Deathstroke #19 continues the epic story of the Lazarus Contract. With Deathstroke’s new speedster abilities, he sets his eye on the past to prevent his son, The Ravager, from being murdered. Both the Titans and Teen Titans have teamed up together to stop Deathstroke to ensure that there’s no more tampering with time.
Writer: Dan Abnett
Artist: Carlo Pagulayan
Publisher: DC Comics
Already from the start you can feel the determination from Deathstroke–it’s moving enough that you forget you’re reading Deathstroke and all you see is a father who just wants his son back, plain and simple. Something about this side of Deathstroke is so appealing and makes you want more. Once again I found myself rooting for the bad guy because what he wants isn’t such a bad thing and what he offers in return just shows how serious he his. This issue follows Wally West (The Flash) a lot and you can tell right away in this issue he’s fed up with time travel and will do anything to prevent it from happening.
Both Titan teams have little time on the page but with so many characters on a page at once it’s no surprise that not everyone gets the spotlight. However, Robin, Nightwing, and Kid Flash bring a lot to the table. You feel the frustration lifting off the page when these characters are in the same room together. Another addition to this story I found very touching was the use of flashbacks. These provide a lot more insight and character development, especially from Deathstroke. We get a good amount of action and like the previous we also get to see Deathstroke be a father. Robin stands out in this issue by being himself, but at the same time almost becomes a leader of both teams. Seeing him work side by side With Nightwing is always nice to see, especially since we haven’t had that team-up in a long time. Readers can already tell right away that they’ve grown a long way from partners to being brothers.
The Lazarus Contract part 3 may have a new speedster, but the action slows down a bit in order to get a better look at just how real the issue is with Deathstroke changing history by saving his son Grant, The Ravager. Deathstroke #19 had a tough chapter to follow, but in its own way told yet again another great story. Dan Abnett did well at making this third chapter feel like it was a part of the Titans and Teen Titans crossover without substantially altering the way Deathstroke books usual feel.
The art by Carlo Pagulayan looks great as always, not getting cluttered or distorted especially with so many parts with speedsters. And I have to add that speedster Deathstroke’s costume looks beautiful. It’s drawn so beautifully and looks so great with Deathstroke I hope it never goes away.
This story is definitely one to remember. If you’re looking for action, heart, and chilling storytelling, Deathstroke #19 is where to go. Not only will you find a have a great third installment to The Lazarus Contract, but you also get gorgeous visuals of stuff we’ve never seen before, like Deathstroke being a speedster. There’s always going to be the books that have stories about the hero trying to defeat the villain, but what we don’t get to see very often is the villain trying to complete a task that will ultimately bring happiness to himself and not hurt anyone in the process, while also giving up his villainous ways forever. The Lazarus Contract keeps the reader’s attention from start to finish by living up to its name by not pulling anything away from also being a Deathstroke book. It’s very satisfying and by the time you hit the last page you’ll wish you had more.
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