Deathstroke Annual #1 Review

Suicide Squad

Written by: Priest
Art by: Larry Hama, Denys Cowan, Bill Sienkiewicz, Jeromy Cox, and Willie Shubert
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: January 31, 2018

I have enjoyed the Defiance story, but I have to admit, it is starting to feel a tad too long.  I really want to get past this and see if Priest is going to keep giving us a good guy Slade or if Deathstroke will end up going back to his old ways.  It's not like this new Deathstroke is a goody-goody, but I like this new version.  So, does this Annual give us any hints at how it will all end?  Let's find out...


After a very cold open with Slade and someone who is obviously in the wrong place at the wrong time, we get an extended bunch of scenes with Tanya that I really liked.  It seems she is convinced that Power Girl (Karen Starr) will be returning soon to claim her money and powers, is upset that Jericho is gay, is mad at Adeline for being a liar and is in love with Kid Flash.  Through all this, Priest reminds the reader why most of the team joined Defiance in the first place.  As far as a recap, this is pretty damn clever.

We then move on to Slade as he twists the rules once again about what he does and doesn't do anymore, but his new non-killing policy keeps biting him in the ass as him, Terra and then Jericho try to finish their job.

As this is going on, Kid Flash heads back to Titans Tower where he nominated Tanya for readmittance to the team while Beast Boy talks about tight-fitting uniforms in a way that seems to be a pet peeve for Priest himself. All of this and the continuation of Slade, Terra and Jericho finishing their job could possibly prepare any reader of this book for what happens next.

I will not spoil it or the ending here, but it's what we like to call a roller coaster ride of emotions for sure!  I actually had more feels from this issue and this moment than any I've had since Damian Wayne died in the New 52 and even if the cliffhanger pulls it all back, the feelings are real.  By the way, the issue also ends back at the beginning scene of the issue and also shows that a very powerful gal is going to make a big return.

This was just another really good issue is a string of really good issues.  Defiance may be done, but this issue is about so much more.  Seriously, Priest could have gone the typical Annual route and given us a paint by numbers origin of one of his characters, but he does so much more.  Readers of the regular series must read this.

The art by Denys Cowan is a bit rough here.  He's working off the breakdowns of Larry Hama and it's a bit pencil heavy at points and while it's got a unique style, it just doesn't match the quality that this book usually has.

Bits and Pieces:

This Annual pretty much rips apart the Defiance team and has at least two moments that will shock the hell out of the readers and one that may have made a certain reviewer shed a couple of tears.  Yea, the feels are there, but unfortunately, the art wasn't, but that's the only thing I can really fault this Annual for.  If you are reading Priest's Deathstroke, you have to read this.  All you others, start reading Priest's Deathstroke starting at the beginning.

7.9/10