Deathstroke Inc. #4 Review

Writer: Joshua Williamson

Art: Howard Porter, Hi-Fi and Steve Wands

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: December 29th, 2021

Deathstroke Inc. #4 brings the tension between Black Canary and Slade Wilson to the boiling point, as the two battle each other, even as the new Libra (Juliette Ballantine), director of T.R.U.S.T., continues manipulating things from the shadows.

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The Story

Deathstroke Inc. #4 starts off with a knock-down-drag-out fight between Black Canary and Deathstroke, but soon turns into a tale of revelations and secrets revealed.

Joshua Williamson writes Black Canary dark and grim, and I like her this way. She’s been independent of Green Arrow for a while, and it’s nice to see her get her own personality and identity, rather than be just “Green Arrow Lite”. Slade Wilson is his usual vicious self. He doesn’t like being used, and he wants to know what’s really going on with Libra and T.R.U.S.T., and he’s not letting anyone stop him from finding out.

Some surprise villains show up midway through the issue, a couple of whom have fought the entire Justice League before, and it gives the rest of the book a heavy sense of dread. You know there are going to be no winners by the time this is over. It’s an interesting change of pace from the usual superhero books, though Libra still seems frustratingly one-dimensional. I’m still hoping she’ll become DC’s version of Nick Fury, minus the eye-patch, of course. Eye-patches are so 1960’s.

The story zooms along and I hope next issue things are slowed down a bit, because this issue is so full of revelations, villains, and conflict, it turns out to be the equivalent of a Roland Emmerich or Michael Bay film, all loud explosions, action, and fluff, which is fine, I suppose, but I like to see more character moments between punches and fireworks.

Art

Howard Porter’s art on Deathstroke Inc. #4 conveys the emotions of the characters well. My favorite scene in the book is when Black Canary and Deathstroke are facing each other in a raging storm, the torrential rain flowing over Black Canary’s hair and face, and pelting off Deathstroke’s armor. It gives a tactile feeling to everything.
The action scenes are drawn with great kinetic movement, and you can almost feel the kicks and punches when they land.
I’ve always liked Howard Porter’s art, and I’m glad he’s working on this book. It needs an artist who can handle the heavy martial arts action that comes with any Deathstroke and Black Canary story.

Final Thoughts

Deathstroke Inc. #4 closes the current storyline and sets up for the next story arc. The story ends on a grim cliffhanger, and you wonder what’s going to happen from here.