Losing It In The Asylum In Deathstroke #37
by Josh Davison
[*Mild Spoilers Ahead!]
Deathstroke awakens back in Arkham Asylum. Dev is nowhere to be seen, the virtual Wintergreen isn’t speaking to him anymore, and his doctor says he never left his cell. Worse yet, the means by which he escaped no longer exist in the asylum. On the outside, Jericho dresses up as Deathstroke to help Rose work through her “Willow” condition by going out on a contract. Their mission takes them inside a prison to kill a death row inmate scheduled to be executed at midnight.
Deathstroke #37 continues the strange and unnerving journey of Slade Wilson through Arkham Asylum. Something is going on with the killer’s head, and we are not yet sure who is behind it.
The B-story with Rose and Willow could be more interesting, but we haven’t exactly learned any more about it in a number of issues. Everyone seems to assume it’s a psychotic break on Rose’s part, but, in a world with confirmed-to-exist ghosts, that seems a little presumptive.
Also, giving Rose/Willow a skimpy costume then having every character berate her for it is the weakest way to lampshade giving her a skimpy costume.
That aside, the psychological trip that is Slade Wilson’s stay in Arkham Asylum is compelling, and Christopher Priest is a master of scripting dialogue. The comic still has far more strengths than weaknesses.
Fernando Pasarin’s artwork looks as fantastic as ever. The detailing on characters, the wrinkles and scars in their skin, and their expressions are particularly impressive in Pasarin’s work. The posing is impressive on often intricate (in a believable way). Jason Paz and Sean Parsons’ inking is especially tidy which serves the book’s strides towards realism in a fantastical world. Jeromy Cox and Carrie Strachan give the book a good color treatment that often comes off as stark and hars, also serving that realism theme.
Deathstroke #37 is another strong issue of the Terminator’s title. We watch him lose his grip on reality in Arkham Asylum while his family works out their own issues on the side. The dialogue is damn good, and the artwork is great. This one gets a recommendation. Check it out.
Deathstroke #37 comes to us from writer Christopher Priest, artist Fernando Pasarin, inkers Jason Paz and Sean Parsons, color artists Jeromy Cox and Carrie Strachan, letterer Willie Schubert, cover artist Tyler Kirkham with Arif Prianto, and variant cover artist Francesco Mattina.
