Deathstroke, Vol. 3: Twilight

Deathstroke (2016)

by Christopher J. Priest, Larry Hama (Illustrator), Joe Bennett (Illustrator)

Has the sun set on the world's deadliest assassin? It's Slade Wilson like you've never seen him before, brought to his lowest point and forced to face the last two people in the world he wants to fight: his own children, Joseph and Rose!

Slade can kill anyone he sets his eye on...even though one eye is all he has. But when Slade finds himself completely blind, he faces a choice he's never had to make before: adapt or die!

With the help of genius teen hero Power Girl, Slade is making some changes, including an all-new identity. But when Power Girl enlists Slade's help to stop another assassin, can Deathstroke really become the hero Power Girl thinks he is?

Critically acclaimed writer Christopher Priest (JLA, Black Panther) along with collaborators Joe Bennett (RED HOOD/ARSENAL), Carlo Pagulayan (CONVERGENCE) and Larry Hama (G.I. Joe) continue the critically acclaimed rebirth of the DC Universe's deadliest killer! Collects issues #12-18.

Genres: Comics, Dc Comics, Graphic Novels, Superheroes, Comic Book, Crime, Action

168 pages, Paperback

First published October 17, 2017

About the author

Formerly (before 1993) known as James or Jim Owsley.

Christopher James Priest is a critically acclaimed novelist and comic book writer. Priest is the first African-American writer and editor for Marvel and DC Comics. His groundbreaking Black Panther series was lauded by Entertainment Weekly and The Village Voice and will serve as the basis for the 2018 Marvel Cinematic Universe adaption.

Besides Black Panther, Priest has written comics for Conan, Steel, Green Lantern, The Crew and edited The Amazing Spider-Man. He also co-created Quantum & Woody along with Mark Bright and co-founded Milestone Media.

After a decade long hiatus he is currently writing comic books again and recently concluded a stint writing the comic book Deathstroke (2016-2019).

In addition to being a writer, Christopher J. Priest is also a baptist minister.

Reviews

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well this series is always refreshing and fun. Sometimes it doesn't always connect but I have enjoyed this series so far. This volume though, in my honest opinion, finally gets to the "great" status I knew it could.

So the start is a bit confusing, as always, but once you catch the flow you're good to go. Slade doing some terrible things of course to his family that reveals how fucked up he really is. When Slade goes to get his suit back afterwards something bad happens and Slade meets a young lady who is a superhero. POWER GIRL! And together they begin to fight crime? Yeah it's both odd and funny but works, until a sudden twist. When it all comes down to it this volume ends in family drama and in a very fucked up way.

Good: Love the ending. It really is truly screwed up but reminds me so much of how family can hurt you most. The introduction of Power Girl was great and she's really fun. The twist with what happens to slade was unique and fun. The fights were entertaining and slade being a true dick really makes it entertaining.

Bad: As always it's a bit confusing at first. It's the least confusing of the three but it's still kind of confusing.

Overall this was great. I'm really enjoying Priest style with deathstroke. He really understands the character and makes some interesting choices. This is one to check out people!

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of interesting twists and turns here. Priest has crafted an intricate story while juggling a multitude of plot threads. Some times it's so many I lose track of what's going on myself, especially since some times the stories are told out of order as well. Slade is back to his antihero roots. One minute helping a naive teenager, the next killing people behind her back. Oh, and they actually managed to make Deadline cool for the first time. Joe Bennett and Carlos Paguyan provide top notch art on the series. One of the best series DC is putting out right now.

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best volume so far of a great series. There is some really fine story telling in this book, and Priest ramps up the family drama of the Wilson family. Seeing the super-hero guest star was a bit of a surprise, but I like what Priest has done here tremendously. Looking forward to the next volume. Oh, and those Bill Sienkiewicz covers are just beautiful and need to be on my wall asap.

[B. P. Rinehart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume of the story of Deathstroke is probably the most soap-opera of the entire run so far. He's going through drama, his kids are going through drama, everyone is getting messed-up from being associated with him. During this time, he meets an aspiring superhero that he improbably takes a shine to. This arc leads into the first big crossover for this series and the Teen Titans books, so a lot of set-up also had to be done. I didn't mind the melodrama to much, because the craftiness and craziness which, I like about this series is still present.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was a rollercoaster ride and a half. For a seven issue storyline, there was a hell of a lot thrown into those - it's more like two or three stories threaded together. The reason it's called Twilight isn't even revealed until issue 5, for crying out loud. But bloody hell, does Christopher Priest know how to do this comic book thing right.

We get revelations regarding, in no particular order, Jericho's fiancé, Rose's family, Deathstroke's eyes, Power Girl's dog, and Doctor Ikon's fate. Plus a wedding, two knock-down superhero brawls, a prison break, and Raptor from Nightwing as well. Sheesh, that even sounds like a lot to me. And it's all woven together into the rest of the Deathstroke narrative, even using the one-off Chicago story from the last volume to forward the ongoing narrative when it looked to just be a side story to the main plot. I am seriously impressed with how many things are going on in this book and how easy Priest makes it look.

After some fill-in stuff last volume, Carlo Pagulayan and Joe Bennett are back on full-time art duties, and the book looks all the better for it. Both of them are experts at superheroics at this point, and breakdowns by the legendary Larry Hama don't hurt either.

There's a reason this book was nominated for an Eisner.

[Des Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deathstroke is a soap opera. It's a soap opera about a family of assassins, everyone is awful, but lovable, and capable of anything. It's a sort of drama I'm not used to seeing in comics, and it works here exceptionally well. A cameo is never just a cameo. Instead, Priest finds a way and reason to ingrain a cameo into an impressive pathos, with ever increasing stakes. This is one of the most compelling superhero books on the market, and while it may be tough to follow, this volume answers many open questions, and finds a rhythm with the reader which finally overcomes these hurdles. It's vile, chaotic, and at times exhausting, but it's a smart book, with a unique agenda.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Priest's work on Deathstroke seems to have really gelled in this third volume. We've become pretty familiar with the whole cast of characters, and they're all facing notable issues in this volume. My favorite is the interaction between Slade and Power Girl and the idea that she might cause him to change, but Joe and Rose's plots are no less compelling.

Overall, a great superhero story that's about so much more.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who knew reading anything about a villain could be so much fun? I mean Hannibal Lechter, and others, never quite did it for me. Personally, I think much of the credit has to go to Christopher Priest, and yes I admit to being a fan of his writing (for the most part-he has had some misses also).

Priest does not run from the fact that Slade Wilson is a killer with probably no moral code (as someone who has a dog, what Slade does to a dog here pretty much pushes him over the irredeemable line). Yet, like Vic Mackey in The Shield Slade remains a compelling character, and perhaps the correct characterization is amoral, and neither good nor evil, especially in his eyes.

This volume comes close to putting an end to multiple story lines. The reader also gets more inside depth as to Joseph and Ikon's relationship, Slade and Etinne's relationship (yes if you've been reading this title you're seeing that correctly), and even some clarification of Slade's relationship with his daughter Rose and Wintergreen.

There is action aplenty, but what makes this title worth reading for me, in floppies, is the interplay between characters.

[Ffcharade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twilight is a continuation of the never-ending soap opera that is the Wilson family, and I mean that in a good way. The members of Slade Wilson's family continue their own ways, trying to put their own lives together, and with each turn, find themselves entangled in Deathstroke's weave even further. Priest continues to show the complex emotions in Deathstroke's head as he finds himself teamed up with a very unlikely ally, one that he almost respects as much as he looks down on. This may be Rebirth's most compelling longform narrative. My only real complaint is that it ends on a cliffhanger with little resolution due to an editorial-mandated crossover.

[Sarospice · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is taking The Wilson Family in a dysfunctional direction which could be interesting but not with this writer. Too many herrings leading to boring family fights. Deathstroke needs to go solo for awhile...

[Paul Spence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christopher Priest continues his winning run on Deathstroke with this terrific third volume. After having been (involuntarily) broken out of prison by his frenemy Red Lion (DC's psychotic despot spin on Black Panther), Slade is on the run from the government while also tracking down evidence that could potentially convict his ex-wife Adelaine. Meanwhile, Rose Wilson is still learning about her mother's side of the family and living a quiet life away from her father and Jericho Wilson is dealing with the fallout of having helped capture his father and murdered his old friend and lover Dr. Ikon. The familial drama hits a fever pitch in this volume and Slade's terrible parenting is at the forefront. What Priest does so well is remind the reader that Slade is a vindictive bastard and although he may care for his children in his own way he certainly screws up a lot (such as seducing his son's fiancee or setting Rose up for another emotional gut-punch this volume). Oddly enough, we get another lens on Slade's parental instincts when he winds up crossing paths with the new Power Girl, member of the Teen Titans.

The teenage supergenius is on her way to becoming a great hero in her own right but she has no idea who Slade really is and somehow mistakes him for a superhero. Playing along for Power Girl's sake, Slade poses as a blind crime fighter (Twilight) complete with a seeing eye dog companion.

Priest reminds you that he can do comedy really well and injects the book with just enough levity to keep it from getting weighed down by the darker moments. The climatic sequence where all of Slade's lies and mistakes come to a head at Jericho's wedding is a great finale and has me more excited than ever for the next volume. Deathstroke is hands down one of DC Rebirth's best titles, in my opinion.

[Misbah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sheesh, Deathstroke has some major family issues. This is my first Deathstroke novel. Honestly I didn't really know much about him until I watched Suicide Squad. I had a general idea of the character but nothing in dept. That's probably why I was so confused by his name. I was like what the heck Slade Wilson...why is that so familiar? Slade Wilson....Slade...Wade Wilson! Deadstroke...Deadpool.
Had to look it up.
I've decided I'm team Wade Wilson, scarred face and all.
The Deathstroke portrayed in Suicide Squad was a bad guy but with family values. Someone people can learn to love.
Slade Wilson in this comic is a whole different creature. This guy hires someone to kill his daughter so he can have an excuse to hang out with her. Lies to her about her family. Sleeps with his sons fiance. Murders a dog. Not just any dog. The sweet little doggy of a sweet little Teen Titan. This girl goes out of her way to help Slade and he even uses the dog as a guide dog since he's suddenly gone blind. And what does he do? Kills her pet. You wanted us to hate you, you got it buddy.
There's a whole bunch of other stuff going on like breaking out of jail, fighting to get his suit back, flashbacks and flash forwards.
One thing that I like about DC comics are that they are often write unapologetic characters. Their personalities are a lot more believable and 3 dimensional, popping out of the pages with their inner character conflicts.
But I still can't get straight with a dude who kills dogs and traumatizes his kids.
I might still read a couple more Deathstroke comics and see where it goes.

[Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well the complexity and intrigue continues from the previous volumes. No other rebirth volume that I've read has so many asterisks referencing what has happened in previous volumes. Turns out our Slade is beyond devious and manipulative taking it to the next level! A little darker than many of the other DC Universe characters, we see Slade manipulate his daughter into thinking she's connecting with her family heritage, and sleep with Joseph's (his son) fiancee, Etienne. However, she also happened to be working for Amanda who looks after the suicide squad. But it just keeps going, since Joseph was had a fling with Slade's old partner, Isherwood, who is thrown off a building and left for dead. Slade sets in motion layer upon layer of insanity that is his own sick way of showing he cares for his family. He ends up blind, kills the dog of the Teen Titan genius who saved him, and it all ends with Slade and his daughter Rose getting punched out by Joseph at his wedding after Etienne has her throat slit in her bridal gown (I think that's the gist of it!).

I can see how someone reading this trade month to month would go insane trying recall how everything fits together. Even reading them with only a month or so in between volumes left my head spinning. I think I needed to read this one before jumping onto the Lazarus Contract and continuing with the Aftermath.

[Brendan Mckillip · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m bouncing back and further reading the original Marv Wolfman Deathstroke series from the 1990s and Christopher Priest’s modern interpretation of the character. Each are fantastic runs exploring Slade Wilson and his warped moral worldview.

It’s difficult for me to decide which run I enjoy more. Luckily, I don’t have to.

In this third volume of Priest’s run it feels like the story is really gathering steam. Priest still keeps his focus on studying the character of Slade Wilson and the strange family dynamics between Slade, his ex-wife, son, and daughter. It makes for an enthralling read.

I’ve never been much of a fan of Joe Bennett’s, but his artwork in this collection is quite good. Bennett’s clean lines and dynamic action sequences give the story a great visual punch.

[Higor Hebert · Rating 5 out of 5]

probably the simplest volume so far
pretty straightforward in terms of story, this isn't about laws or ideologies, this is about family, how the Wilsons are a broken family
Thus making one solid read about a man with emotional scars trying to conect with his family and failing

[Rosie · Rating 5 out of 5]

...wtf???? Is Slade sleeping with his son's fiancee??? And that same son is actually gay and used to be sleeping with Slade's former friend (who's a priest and kinda effing old), the guy who made the ikon suit, Dr Dave Isherwood? No, it seems he's bisexual. And now Dave is dead? But Joseph is attempting to resurrect him??I am very confused. And Joseph (Slade's son) self harms? This is is messy. 😭 But I have the most sympathy for Joseph, even though he helped turn in Slade. It's not like Slade was in prison for very long. As he said, it was a vacation for him.
...
Slade went blind????!!!! I wonder if that's permanent. I feel a bit bad for him now.
...
I wish there were interactions with the Bats, like in one of the previous comics in the series.
....
Right now, the only one in the Wilson family not going through massive drama is Rose, lmao.
..
Ohhh, it was the radiation that did it to Slade...He should have listened to the ikon suit's AI's warnings, I guess. Wonder how this (blindness) will affect his fighting prowess.
...
Jeez, I hope nothing goes on between Tanya and Slade. She's literally 16...but that never stopped Slade. 😒 Hopefully, this will remain a more "father-daughter" type relationship.
...
Oh my God, I love the way Slade is using the police dog to help him locate his target when he's fighting. 🤣 And I'm happy with the way the comic is handling Tanya, thank God. I'm shocked by the identity of Slade's fiancee, though....A HIVE agent, planted there as part of her job to keep an eye on Slade. Who she's fucking. And turns out that Rose's mother's side of the family were all hired by Slade and are actors??
...
Slade's trying to be good, to pretend to be a hero, for Tanya. 🥺🥹🥹😭 But maybe he should be nice to his ACTUAL daughter instead of a replacement. 😒
..
Oh, my God. "Moral compass notwithstanding, I know why you killed the dog. You NEEDED to make her hate you. It's what you DO when you develop feelings for someone--DESTROY any connection to that person." 🥲 Although, I hope they're not referring to any romantic feelings. Blah.
....
Slade put out a hit on Rose so he'd have an excuse to spend time with her. 😭 That's so dysfunctional. 💀💀💀 But almost sweet, in a fucked up way.
...
Holy shit, that was fantastic! God, this family....It's messy on the same level as Bruce Wayne's. 😭

[Alex E · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you're a fan of asterisks, boy do I have a book for you!

Seriously Priest likes to connect and reference past events from this book a lot. Like, a lot a lot. And that's due to the fact that he is constantly jumping from past, to present, to future, to back to past, to then present, then future... you get the idea. His Tarantino-esque approach to this book can work well sometimes, but I found it to be tedious for the most part. And it can sometimes make the narrative a bit disjointed. Which I suspect Priest is gambling with the notion of having everything connect in your mind after the fact, but to be perfectly honest it doesn't always work.

The art is not bad. All the artists have that 90's aesthetic to it, which works well with the character. The action scenes look fantastic, and I think that's where the art really shines as opposed to say, the moments of pure dialog, which can look a bit stiff.

Overall, I'm waning thin on this series to be honest. I was never a huge fan of Deathstroke and that coupled with the fact that the book reads tediously at times has me doubting if I will pick up volume 4. If you are a fan of this character and like connecting plot points, then this will definetley be up your alley.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

El primer y segundo volumen nos prepararon para esto. Por eso Priest es tan bueno trabajando en historias largas. Este va a lo profundo del personaje y su psicótica lógica al actuar. Y como en cada buen relato, el villano se cree el héroe de su historia. Aunque el personaje principal es Deathstroke, Priest no pierde de vista que Slade Wilson es un villano, aunque el personaje mismo no crea en el concepto del bien y el mal, sus actos los hacen encajar en la etiqueta de villano, tomando en consideración que hay villanos que se rigen por un código.

Contrario al volumen anterior, este se enfoca en la vida personal de Slade más que en el conflicto internacional en el que estaba metido. Todo se reduce a una disputa familiar desde los ojos de la familia Wilson, pero desde la perspectiva general, parece un grupo de criminales tratando de matarse el uno al otro y eso me dió perspectiva a la hora de crear historias de superhéroes o, en este caso, supervillanos.

El dibujo es excelente, igual que en el volumen anterior, la calidad se mantiene en enfoques fascinantes, diseños memorables y secuencias fluidas.

[Jason Holtzman]

I've left any stars off this because, to give the book the benefit of the doubt, it has been years since I read the first two volumes. I would have read them pretty close to when they actually came out, and to their credit, I remember really, really enjoying them. This series was a huge hit at the time.

To that end, I wasn't really on board with this one. It is a bit hard to explain why, but I think the premise just doesn't work for me. The book seems to tilt back and forth between Slade being just plain evil versus him inching towards redemption. At the end of the day however, in the author's own words, it is important to remember that Slade is an asshole. However, this means that despite my best efforts, Slade's attempts at kindness in the crossover that immediately follows this volume are somewhat intriguing. They have me wondering if change or progression really can occur, but then also leave with two somewhat jaded thoughts. Does a person as bad as Slade deserve redemption? And does any of this matter or will he just be returned to status quo by the end? My curiosity is kind of piqued, so perhaps I'll continue to read more...

[sunmoonke · Rating 4 out of 5]

The chaotic fragments and narrative from the previous volumes finally come together in this volume. The story itself was meant to be complicated. That was what made the series captivating despite all its faults in the previous volumes. In addition, the variety of character backgrounds is a rare treat in comic books and mainstream story-telling. Jared's story touched on the emotional complexity and misunderstanding often faced by bisexual people. Rose's story deals with heritage and how much one is willing to let it shape us. In fact, a big theme of the series is about choice. What makes a good man good? What makes a bad man bad? What are the consequences of our life choices? How much does those choices define us?

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm enjoying this series, but really Deathstroke is just such a jerk it's hard for me to really get into. He's always walked the line between hero and villain, and even crossed the line several times, but normally he was still interesting. He's become so unlikable it's almost hard to maintain interest. That being said, there's enough going on with the story to keep things entertaining. The art is above average and there are several engrossing plotlines to keep things intriguing. I'll continue with the series because it's good, but not so much because of the title character. Slade killed that pet dog! That was the last straw! What a jerk!

[Krzysztof Grabowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zdecydowanie najlepsza odsłona serii, jak do tej pory, zmieniająca się w miarę jak całość przypomina perypetie z jakiej opery mydlanej, tylko że z zabójcami...

Raz Slade wejdzie za skórę Raptorowi, który przywłaszczył sobie uniform Deathstroke'a. Kiedy indziej Slade straci widzenie i będzie zdany na pomoc Power Girl i jej psa. Nie wiem jakim człowiekiem jest Priest, ale czemu... Czemu w scenariuszu antybohater musi zrobić coś tak okropnego...

Wizualnie nadal nie jestem w stanie przywyknąć do kreski. Nie podoba mi się, ale nadaje całości jakiś klimat. Coś za coś. Poza tym niezły kawał komiksu.

[B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe it's the afterglow of the War of Jokes and Riddles, but I thought this improved somewhat. I liked the twist of Deathstroke as Daredevil.

One small part that absolutely does not make any sense is Beast Boy leaving anyone alone with Deathstroke. Has he really recovered from the Judas Contract? (Did the Judas Contract not happen in Rebirth?)

There are some parts dangling around that I would like resolution to:
The Red Lion is the Black Panther, right?
"Wheel-on" and "Will-hane" have some relationship to each other, right?
The mutagenic properties of the old family swords.

[Kyle Berk · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Deathstroke series is great. It’s very involved and refreshing to see a comic that doesn’t pander to the audience in anyway.

Slade is here and he’s blind now, and we rewind to the beginnnng if Twilight.

This volume is some really good stuff, I love how though the book is about Slade it’s also about his family and the things he has sowed for himself.

It also takes the DC universe seriously and doesn’t treat the Superhero goings ons as silly at any point and it’s nice to see a title that plays it straight. I really recommend this volume if you’re on the fence about the title.

4 stars.

[Jack Stubblefield · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have the complete collection in single-issue format. I read them as I bought them and remember being confused as all hell. There were lots of changes in times, places, and the plot that I didn't 'get it.' Now, with time and the ability to read the first 5 volumes in TPB format . . . this is a great story! I guess I'm in the right place and the right time to understand the nuances of what Mr. Priest is doing in the story. I definitely recommend the first 5 volumes of Rebirth Deathstroke. Good stuff, Maynard!

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stylistically still the best of the Rebirth titles, with a distinctive design not found in any of the other books, but in this volume it that style trends more toward the confusing than the daring. To many jumps and to many undocumented moves forward and back in the timeline are confusing and frustrating to the reader, and dumping an indestructible power girl here because the Teen Titans writer doesn't want her is a sop at best and ultimately unnecessary.

[Fraser Sherman · Rating 1 out of 5]

A couple of times in this book, we get someone saying "there are no heroes and no villains, only—" But Slade still comes across like a bad guy. And a jerk, too (explanations about how he's so screwed up he's doing the best he can don't work for me). The plot involves his son's wedding, and some more international intrigue, plus Slade bonding with a young superhero. As usual I find Priest's writing a lot less clever and original than I assume the author does. Nice art though.

[Sean · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not really sure what people are enjoying here. This book reads like all the panels were pulled out of a hat and put in no particular order. You'd get a big splash of some supposedly dramatic moment and follow it with random disconnected panels. It really was how not to write a comic book. There is little exposition and Christopher Priest does little to explain what's happening as his dialogue and plot struggle. The art was solid throughout. Overall, horrible reading experience.

[Nicholas Ahlhelm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Priest continues an amazing run.

Aided and abetted by several great artists, Priest's critically acclaimed new take on Deathstroke continues here as plot lines from the beginning of the run finally show up to cause more problems in the lives of Slade, Rose and Jericho. Highly recommended.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really care not one bit about the soap opera around the family but Christopher Priest is one of the legendary writers still working in the industry and he does a 4 star job of plotting and dialog even if I have no investment in the character and he lacks the internal conflict levels I gravitate toward.