DEATHSTROKE THE TERMINATOR #3: Death Comes in Threes

Deathstroke finds himself in the crosshairs of Deadshot and Deathblow, as there is a code amongst mercenaries that Slade has broken. Now to get to the truth behind who killed his friend Wintergreen, Wilson must battle two familiar faces. Is he up to the task, or will revenge consume him?

Creative Team: Tony Fleecs, Carmine Di Giandomenico, Ivan Plascenencia, and Wes Abbott.

SPOILERS AHEAD!

The Story:

Tony certainly knows how to crank up the intensity, and my goodness, does he ever in this issue. Deathstroke is becoming more unhinged in ways I have never seen him before. He is always collected and methodical; however, we are seeing him frantic and not thinking clearly for the first time. The inclusion of Deadshot and Deathblow adds more chaos to the mix, as they taunt both Slade and the reader about who killed Wintergreen throughout this issue.

Tony builds up the reveal and anticipation masterfully, and at times, I was even shouting to tell me who the killer was. There’s the inclusion of flashbacks, which set rules and codes that I thoroughly enjoyed, as they build out the world, and it includes some characters we don’t see often, such as KGBeast. Slade is an absolute tank, and the reveal of Wintergreen’s killer on the final page hits us in the chest like a bullet from Deadshot. This run just keeps getting better and better.

The Art and Letters:

To match the energy of this issue, the art brings the chaos, and every panel leaves your heart racing and leaping from your chest. As I mentioned, Slade is a tank, and the team has him taking hits left and right. Deathblow hits Slade in the back, and then we see an excellent panel after Wilson takes a point-blank shot to the face, revealing his broken mask and his eye. The detail in just Slade’s eye, which is all we can see, shows how desperate he is and tells so much of what he feels inside.

When art can deliver like that, you know we have an all-timer cooking. Wes’ lettering aids in showing the differences between Slade and his two foes. Slade’s voice is desperate and almost a gravely high-pitched sound as he is shouting, and yet you can sense how much calmer Deadshot is when he speaks. It’s the subtle shifts like this that drew me in deeper and kept the mystery going.

Final Thoughts:

Deathstroke The Terminator #3 is chaos in the best way. We’ve never seen Slade Wilson this desperate and unhinged before, and Tony is unveiling a twisted plot full of surprises. The art team is crushing the details and making every blow Slade takes feel heavy and painful. This run continues to get better and better each issue!

Overall Grade: 10/10

Be sure to let us know your thoughts below and check out more reviews by Matt!