Written by: Tony Fleecs
Art by: Carmine Di Giandomenico
Colors by: Ivan Plascencia
Letters by: Wes Abbott
Cover art by: Dan Panosian (cover A)
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: April 15, 2026
First Impressions
I didn't expect to like this series. I've never been a huge Deathstroke fan, but I have to say I am so far fully invested in what's happening here. Tony Fleecs does not shy away from the violence, and he puts action and energy on every single page. DC's deadliest mercenary may not be a hero, but Fleecs gave me a reason to care about his survival.
Recap
In Deathstroke: The Terminator #1, Deathstroke is sent on a blind assignment to kidnap a high-powered executive, with Wintergreen providing the coordination. When Deathstroke eventually reaches his target, he finds that Wintergreen has been killed. The mission was a setup, and all his resources have been drained; the issue ended with an explosive climax.
Plot Synopsis
The issue picks up immediately from the end of issue #1. Deathstroke barely survives the explosion placed around Wintergreen's body. He is soon surrounded by armed soldiers sent by the mysterious mastermind behind Deathstroke's downfall. Deathstroke manages to shoot, stab, and blast his way through the small army of soldiers to escape, but not without taking serious injuries.
Deathstroke eventually makes it to a safe house and contacts one of the mercenary handlers in the hopes of breaking the rules and finding out who set up the contract. However, Deathstroke has no time to rest when a new group of soldiers storms the safe house. He eventually escapes in an armed chopper, killing as many people as he can along the way. But he is soon cornered again when the chopper crashes. The issue ends with two of the less famous (but still recognizable) mercenaries in the DC Universe cornering Deathstroke to deliver the killing blow.
Writing
Tony Fleecs, I have to imagine, said to himself, "Yeah, let's put Deathstroke in an all-out firefight that lasts from the beginning page to the ending page and make it as exciting and tense as possible." For the most part, he succeeded. Fleecs cleverly infuses little bits of memory and flashback, primarily about Deathstroke's daughter, to make his conflict personal and emotional. Therefore, the comic isn't just action and violence for its own sake; there is a personal motivation that makes Deathstroke's fight human and relatable.
Art
Carmine Di Giandomenico probably has the most challenging, and possibly the most fun, assignment of all the latest batch of "All-In" comics. There are flames, bullets, and explosions on every single page. For an artist who loves to do superhero comics, that must be a dream job. But it's probably exceedingly difficult because there is just so much detail that has to come across. For his part, he nails it, and it looks fantastic.
Character Work
Slade Wilson is the dead center focus of this issue, and for good reason: it's his journey. It's his story, and you see how he acts and reacts to every right turn and wrong move. The snippets of flashback to his interactions with his daughter give his actions an emotional weight that powers his motivations. It's unclear at this point if he will grow or change by the end of this series, or at least this arc, but Fleecs is off to a good start.
Originality and Concept
The idea of taking a character who is known for having nearly unlimited resources and gadgets at his disposal and then taking them away is a tried-and-true trope that we see most often with Batman. So, the mechanism isn't original, but the application of the mechanism to a character who is most commonly known as a villain, or at least an antihero, is new. So that aspect works fairly well. Again, Slade's relationship with his daughter gives the fight some emotional weight, which means the concept is executed much better than a standard action comic.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- The urgent action and drama will keep you on the edge of your seat.
- The art team is delivering outstanding visuals that exceed most of DC's offerings.
- The challenge seems greater than the protagonist, which is a rarity in most modern comics.
Cons
- The mastermind behind Deathstroke's problems seems to have access to every single bit of his life, which strains credibility.
- Deathstroke seems to be able to survive damage that even his healing factor should not be able to overcome.
- The cliffhanger is a "wow" moment, but it sort of comes out of the blue.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
Follow @ComicalOpinions on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TwitterThe Scorecard
Writing Quality (Clarity & Pacing): 3.5/4
Art Quality (Execution & Synergy): 3.5/4
Value (Originality & Entertainment): 1.5/2
Final Thoughts
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8.5/10
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