SYNOPSIS: “DEATHSTROKE: ARKHAM” continues! It’s Groundhog Day for Deathstroke. After experiencing a strange encounter with an inmate claiming to be an alien, Slade Wilson wakes up in Arkham Asylum as if nothing happened, and the only person who believes him is Harvey Dent, a.k.a. Two-Face! But can Two-Face be trusted? (Not likely.) And what machinations does Hugo Strange have in store for Deathstroke?
Priest has taken Slade Wilson’s life and turned it completely upside down in Deathstroke #37.
With the world’s deadliest assassin locked up in Arkham Asylum, the book reads like Shutter Island and Mission Impossible meet The Brady Bunch on acid.
This is a story of an insane man and his broken family on the outside barely able to survive. Priest keeps you guessing about what is reality while the dysfunctional Wilson family takes center stage.
Priest dives deep into Deathstroke’s history: losing one son, almost losing the other, his strange relationship with Tera and more. At times it’s like we are diagnosing Slade Wilson ourselves. The virtual reality therapy sessions have been one of the more treasured pieces in the last two issues.
Various cameos from Batman rogues gallery are always a welcome sight but it’s both Harvey Dent and Two-Face who get the most out of their brief time. Priest writes the Wilson family as a dysfunctional group. They aren’t actually loveable but like an accident on the side of the road you can’t help but stare and read on. There is one scene with Wintergreen and Rose that is absolutely fascinating. There is nothing like the daddy issues of an assassin’s daughter to get your attention. This story will leave the reader with more questions than answers and there is nothing wrong with that because that is when Priest is at his best.
Continuing the theme of rotating artists, Fernando Pasarin draws the interior of the book. The artwork in the book is a delight right from page one. There is a hysterical scene in Rose’s loft that wouldn’t have worked without the art. The background, who and what all sell the scene wonderfully. I will say that Rose is looking more like a cosplaying Psylocke than Ravager these days. The character is not drawn poorly it’s just very different from what I’ve come to expect from Rose.
The last three pages of the book are just breathtaking. Pasarin made my jaw drop, the amount of detail, the expression, the action and that splash page finale, bravo! That is how you end a book!
Deathstroke #37 is a book you have to have on your pull list this week. Priest is really outdoing himself. Deathstroke is either crazy or going crazy in Arkham, sprinkle in with some cameos from the local residents, always great to see the Mad Hatter. Then add the Wilson family and all the insanity that comes with them and you are in for a remarkable read. The artwork is just as good, a great balance of action, detail, and emotion. You will not have more fun reading a book than this. It is completely bonkers! – Pete Verra
