented.
This issue feels different than Deathstroke's recent adventures. While situations are still tense, and Slade still does what he does, it was grounded in a real-lifelike way, feeling as real as fantasy fiction can. There was no mega-villain like Odysseus, no fantasy trappings like with the God-Killer arc, no over-the-top, super-gauntlet-styled revenge conspiracy like the recent Lawman/Dead Bastards/Ra's al Ghul arc. This was Deathstroke wreaking havoc in a place resembling the real world. There were no real heroes or villains, just actors on a geo-cultural stage and it worked. Christopher Priest has stated that wants to take the Deathstroke character and story back to their roots, and Hester and company have just shown us all that that approach works.
