Deathstroke Vol. 2- The Gospel of Slade

Quick Summary

Pros: The volume continues the compelling storytelling from the previous volume. All of the stories within this collection are incredibly engaging and all of them are thought-provoking. The artwork is a serious asset that helps effectively convey the story’s positives.

Cons: Transitions between some stories can be a bit jarring.

Overall: The second volume in this series proves that the dramatic success of the first volume was not a fluke. All of the interesting mysteries, unique family dynamics, and superhero drama from the first volume is carried on and even enhanced here. Plus, each of the stories stand on their own with compelling action, meaningful messages, and solid artwork. Readers who enjoyed the previous volume should keep reading here.

Story

Deathstroke Vol. 2: The Gospel of Slade, by Christopher Priest, effortlessly continues the successes found in the first volume of this new series. It immediately picks up on the previous storyline and advances it, furthering character drama and the complex interplay of relationships. It also delivers a few solid, independent stories that highlight the human condition alongside Deathstroke’s character. Though some of the jumps from storyline to storyline are a bit erratic, the vast majority of this collection reads well and all of the stories read well on their own. Anyone interested in this series or in Deathstroke in general should not miss this collection. 

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The Gospel of Slade continues many plotlines from the previous collection. Slade continues dealing with many of the mysteries hinted at in the previous collection, Rose begins moving past the life she established, and the current condition of the rest of Slade’s family is more thoroughly explored. Though not much is actually resolved within this collection, by the end of the read, fans have a more accurate picture of this comic’s major players and can start to see conflicts which may arise on the horizon.

The Gospel of Slade also continues to simply tell good stories. Slade’s battle with Superman is tense and interesting, the dive into his past is an unpredictable thrill ride, an isolated story from Chicago provides a unique twist on the legacy of Deathstroke, and the look at Jericho and Rose’s lives gives the impression that there is conflict in store for the future. Each of these stories manage to thrill, excite, or elicit emotion in their own way and each feels like a success for the volume.

What’s more, the majority of these stories also explore topical and profound issues. The Superman battle questions the role of an all-powerful vigilante compared to a government, the dive into Deathtroke’s past questions the role of justice in the middle of a war, the story from Chicago examines the complex issue of gun violence, and the look at Jericho and Rose’s lives explores how relationships can impact an individual. This is a volume that makes you think, more so than most mainstream comics out there.

My only complaint with The Gospel of Slade is that it feels like the narrative jumps around a bit too often. The dive into Deathstroke’s past is only loosely justified and the story from Chicago feels divorced from the rest of the narrative. As mentioned above, each of these stories are fantastic on their own but jumping from one to the other can be a bit jarring.

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Art

The artwork in The Gospel of Slade is aesthetically pleasing throughout the read. Carlo Pagulayan’s work on the earlier chapters is some of the best in the collection. It has a great quality to it that allows it to look just as good when depicting regular people as it does when depicting superheroes. Later on, Cary Nord’s work brings the level of realism down a bit but still looks good overall. Then, in the final chapter, penciler Denys Cowan, inker Bill Sienkiewicz, and colorist, Jeromy Cox bring out a gritty aesthetic that perfectly complements the tone of the story being told.

Where the visuals really stand out is in the page structures, particularly those in chapters broken down by Larry Hama. The layouts in The Gospel of Slade are expertly managed and significantly contribute to the storytelling process. There are places where a nine-panel grid confines the story and more effectively conveys exposition, meanwhile, there are other places where a splash page breaks free from that grid and highlights the action of a moment. In addition, the inclusion of black panels with simple text in specific places really helps punctuate certain elements the narrative is building. All of this facilitates the volume’s storytelling and significantly enhances the experience.

Continuity

Deathstroke Vol. 2: The Gospel of Slade continues the story from Deathstroke Vol. 1: The Professional (Review).

The story here continues in Deathstroke Vol. 3: Twilight.

This volume also makes references to other comic books, detailed below:

• Superman’s involvement in an issue with Aquaman is mentioned. This is a reference to Aquaman Vol. 8 #5-6, collected in Aquaman Vol. 1: The Drowning (Review).
• A “new” Flash appeared in DC Universe: Rebirth (Review).