Review: Deathstroke Vol. 4- Defiance

Quick Summary

Pros: The majority of the narrative is captivating and depicts a unique time in these characters’ lives. The action and character-driven drama is well-written. The conclusion leaves the reader wanting more. The artwork looks nice and is an asset to the read.

Cons: The transition from the previous volume to this one is a little rough.

Overall: This volume shakes things up significantly but still produces a worthwhile result. It highlights a unique period of time, populates it with a great cast of characters, backs it up with some good-looking artwork, and still finds time to just have fun with things. Plus, the whole volume ends in a way that builds even more excitement for the future. Anyone who has been enjoying this series thus far or who is interested in taking a look at this unique time in Deathstroke’s life should absolutely read this book.

Story

Deathstroke Vol. 4: Defiance, by Christopher Priest, radically changes the status quo of the Deathstroke series but still manages to feature the same high-quality storytelling that has been present since the series started. The main narrative centers around plenty of energetic action and character-driven drama. However, there are also a number of mysteries being developed in the background, adding tension to certain actions and giving readers plenty of reason to come back for more. The book’s only downside is that the transition from the last volume to this one is a little rough. Overall though, the vast majority of the read is worthwhile and is not something any fan should miss.

(spoilers start here)

Defiance, admittedly, starts out a little rough. The volume barely justifies the creation of Defiance or shows how its members actually agreed to take part in the experiment. This leaves open questions regarding how Jericho is managing his position as a CEO with his position on the team or exactly what the balance of power is between Adeline and Deathstroke.

However, if one is able to get over these transitional speed bumps, the rest of the text is wonderful. It depicts a unique team trying to fight villains while dealing with a ton of internal problems. Their heroic mission provides moments of victory and satisfaction while the uncertainty of Deathstroke’s ultimate goal provides drama and intrigue. It makes for a delightful combination of traditional comic book action and more nuanced political maneuvering.

Plus, the characters and the character-driven drama continue to enhance the comic as a whole. The relationships within the team are constantly tense, particularly between Deathstroke and everyone but also between a few other individuals. This makes for intense confrontations, like what takes place between Rose and Deathstroke or between Rose and Terra. Meanwhile, the members of the team also develop as they participate in missions, with Power Girl learning more about how to be a hero in general and Kid Flash learning more about the tactical side of being a hero. There are also some interactions that are just plain fun and provide a bit of humor in an otherwise serious book.

Finally, Defiance closes with a cliffhanger that demands readers return for the next installment. The mystery of the White Lotus is completely unresolved, Terra’s presence on the team is unexplained, and Deathstroke’s ultimate plan with Defiance remains a mystery.

(spoilers end here)

Art

The quality of the artwork in Defiance properly complements the quality of the story. Diogenes Neves’ work throughout this collection is bold and well-defined. This allows it to work well in action scenes, where displays of power or small details make the battle more engaging, and in more emotional scenes, where facial expressions are nuanced enough to properly convey what is going on. Alongside this, page structures continue to be impressive and work well with the storytelling. In addition, the new costume and character designs for the members of Defiance look great and help emphasize how unique this moment of time is for each of the characters involved. In general, the artwork in this book looks nice and helps the reading experience.

Continuity

Deathstroke Vol. 4: Defiance continues the story from Titans: The Lazarus Contract (Review) (Reading Order).

The story here continues in Deathstroke Vol. 5: The Fall of Slade (Review).

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

• Kid Flash’s father’s history as a villain is detailed across The Flash Vol. 4: Reverse (Review). His father died in New Suicide Squad Annual #1, collected in New Suicide Squad Vol. 2: Monsters (Review). 
• Tanya received her fortune and powers from Power Girl (Reading Order) after Power Girl left in Worlds’ Finest #26, collected in Worlds’ Finest Vol. 5: Homeward Bound (Review).
• The references to Terra’s past with Deathstroke are a reference to “The Judas Contract” story arc from Tales of the Teen Titans #42-44 and Tales of the Teen Titans Annual #3, collected in New Teen Titans: The Judas Contract or in New Teen Titans Vol. 7.
• Tanya mentions time-travel happening with the previous iteration of the Teen Titans (Reading Order). This happened in Teen Titans Vol. 3: The Sum of its Parts (Review). 
• Lex Luthor started working as a hero after the events of Forever Evil (Review) (Reading Order) and made his first attempt to join the Justice League (Reading Order) in Justice League #30, collected in Justice League Vol. 6: Injustice League (Review). 
• Killer Frost started working as a hero, with Batman, after the events of Justice League vs. Suicide Squad. She joined a new version of the Justice League of America (Reading Order) in Justice League of America: Road to Rebirth (Review). 
• The original origin and death of Grant Wilson was seen in New Teen Titans #1-2, collected in New Teen Titans Vol. 1.