Happy Birthday, George Pérez From the Deathstroke Files!

Deathstroke's legendary co-creator,
George Pérez

Today, the Deathstroke Files celebrates the 65th birthday of Deathstroke the Terminator's legendary co-creator, George Pérez. Pérez's storied comics book career began in 1974 for Marvel Comics' black-and-white magazine imprint, Curtis Magazines, in the horror title Monsters Unleashed (1973) #8  in the issue's fourth feature; a  14-page story titled, "A Martian Genesis." Much of Pérez's early work was for other Curtis titles including a regular run on Deadly Hands of Kung Fu (1974) and some issues of Unknown Worlds of Science Fiction (1974).

Pérez's actual Marvel Comic's premiere was in Creatures on the Loose (1969) #33, the first of a short five-issue run on the title, but this run opened the door for higher-profile titles like The Inhumans (1975), The Avengers (1963), and the Fantastic Four (1961). Pérez became a Marvel mainstay for the next five or so years adding a comic book adaptation of the film, Logan's Run (1976) and a six-month stint on the team-up book Marvel Two-in-One (1974) to his already impressive résumé.

By 1980, Pérez was taking penciling jobs from Marvel's "distinguished competition," DC Comics, the first of which was a Firestorm back-up tale, "Firestorm Is Back in Town," from The Flash (1960) #289. But it was Pérez's second DC job that signaled the project that would his legacy as one of the most influential comic book artists in the history of the medium. DC Comics Presents (1978) #26 would play host to the debut of Pérez and writer Marv Wolfman's seminal creation, the New Teen Titans. But in addition to the New Teen Titans' soon to be released series, Pérez was also penciling,  The Avengers for Marvel Comics and Justice League of America (1960) for DC Comics at the same time.

The following month would witness the launch of one of DC Comic's most important titles ever with The New Teen Titans (1980) #1. This watershed comic figuratively exploded in popularity, eventually outselling the reigning sales champion, Marvel Comic's Uncanny X-Men (1963), making DC Comics a serious threat to Marvel's long-standing industry dominance. Of major importance to this blog, The New Teen Titans #2 gave birth to a certain "world's greatest assassin," Deathstroke the Terminator, who served as the premier antagonist in the series' apex story arc, "The Judas Contract."

After departing from the Teen Titans' titles, Pérez and Wolfman would again collaborate on the genre-changing maxi-series, Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985), which altered the foundations of the DC Comics Universe as well as signaling an end to comics' Bronze Age. Following Crisis, Pérez would redefine and reinvigorate a Golden Age classic for the new post-Crisis era with Wonder Woman (1987) #1. Pérez would return to Marvel to pencil the now classic Infinity Gauntlet (1991) (though he departed the series midway through issue #4 due to creative differences), the alternate future tale Hulk: Future Imperfect (1992), and the Epic Comics series Sachs and Violens (1992).  The remainder of Pérez's was spent bouncing around many different publishers for projects like Malibu Ultraverse's Ultraforce (1994), a Marvel Comics relaunch of The Avengers (1998), a truncated creator-owned project for Image Comics in George Perez's Crimson Plague (2000), CrossGen Chronicles (2003) and Solus (2003) for CrossGen Entertainment, the intercompany crossover JLA/Avengers (2003), DC Comics' New 52 relaunch of Superman (2011), and his creator-owned George Perez's Sirens (2014) for Boom! Studios.

Pérez announced his retirement from comic book work in early 2019 due to vision complications from diabetes, but he has already established a body of work worthy of any comic book industry hall of fame. Happy birthday, George Pérez!

Blog Update: I Got Issues

I've been experiencing network issues of late so trying to operate this blog has been challenging, to say the least. Sometimes I have service and sometimes I don't without any way of knowing which it will be at any given time. I have no idea when it will be fixed so posts may be inconsistent for a while. I'm trying to hang in there but, well, this just sucks. Sorry.

DEATHSTROKE BY: Hyperwerks' Karl Altstaetter

This edition of DEATHSTROKE BY comic book industry veteran Karl Altstaetter. Altstaetter has provided one-off art for numerous DC and Marvel Comic titles as well as a number of Image/Extreme/Awesome/Maximum work for Rob Liefeld, notably for his Bloodstrike properties. In addition to his work-for-hire, Altstaetter co-founded the comic book publisher Hyperwerks, known for the titles Deity, Catseye, Saint Angel, and Rostam: Tales of the Shahnameh, which are available digitally by clicking/tapping here. Altstaetter's piece below, simply titled Deathstroke, holds its visual power in the simplicity of its minimal coloring and cloud rendering contrasting with the complex visual detail of both Deathstroke's costume and the dot matrix-like texturing of the sky. If you want to check out more of Altstaetter's artwork, be sure to visually stroll through his DeviantArt gallery at this link.

Deathstroke
Art by Karl Altstaetter

Beware The Batman Deathstroke Bust By Varner Studios

Cartoon Network's Beware The Batman (2013) aired for little over a year, but in its only season, Deathstroke played a prominent role. But because of its truncated initial run, Beware The Batman did not produce much merchandise and not much of that was aimed at adult collectors. But Diamond Select Toys has changed all that with the DC Animated Deathstroke Resin Bust which will retail for around $59.99 USD sometime in the Fall of 2019. But don't delay, only 3,000 of these deadly beauties will be made. The product description appearing below comes from shop.diamondselecttoys.com.

Product Description:

Batman beware, Deathstroke is the newest installment in DST's line of animated-style busts! Based on his appearance in Beware the Batman [sic], this approximately 6-inch bust of Slade Wilson shows him brandishing a sword and sits atop a pedestal inspire by the show's architecture. Limited to only 3,000 pieces and hand-numbered, it comes packaged with a numbered certificate of authenticity in a numbered full-color box. Designed by Barry Bradfield, sculpted by Varner Studios.

DEATHSTROKE COVERED: Titans (2008) #31 by Fabrizio Fiorentino

This edition of DEATHSTROKE COVERED spotlights the cover to Titans (2008) #31 penciled by Fabrizio Fiorentino. This was just one of a line-wide slate of DC Character Spotlight themed covers that graced comic book shop shelves in January of 2011. The simplistic design more than accomplished the goal of highlighting Deathstroke by eliminating the visual background noise of scenery and background characters in favor of minimal branding and title graphics, not unlike the current crop of DC Comics minimum graphics variant covers. Fiorentino's Deathstroke is rendered in the foreground like a coiled cobra ready to strike at any moment. But the background logo, which prominently incorporates a sniper scope's crosshairs has since become synonymous with Deathstroke, so much so that I chose it for this blog's Favicon. Despite the inverted direction of the guards on the Deathstroke sword, this is one of my favorite Deathstroke-centric covers.

Art by Fabrizio Fiorentino

Keanu Reeves as Slade Wilson by Bosslogic

I have no idea if Joe Manganiello will ever play Slade Wilson again, but an Australian artist named Kode Abdo, aka Bosslogic, has an intriguing idea as to who might be an excellent successor if for whatever reason Manganiello doesn't return. Who could fill the shoes of the world's greatest assassin? The answer is Ted "Theodore" Logan, Jack Traven, Johnathan Harker, Neo, and John Wick himself, the Keanu Reeves. But if you're still not sure if he could pull it off, check out Bosslogic's alteration of a screenshot from Reeve's upcoming video game Cyberpunk 2077 (2020) adding grey hair and a beard, a sword, and the trademark eyepatch. The results? PERFECTION! Sure, this is most likely just a fanboy/girl pipe dream, but this could really work.

Pop quiz, hotshot! Deathstroke has been hired to take you down. What do
you do? What do you do? You DIE is what you do!
Original image altered by Bosslogic (aka Kode Adbo)

DEATHSTROKE VS: The Janissary

The Janissary
Art by Gabriel Morrissette

In March of 1993, writer, Steven Grant stepped in for Marv Wolfman for four bi-weekly issues of Deathstroke The Terminator (1991). Grant's first issues (#s 22-23) made up a two-part story titled "The Quality of Mercy," in which Deathstroke was hired by a U.S. government agency to take down a Neo-Nazi leader named deHaan for kidnapping the son of an American diplomat and holding him prisoner at his militaristic compound. Slade, wary of the offer, ultimately accepted the job because he wanted to, in some way, make up for losing his own two sons. 

Slade managed to infiltrate deHaan's compound and free the boy but found himself confronted by deHaan. deHann claimed that he himself was working with the agency and begged for an explanation as to why he was being "burned," specifically mentioning a man named Campbell. But out of nowhere, the rescued boy shoots and kills deHaan before Slade could get any more information.

Slade was right to be suspicious of this job as the real purpose for his involvement in this operation was simply to flush the boy put into the open. Once the boy was free, the government agents killed him at their first opportunity. The same agents then tried to take out Slade in an effort to cover their tracks, but, being ridiculously overmatched by the Terminator, failed miserably. Having been both deceived and double-crossed on this job, Deathstroke was out for blood.

In Deathstroke The Terminator #23, once Campbell found out that his men failed to eliminate Deathstroke, and fearing for his life, he hired a young, "up-and-comer" assassin known only as the Janissary to terminate the Terminator. The self-professed "Top Five" mercenary, while recognizing the monumental task put to him, was so confident he could handle Deathstroke that he offered Campbell a money-back guarantee.

After a few days, Slade made his way to a Los Angeles Federal building to infiltrate the offices of the Defense Intelligence Agency. After tearing through the D.I.A., Slade kidnapped and "aggressively interrogated" Agent Shea in a secluded desert location until he learned where Campbell was holed up. By the time Slade returned to L.A. word was out that he was in town resulting in an unplanned car ride with an old government contact named Kleiner. Just as Slade explained to Kleiner that he and deHaan were set up by Campbell, the Janissary launched his first surprise attack on the Terminator.

Janissary getting the drop on Deathstroke.
Art by Gabriel Morrissette

After a short, but incredibly destructive melee on the streets of L.A., Slade made his escape as he felt that taking care of Campbell was a higher professional priority than dealing with the hotshot merc. Slade next boarded a train in an attempt to keep a low profile while zeroing in on Campbell's safehouse. Unfortunately for Slade, Janissary tracked him to the train and took a hostage demanding that Slade change into his professional gear so it wouldn't appear that he killed a normal "helpless fossil." Slade obliged and the two assassins left the train for their decisive battle, which is depicted below with art by Gabriel Morrissette.

After besting the Janissary, Slade showed uncharacteristic mercy toward him by allowing him to live. Though it was never explained in the story, it seemed that Slade probably saw a lot of his son Grant in the Janissary, which was probably a callback to the reasoning Slade used to accept the original job in Deathstroke The Terminator #22. It seems to me that this version of the Janissary would be a pretty intriguing foil for Deathstroke at some point in the future. He was shown to be skilled enough to hold his own against Slade hand-to-hand in this story, but add some time, experience, and a burning desire for a face-saving rematch and it could add up to a story I'd definitely be interested in reading.

On an unrelated note, is it my imagination or does this version of the Janissary bear a striking resemblance to Marvel Comics' Death-Stroke? I wonder if that was intended? Nah!

Marvel Comic's Death-Stroke and DC Comics' Janissary. Hmmmm.
Art by Steve Leialoha and Gabriel Morrissette

Professor Hugo Strange's 1986 Who's Who Entry

Renegade psychiatrist and/or mad scientist (depending on the era and medium), Professor Hugo Strange is one of the most misunderstood and underutilized villains in all of comics. "Officially created" by Bob Kane with Bill Finger for Detective Comics (1937) #36, Strange was nearly the first recurring super-villain to plague the life of Batman, debuting just after Doctor Death and the Monk (aka the Mad Monk). A master of psychology and psychological warfare, Strange holds the distinction of being the first super-villain to correctly deduce the secret identity of Batman as millionaire playboy, Bruce Wayne and has driven the Dark Knight to the very edge of insanity on more than one occasion, most recently during the "Night of the Monster Men" crossover.

But Hugo Strange didn't restrict his malicious machinations to just the Caped Crusader. Deathstroke (2016) scribe, Christopher Priest brilliantly used Strange during the instant classic "Deathstroke: Arkham" story arc to push Slade Wilson to the brink of lunacy in an effort to "fix" him by executing a maddeningly sadistic gaslighting campaign that has to be seen/read to be truly appreciated. It can honestly be stated that given Slade's fate after "The Terminus Agenda," Deathstroke was never the same after Strange was through with him. Posted below is a scan from Professor Hugo Strange's 1986 Who's Who entry from issue #18 (XVIII) featuring art by Denys Cowen and Art Nichols.

Art by Denys Cowan and Art Nichols

Deathstroke September 2019 Solicitations

DEATHSTROKE #47 

written by CHRISTOPHER PRIEST

art by FERNANDO PASARIN and CAM SMITH

cover by CARLO PAGULAYAN and JASON PAZ

variant cover by SKAN

After being pronounced dead, Slade Wilson awakens in his daughter’s apartment with no memory of how he got there. Meanwhile, Jericho’s newly discovered powers continue to escalate, severing the now-godlike Joseph from his own humanity. Will absolute power corrupt Deathstroke’s good son?

ON SALE 09.04.19

$3.99 US | 32 PAGES

FC | RATED T+

This issue will ship with two covers.

Please see the order form for details.

The Deathstroke Files Would Like to Wish President Trump a Hap...a 73rd Birthday.

June 14, 2019, marks the 73rd birthday of the 45th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump. The following image from Convergence: The Atom (2015) #2 is posted in his honor.

Tiny orange hands!
Art by Steve Yeowell

Super-Team Family #2614: Deathstroke vs. Daredevil!

Despite occupying competing fictional realities, DC Comic's Deathstroke and Marvel Comic's Daredevil seem like they would mesh together well in a tradition super-hero/super-villain relationship. So much so that the were literally combined in Amalgam Comics' Assassins (1996) in the form of Dare the Terminator. Ross Pearsall from Super-Team Family: The Lost Issues blog agrees with this notion as one of his recent homages cover pits the "world's greatest assassin" against the "man without fear" with the fate of Jericho in the balance in Super-Team Family #2614, "The Trial of Joseph Wilson." 

This, of course, is a "rematch" from Super-Team Family #2377 and features art from superstar pencilers, Deathstroke's legendary co-creator, George Pérez and Klause Janson of Daredevil (1964) and Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (1986) fame. If you like the work that Pearsall is doing on Super-Team Family: The Lost Issues, please consider donating to his Patreon by clicking on this link to help make it possible for this fun labor of love to continue.

Be sure to check out my original post on the Super-Team Family: The Lost Issues blog by clicking here.

The Deathstroke Files Remembers the Tragedy at Pulse.

Image Source: IDW

In the world of comic books, violence is glorified. Whether it is a thunderous right hand from Superman, a slash of the sword by Wonder Woman, or a boot to the face by Batman superhero comics depend on violence to drive their action and, in many cases, to resolve the narrative conflict. The "good guys" win, "evil" is punished, and all is well...in comic books. I've yet to encounter a case where the fantasy, fictionalized violence, which only appears literally within the pages of a comic book has resulted in any real-life bloodshed (damned paper cuts notwithstanding).

When real-world violence occurs it is always tragic. While narrow definitions classify civil authorities as "good guys" (and the majority truly are), and the authors of violence as "bad guys," whether or not the "evil" is punished resolves nothing for the victims of violence whose lives are fundamentally changed (if not ended) or for the family members of those who were needlessly murdered. Just knowing that the "bad guy" has died or been captured doesn't instantly help these people cope with their new, and profoundly different realities. And unlike the fantasy world of comic books, people in the real world don't return from the grave. They are gone; forever.

But a funny thing happened after the horrendous shootings at the Pulse night club on June 12, 2016. The fantasy worlds of comic books and the all-too-real one merged in a way that sought to bring some much-needed relief to the survivors of the attack and to those who lost loved ones because of it. Veteran comic book writer, Mark Andreyko organized a 144-page anthology masterpiece from IDW, with assistance from DC Comics, called Love is Love that featured works by some of not only comic book heavyweight talent, but also some pretty big names from Hollywood. Comic book giants like Grant Morrison, Brian Michael Bendis, Jim Lee, Gail Simone, G. Willow Wilson, Tom King, and Deathstroke's legendary co-creator George Pérez joined forces with literary masters such as J.K. Rowling and Brad Meltzer in addition to TV and film folk like Matt Bomer, Patton Oswald, Taran Killam, Morgan Spurlock, and Wonder Woman (2017) director Patty Jenkins. All of these brilliant professionals and hundreds more volunteered their time and their tremendous talents to produce this anthology, with all of its sales proceeds going to help the Orlando tragedy's survivors and the families of the deceased in their long and challenging recovery.

Characters from all over the wide and varying landscape of fiction appeared in support of those affected by the tragic events at Pulse. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Catwoman, Nightwing, Batwoman, Harley Quinn, Archie Andrews, Kevin Keller, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, the Spirit, Cassie Hack, Apollo, Midnighter, assorted Green Lanterns, Harry Potter, Albus Dumbledore, Hermine Granger, and Ron Weasley coming together to support consensual love in all its forms. But one feature character that seemed completely out of place at first was none other than Deathstroke the Terminator. Deathstroke's views concerning violence and death seem ill-fitted to the anthology's themes of love, tolerance, and acceptance rather than the cruel, cold violence normally associated the Slade Wilson. But the one-page story (posted below), penned by SNL alumnus, Taran Killam, injects Slade with a dose of humanity, albeit a very temporary one.

Written by Taran Killam, Art by Barry Crain

The Deathstroke Files remembers the victims, survivors, and family members who were forever changed by the horrific events at the Pulse night club. For those of you who have not yet purchased this beautiful anthology and still wish to help, Love Is Love is still available at many comic book retailers, book stores, Amazon.com, and Comixology.

DEATHSTROKE BY: Jericho by Phil Cho

Given both that it's Pride Month and his upcoming roles in both Deathstroke (2016) as well as the greater DC Comics' "Year of the Villain" mega-event, I thought that it would be appropriate to spotlight Jericho in this edition of DEATHSTROKE BY. With that said, the U.S. artist, and huge DC Comics fan, Phil Cho is doing some really interesting work, many examples of which appear in his DeviantArt gallery. Cho's Jericho piece (posted below) is from a larger commissioned series that features many characters from the Wolfman and Pérez era of the Teen Titans. The full body portrait depicts Joseph Wilson in full, classic super-heroic gear with his trademark black and green eye effects indicating that the viewer is about to experience a rather weird couple of minutes. Cho's art style is reminiscent of that which is used in animation cells utilizing color shading rather than the standard comic book line shading the effect of which adds a sense of motion to an otherwise static super-hero pose. Hats off to Phil Cho for a nice bit of art dedicated a much-underappreciated character.

Deathstroke Deemed (Almost) Too Bad for Cryptozoic Entertainment's DC Comics Deck-Building Game!

In 1993 the world of collectible card games (CCGs) or trading card games (TCGs) burst onto the hobby gaming scene and built a large and dedicated CCG community that is thriving to this day. CCGs combined the character-based and statistical elements of traditional tabletop/pencil-and-paper roleplaying, the strategy and head-to-head competition of traditional card games, and the collectability factor of trading cards. The object of a CCG is to assemble a collection of cards by purchasing assorted packs of random cards, then to choose a limited selection of those cards into specialized decks used to battle/duel with an opponent. Beginning with Magic: The Gathering (1993), designed by American mathematician, Richard Garfield, CCGs exploded in popularity with many other games hitting the market including the mega-popular Japanese games Pokémon (1996) and Yu-Gi-Oh! (1999).

Spinning off from CCGs was a related card game genre known as a deck-building game in which, unlike CCGs, the ultimate goal of the game is to acquire cards to construct the deck during gameplay, rather than defeating an opponent in a duel like a CCG. On November 30, 2012, Cryptozoic Entertainment launched the DC Comics Deck-Building Game that took full advantage of the still vibrant card-gaming community and the newly rebooted "New 52" iteration of the DC Comics Universe. Types of cards featured in the game are DCComics Super Hero, Starting Cards (either Punch or Vulnerability), Weakness, DC Comics Super-Villain, Villain, Location, Villain with Attack, Hero, Super Power, Equipment, and Super Power with Defense. The DC Comics Deck-Building Game base set included 214 game cards, 7 "oversized" hero cards, and the game rulebook.

Cryptozoic Entertainment's DC Comics Deck-Building Game base set
Image Source: cryptozoic.com

The video below gives a crash course on how the game works.

Since its 2012 debut, there have been several expansion packs that have introduced cards for new characters and new variations of existing characters. For example, there are four versions of just Deathstroke, but depending on the type of game one is playing, be it a private game or competitive tournament play, you may or may not be able to use Deathstroke. The card below is legal to use in any type of game setting.

However, if one is playing in a sanctioned tournament, there are 605 cards that are banned in competitive play. According to dcdeckbuilding.com, cards can be banned for any of the following reasons:

• They were intended for a different game mode
• Super Villains that are replaced with their Impossible Mode versions
• They are too powerful and unbalanced
• Lack of impact on the game

All three of the Deathstroke cards posted below are currently banned from competitive play by dcdeckbuilding.com.

Perhaps Cryptozoic Entertainment can make a friendlier version of a Deathstroke card so that he can participate in competitive play, but then again playing by the rules of others just wouldn't be Deathstroke's style.

DEATHSTROKE COVERED: Booster Gold (2007) #22 by Dan Jurgens and Norm Rapmund

This edition of DEATHSTROKE COVERED features a 2009 cover from Booster Gold (2007) #22. Deathstroke dominates this cover by Dan Jurgens and Norm Rapmund with his sword drawn and Booster Golf and the Teen Titans reflected in the dark half of his mask. This issue itself is described in its solicitation text as "'Day of Death' part 2! Booster Gold travels back in time to prevent the Black Beetle from killing the New Titans, but who will save Booster Gold from the Black Beetle — and what role will Deathstroke play?" What role will Deathstroke play? Any role he wants! The cover to Booster Gold #22 is posted below both with and without title graphics.

Priest Confirms Departure From Deathstroke (2016) After Issue #50

"'Deathstroke: RIP' will, however, have at least one permanent casualty -- me. The story arc will be my last for Rebirth Deathstroke as I take my bow with the double-sized issue #50."

Deathstroke super-scribe, Christopher Priest

The above quote is from current Deathstroke (2016) writer, Christopher Priest, confirming his departure from the series to CBR.com's Tim Adams (Click here to read the full article). Priest killed off Slade Wilson in the final issue of the "Terminus Agenda" story arc setting up "Deathstroke: RIP" in which his children, Rose and Joseph, come into conflict from the ways that they deal with their father's death. Rose wants revenge and to preserve Deathstroke's professional honor while Joseph wishes to distance himself from his villainous father by becoming the best hero he can be.

Undoubtedly, Priest has left the most indelible impact on both Deathstroke and his mythos since his legendary co-creator, Marv Wolfman. The welcome return of Wintergreen, the incredible Ikon Suit, the comingled origins of his trademark sword and his infamous nom de guerre, a Black Panther-reminiscent frenemy in the Red Lion, a Deadpool-adjacent ally in Death Masque (with a "Q"), a genuine "evil twin" variety villain in Doctor Ikon were all welcome additions to the assassin's canon. Most importantly, Priest readjusted the character locus of Deathstroke so that he was first and foremost a villain and not some ersatz anti-hero. Priest's story "Chicago" from Deathstroke #11, which addressed street-level gun violence in America, has been hailed as a modern classic.

Priest took Deathstroke, that many people wrote off as only a full-throttle action villain and wrote the character intelligently, with depth, nuance, sophistication, and dare I say....humanity (admittedly the darker side of humanity). Many writers took the straight action approach with Deathstroke, and it can work for him, but Priest turned the world of Deathstroke into one of international intrigue and mystery, which was more closely related to James Bond adventures than, say, the standard mindless Stallone/Schwarzenegger fare. Priest artfully and adeptly crafted rivetting "cat and mouse" games played with the likes of Batman, Superman, Adeline Kane, Doctor Ikon, the Red Lion, the Justice League, the Secret Society (of Super-Villains), Two-Face, and Hugo Strange. Priest portrayed Deathstroke and a cold-blooded killer, but not an inhuman one. Though he was never comfortable expressing positive emotionality, Preist showed during the "The Professional" and "Defiance" arcs that Slade Wilson was capable of loving Rose and Joseph and caring about other young heroes like Kid-Flash and Power Girl, though he ultimately sabotaged those relationships in an effort to save them all from the pain and suffering that he felt he would inevitably bring them.

All told, Priest's run with Deathstroke is one of the best that the character has ever been honored to have. I'm sad that Priest is moving on as I feel that he has considerably raised Deathstroke's stock as a character and elevated his overall gravitas as one of the most dangerous forces in the DC Universe. The only good news is that Priest has six more issues remaining on Deathstroke (#s 45-50), one of which being double-sized, to which I am eagerly looking forward. Furthermore, Priest is set to begin a run on a new volume of Vampirella (2019) for Dynamite Entertainment this July, which I will definitely be including on my pull list.

Though Priest confirmed his departure from the series, it is unknown at this time if the Deathstroke title itself will end with #50 or if it will continue on with a new creative team. Whatever the case may be, given Deathstroke's involvement with season two of DC Universe's Titans and CW Seed's development of a Deathstroke animated series I think that there is indeed a bright future in store for Deathstroke in DC Comics going forward.

Justice League's Jarro Dreams of Deathstroke

Move over (Insert the name of a flash in the pan character here), the newest comic book sensation is here and he's adorable...in a way. During Justice League: No Justice (2018), one of the villains that Brainiac recruited for his grand plan was Starro the Conqueror, an immense, telepathic starfish-like alien that had been a menace to the Justice League from its earliest days. Starro was seemingly killed in an act of apparent self-sacrifice when it was literally ripped apart by one of the Omega Titans. Flash forward to Justice League (2018) #10, Batman reveals that he has a literally new crime-fighting assistant in the form of a fragment of the original Starro, which had grown a miniature body of its own. Batman cleverly named this new partner "Jarro," as he was kept in a jar, and was using the newly independent alien telepath for some completely necessary psychic probing.

Batman and...son?
Art by Francis Manipul

But a funny thing happened between Batman and his new assistant, Jarro. Thought Jarro was capable of the same cosmic-level telepathy as Starro, he was basically an infant from a developmental standpoint. As Batman was the first individual with whom the "newborn" Jarro had seen, it imprinted upon Batman, much the way newly hatched goslings and ducklings do with the first animal that they see that is larger than themselves. As a result, Jarro thinks of himself as human (at least so far) and sees Batman as his "Dad." As a result, Jarro has displayed a rather adorable tendency want to please Batman and actively seeks his approval in everything he does.

Another of Jarro's lovable attributes is that he wants more than anything to not just become a Robin for Batman, but he wants to be the best Robin that Batman could ever have. This desire is wonderfully illustrated in Justice League #20 in the form of a dream sequence that begins with Batman giving chase to none other than Deathstroke. Deathstroke is on the verge of escaping an exhausted Batman when he calls for an assist from Robin. Jarro, clad in full Robin regalia, gleefully responds to Batman request with "On it, Dad!" Robin the Star Wonder then affixed himself to Deathstroke's face and subdued the world's greatest assassin with little effort. Batman is so pleased with his son's performance that he tells Jarro that he is his "favorite Robin ever" just as Jarro awakens.

Jarro dreamed that Batman needs his help to take down the dastardly
Deathstroke thus cementing, in his imagination, his place as Batman's
favorite Robin from JusticeLeague (2018) #20.
Art by Jorge Jimenez

It's unknown if Jarro will ever attain his heart's desire of full-fledged Robinhood, but it is worth noting that even in the idealized world of Jarro's dreams, Deathstroke is recognized as a challenge too big for even Batman to handle alone.

Conflicting Clues Concerning the New Deathstroke.

DISCLAIMER: At times I write some posts and save them away for a time more fitting than the one in which they were first written. With that said, I wrote the majority of this piece before reading Deathstroke (2016) #44. Once Deathstroke #44 came out, I did rework the post to incorporate information from that issue, but only as further supporting evidence into my original argument. I entertained the idea of just scrapping this post altogether as the new information from Deathstroke #44 seemed to confirm my earlier suspicions, but I ultimately decided just to bite the bullet and go with it regardless.

SPOILER ALERT!

The following post contains spoilers from the recently concluded "Arkham" and "The Terminus Agenda" story arcs and Deathstroke (2016) #44. If you have yet to read the "Arkham" and "The Terminus Agenda" story arcs and Deathstroke (2016) #44 you may wish to avoid reading this post.

SPOILERS APPEAR BELOW!

Deathstroke is dead, long live Deathstroke! Well, Slade Wilson is dead, but this is the comic book industry so "dead" rarely means "dead for good." With a major role as the primary antagonist in the upcoming second season of Titans (2018) and an animated series in the works for CW Seed, I don't see Slade himself spending much time dirt-napping. 

Because Slade was killed at the climax of the "Terminus Agenda" it seems that there is Deathstroke void needs to be filled in the DC Universe. Solicitation text for Deathstroke (2016) #45 verifies this notion stating that "In the wake of Slade Wilson’s death, a new Deathstroke has vowed to complete his last, unfinished assignment." Based on the image (posted below) that accompanied the solicitation text, Wintergreen appears to be quite taken aback by a new, male Deathstroke revealing his face. The image intentionally obscures the supposed new Deathstroke's face, but the coloring suggests dark skin indicating maybe Deathstroke's new acquaintance Death Masque (aka Devon) could don the Ikon Suit to carry out Slade's last job. Death Masque makes sense as Slade worked with Devon on (possibly) a large-scale mission during the "Arkham" story arc and Dev may feel an obligation to fulfill Slade's last contract. The only problem I have with this line of logic is that it seems a bit too logical and series writer, Christopher Priest, rarely spells out this type of plot development this clearly. But.....

Solicitation image for Deathstroke (2016) #45
Art by Ed Benes and Richard Friend

Comic book publishers are not above releasing misleading, if not outright false imagery to protect an upcoming storyline. With that said, there is a real possibility that the new Deathstroke isn't even a man. Again referring to the solicitation text for Deathstroke #45, "Rose Wilson discovers the identity of the person responsible for her father’s death. Can her brother, Jericho, stop her from seeking vengeance?" As we now know, it was the Teen Titan's own Red Arrow, Emiko Queen, that shot an arrow into Slade's missing eyehole, through his brain, partially exiting through the back of his head that killed him. Rose being a trained assassin herself with a metahuman ability to predict the actions of others should make for a compelling confrontation when the two dealy young women come face-to-face. Another bit of information from the solicitation text is that "the master assassin Shado has plans of her own, looking to step in for the late, great World’s Greatest Assassin and usurp his place in the villainous hierarchy." Shadow, of course, is Red Arrow's mother and I doubt that it is a simple coincidence that the paths of the mother wishing to replace Deathstroke and the daughter that killed him have converged with that of a grieving and seething Rose Wilson.

Now consider the final two pages of Deathstroke #44, which are posted below. A.) Hosun built a version of the Ikon Suit with "inflatable air bladders" to mimic Slade's height and build. This means that the solicitation image for Deathstroke #45 doesn't necessarily have to be a male as it appears. B.) Wintergreen mentions that Slade had one last contract yet to be fulfilled before he died, which was pulled up on his laptop. And C.) Rose waits for Wintergreen to leave the room and seemingly assumed Deathstroke's last job by typing "AFFIRMATIVE" under the question "CAN YOU EXECUTE?" on Wintergreen's open laptop.

The above-described events and circumstances seem like they do indeed lay the groundwork for Rose Wilson to step into her father's figurative buccaneer boots. But when added to the design image below from DC's Year of the Villain Special (2019) #1, assuming the white-haired female is, in fact, Rose Wilson (the hairstyle does match the one Rose sported in Deathstroke #44), it seems as if she might very well be the one to succeed her father as the new Deathstroke. 

Design image from DC's Year of the Villain Special (2019) #1

In any event, whether it is Dev, Rose, or someone else entirely that attempts to fill the Terminator's boots, I'm more than intrigued to see how Christopher Priest brings it all together until Slade makes his inevitable (?) return.

Arkham Asylum From 1985's Who's Who #1

Christopher Priest's "Arkham" story arc from Deathstroke (2016) #s 36-40 was figuratively insane in its portrayal of the literal insanity within the tortured walls of Gotham's Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane. Slade Wison found himself an unwilling patient/inmate in the infamous institution courtesy of his ex-wife, Adeline Kane, and colleague, Wintergreen following his disastrous confrontation with Doctor Ikon. Without giving away too much of the story, let's just say that the next six issues of Deathstroke are full of deep character examination and therapy, copious amounts of gaslighting, sanity-doubting, new friends (Yay, Death Masque "with a 'Q'"), alien invasions (maybe?), an accidental (?) murder, and all of the twisted, tormented Batman villains one could want in a Deathstroke tale. In honor of Priest's brilliant "Deathstroke: Arkham" story, posted below is a scan of the 1985 Arkham Asylum Who's Who entry from issue #1 (I) with art by Steve Bissette and John Totleben.

The Deathstroke Files Celebrates the 5th Anniversary of Norm Breyfogle's Last Comic Book Work

Norman Breyfogle
Art by Michael Netzer

While Tim Burton's 1989, Batman, film got me into Batman as a character, it was definitely the dynamic and dazzling art of Norm Breyfogle that got me into Batman comics. Breyfogle was well into his breakout run on Detective Comics (1937) when stumbled across issue #605 (part-two of the famed multiple Clayface-centric "The Mud Pack" story) in a local convenience store. I bought the comic book and found myself thoroughly mesmerized by Breyfogle's kinetic and energetic style as well as his ability to convey emotion through facial expression. I bought the Batman (1940) title to simply follow the character, even though Jim Aparo's art at the time didn't exactly wow me, but I devoured Detective for monthly servings of Breyfogle's visual feast for my eyes.

I followed Breyfogle when he jumped to Batman in 1990 and then again when he helped to launched Batman: Shadow of the Bat (1992). When he left DC, I even went so far as to travel an hour away from my home town to get his first two issues of Malibu's Ultraverse title, Prime (1993), from an honest-to-goodness comic shop, though this endeavor proved to be financially unsustainable for me at the time. As with a lot of books, publishers, retailers, and fans I exited the comic book scene during the market collapse of the mid-90s and lost track of Breyfogle and his work for many years. 

My gateway to Norm Breyfogle, Detective Comics (1937) #605

By the time I rediscovered my passion for comics in the mid-2000s, Breyfogle had fallen out of the spotlight as a new crop of talented artists had since burst on to the scene. I didn't run across his work again until 2014 when he contributed to three issues of Trinity of Sin: The Phantom Stranger (2012). I had kept my eyes open for more of his work, but unfortunately Phantom Stranger #20 would mark his final professional work in the industry. In December of 2014, he suffered a stroke that robbed him of the use of the left side of his body (he was left-handed), ending his art career. Just under four years later, Breyfogle succumbed to heart failure at the age of 58.

In remembrance of Norm Breyfogle on the fifth anniversary of his final professional comic book job (June 4, 2014), I have posted below a special commissioned pencil and ink piece featuring Deathstroke battling the Tim Drake Robin and Wonder Girl by Breyfogle. This piece represents one of the only times that I am aware that Breyfogle ever drew Deathstroke for the public. From the Deathstroke Files, here's to the life and legacy of Norm Breyfogle; one hell of a comic book artist!

Pencils and inks by the late, great Norm Breyfogle.

Preparing for Father's Day, Deathstroke Style!

Father's Day is fast approaching in the United States and the "go to" gift for most fathers in the old trusty necktie. But, which tie to choose out of literally millions of options? Why not one that pays homage to what is undoubtedly fiction's greatest assassin (but ironically, one of the worst fathers in the history of comic books), Slade Wilson. I found the following novelty neckties on Amazon, but there are a plethora of other retailers that offer them as well. The product description below comes from Amazon.com.

• Fashionable Mens Necktie.
• Material: 100% Polyester.
• Width: 8 Cm And Length: 143-145cm.
• Washable, but Do Not Bleach.
• Medium Temperature Ironing.

Say your "goodbyes" to whoever stole my lunch from the break
room refrigerator.

I am the Terminator. So, Doug...YOU'RE FIRED!

Belated RIP for Grumpy Cat From The Deathstroke Files.

Grumpy Cat really was everywhere.

I promise that there is a Deathstroke connection here so please bear with me.

I know it was a few weeks ago, but I just ran across the image macro below and wanted to pay my respects. The multimedia phenomenon, Grumpy Cat (given name, Tardar Sauce), died at the age of seven on May 14, 2019, due to complications from a urinary tract infection. Grumpy Cat's trademark ever-present scowl was the result of a combination of factors including a misaligned jaw, which caused an underbite, and the genetic condition, feline dwarfism. 

Grumpy Cat first became a viral sensation after her owner's brother posted a photo of her on Reddit, which became the basis for myriad memes. From there, Grumpy Cat's internet fame blossomed into lucrative endorsement deals from Friskies cat food and Honey Nut Cheerios breakfast cereal. Grumpy Cat's media stardom resulted in numerous television appearances including NBC's The Today Show, ABC's Good Morning America and The Bachelorette, the CBS Evening News, Fox's American Idol, and even WWE's Monday Night Raw. The Lifetime television network even produced a holiday movie entitled Grumpy Cat's Worst Christmas Ever (2014). Her popularity has yet to wain because, on the day of this writing, Grumpy Cat had 8.56 million likes and 8.37 million followers on Facebook.

Predictably, a ubiquitous line of Grumpy Cat branded merchandise flooded store shelves and internet shopping carts replete with t-shirts, mugs, calendars, plush toys, books, etc. The fan-favorite frowning feline fittingly forayed into the fabulous four-color fantasy world of the "funny books" courtesy of fine folks from Dynamite Entertainment (I know, the alliteration got out of control. I have a problem and I'm working on it). She co-starred with her brother Pokey in Dynamite's The Misadventures of Grumpy Cat and Pokey (2015), The Misadventures of Grumpy Cat and Pokey!: I Know What You Did Last Summer. I Just Don't Care (2015) Grumpy Cat and Pokey (2016), and the mega-cat crossover of the century, Grumpy Cat/Garfield (2017).

Posted below is just one of the untold thousands of image macros to feature Grumpy Cat. I don't know if this image accurately captures Grumpy Cat's true feelings about Arrow and Deathstroke, but I like to think that it does.

Rest in peace, Tardar Sauce aka Grumpy Cat.
April 4, 2012 - May 14, 2019

DEATHSTROKE BY: Garrie Gastonny

One thing that I love about the DEATHSTROKE BY feature is that it gives me the opportunity to see Deathstroke through the artistic eyes of talented people who don't usually get a chance to interpret the Terminator for the public. One such talented person is Indonesian artist, Garrie Gastonny who brings us his stunning piece that depicts Slade's New 52 look, simply titled Deathstroke. Gastonny may be familiar to many as the penciler for Titan Comic's A1: Odessey (2013), Image Comic's The Vault (2011), Caliber (2008) and City of Dust (2008) for Radical Publishing, Warren Ellis' Supergod (2009) for Avatar Press, and most recently the story “Oneiroverse” from Heavy Metal Magazine (1977) #292, aka the "Psychedelic Special!"

Gastonny completed his moody Deathstroke piece by using watercolor, marker, and colored pencils on brown paper. Composition-wise, Deathstroke is in unmistakably in Gotham City atop the GCPD building luring Batman in for what is sure to be an epic clash. Much more of Gastonny's art is available for viewing at his DeviantArt gallery by clicking here. 

Deathstroke by Garrie Gastonny