Deathstroke #4

This cover seems awfully familiar, Mister Bisley.

Have I not been guessing what was in that briefcase all this time? I really don't even know where to begin. But then it hit me. I bet it's comic books! Underground comic books poking fun at the aging Deathstroke still trying to make it in the super power hitman game! Or maybe it's just naked pictures of him at the Y.

All it's going to take to get out of these restraints is one paper clip held in the mouth.

Oh no! What is this?! Deathstroke has been caught and is in prison! I guess all of those naysayers and the briefcase were right! He's just an old has-been. Of course, the warden acts all smug and patronizing about having Deathstroke in his prison. But too bad he decided to save money and cut corners on restraint costs! "Oh, just get the really cheap one that looks really good but has that flaw where a paper clip poked into a small hole just beneath the perp's chin will make the whole thing crumble to the ground! Seriously, what are the odds someone is going to be arrested with a paperclip in their mouth!?"

Interesting Fact: On the Death Star, a Code Six meant an X-Wing was in the trench.

Deathstroke vomits up a grenade, shoves it in the warden's mouth, and blows him to pieces. The explosion also give Slade his way out. Deathstroke successfully killed his man! Issue over by page five! That was quick!

Turns out he's on a plane telling this story to Christoph so that Christoph can write up a press release for Hitmen Weekly. Deathstroke needs to make sure the story is spun correctly so all those mean kids stop picking on him. Then he tells Christoph to take a vacation while he parachutes out of the plane. Is that how he leaves all planes? Now I know why landed on the Batjet back in The Dark Knight comic!

Deathstroke takes a little time off as well. His hands are shaky and it seems like the briefcase may have been on to something. Perhaps his enhancements or his healing power is breaking down.

Super heroes don't get old! They just shuffle off to Earth-2!

Also, we finally get to see what's in the briefcase:

Hunh?

This reference to Grant and Ravager really shook some cobwebs loose from the memory vaults. All I had was an inkling of this Ravager guy being Slade's kid and going up against the Titans. I remembered Jericho and Rose but had completely forgotten about Grant! So I did an internet search on "Ravager" and "Jericho" at the same time, believing that Ravager must have had some interaction with the Titans during Jericho's stint with the team. But I was wrong about that. This was from the Teen Titans series before the one with Jericho.

Nightwing was still Robin when Grant died! And that's probably Beast Boy, not Changeling!

I don't know why this is evidence that Deathstroke's ability has slipped. Perhaps Slade was supposed have killed Grant. I would go reread this story line but I left all of my old Teen Titans comics at my mom's house when I grew up and became a man! I also left my Team Titans and the original Deathstroke series! And a bunch more as well.

Deathstroke's weapon's tech, Peabody, did the analysis on the mask and blood. He determined that the blood was fresh and Grant was still alive. And that this might be a ransom and not a slight. I still don't know how it would be a slight. I think Deathstroke was probably supposed to have killed his own son. If he failed, that's the only way this would ruin his reputation. While speaking with Peabody, they determine their best lead is to check out the Blackhawks. Maybe that's why there were cancelled? Deathstroke is going to kill them all!

Why is there a body hanging in Deathstroke's hideout? Who is he? MYSTERY!

One of the Blackhawks is named Laszlo although he now goes by Attila. I guess some bad blood exists between Slade and Laszlo. Again, not much is explained. But Deathstroke sets up a fake meet with him to try and figure out what's going on with this Grant stuff.

And since Laszlo is a Blackhawk, he has to be flying a plane when he and Deathstroke meet up or else he's just lost 95% of his interest factor. Deathstroke arrives flying in some kind of heavy metal baby carrier. And even though he's up against an airplane, he's still using his sword! And he chops off one of its wings in mid-flight!

It's believable because of the way he's bracing his arm with his other hand!

Once Deathstroke and Laszlo get on the ground, Slade realizes this wasn't a lead at all. The Blackhawks were just tracing the Nth Metal and Peabody's involvement in selling it. Ravager's mask was made out of Nth Metal. I guess it's more widespread than just inside Hawkman's body.

While Deathstroke tals with Laszlo, Christoph is busy being stabbed through the left eye by the same guy who did the same thing to Elmer the philanthropist. This mystery man also uses Ravager's blade from the briefcase (the case was sitting open next to Christoph). Christoph does recognize the man, though. So it could be Grant. And the stabbing people in the left eye also points to it being the person who put out Deathstroke's right eye. Was that Grant who did that? I can't recall how he lost his eye so I'll look it up!

Oh, turns out his wife shot him in the face. Typical! Unless she had man hands, Christoph's killer probably wasn't Adeline. But it might still be Grant!