DC Comics 2021
Written by Joshua Williamson
Illustrated by Howard Porter
Coloured by Hi-Fi
Lettered by Steve Wands
Deathstroke in...SPACE?! The secret organization T.R.U.S.T assigns Deathstroke's new team an over-the-top mission: head into deep space and stop Cyborg Superman from spreading his consciousness to every machine in the Multiverse! But as they battle the dangers of space, Black Canary begins to uncover the truth about T.R.U.S.T and exactly why they want to control Deathstroke…
Okay so here we are with the team on their second mission and it just happens to be in space where they encounter not one but two of the more obscure characters in the DC Universe. One of whom makes me incredibly happy since I cannot remember the last time I saw him, okay maybe the Rann-Thanagar Holy War. Still it is nice that he’s remembered and that he still has a place in comics. I like this because it raises questions, answers others and engages the reader so they are taken off the pages and into their own mind and memories. So that this eclectic mix of characters find themselves in a situation where they work together is strange, odd and weird but also fascinating and infinitely interesting. For me personally I’d like to see the flashback where HIro got permission to use the toys and was told his services were no longer needed.
I am a huge fan of the way that this is being told. The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented exceptionally well. The character development that we see through the dialogue, the character development as well as how we see them act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter really does help to bring their personalities to life. The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing more of the story the more questions that I have. A great way to ensure I'll be returning time and again.
I appreciate the way that we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen. The layers open up all these new avenues to be explored and whether or not they will be, they all add this great depth, dimension and complexity to the story is magnificent. How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is impeccably achieved.
I do like the interiors here a whole heck of a lot. The linework is fabulous and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create this level & quality of detail within the work is astounding. That backgrounds play such an important role here makes me a happy camper as they enhance and expand the moments. They also work within the composition of the panels to bring out the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a remarkably talented eye for storytelling. The various hues and tones within the story being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work show an exceptional eye for how colour works.
The overall mood, tone and feel of this issue is really something exciting to me. I have a lot of respect for the way that Joshua is handling this book and these characters. Slade is a bit overplayed and to keep him feeling fresh is a chore unto itself and one he seems more than capable of maintaining. I’m still super intrigued by the concept of this book and where it seems to be heading with this whole T.R.U.S.T. issue. This is because of how well this is written and how fresh and interesting the characterisation is as it's all wrapped up in these great interiors. Give this is a go and I think you’ll be as pleasantly surprised by it as I am.