Deathstroke #7

Surprise! Legacy Four is Ravager!

Immediately after Deathstroke's big battle with the super powered Legacy, he's off to confront Grant at April's parents' mansion. He goes before he has the proper time to heal because he doesn't want Grant to disappear. And why does he need time to heal anyway? Grant is just a big loser who never wanted to be the best anyway! He's just a mediocre ungrateful son! So after six pages of Deathstroke being picked up by Alex, his weapons guy, and being driven to Grant's location, Deathstroke finally gets to meet the new Ravager.

And Grant's greatest weakness is his need to be loved by daddy!

Deathstroke was right about Grant. He's kind of stupid and never going to be the best. Because Grant did not learn his father's lesson very well. Deathstroke's lesson about weakness was this: "To be aware of your weaknesses and how they can be perceived by enemies." This whole story line has been about Slade not wanting to be perceived weak. But he isn't weak at all. And he's going to use the perception that Grant has, that Slade is weak, against Grant. He'll fight sluggishly and show his tremors and act old and out of sorts. But it will all be an act to get the advantage against Grant. Because Grant has never been capable of being the best and has never learned Slade's lessons. Grant is a gigantic failure.

Keep talkin', Chatty Cathy.

I thought that maybe the story would treat Grant as a child wronged by his uncaring father. But I think Grant really is a disappointment. I was on Grant's side for awhile last issue. But I think Deathstroke would have loved his son more if he hadn't wanted to continue the warrior cause. But since Grant seemed to want it but wasn't as good as it as Slade thought he could be, Slade treated him poorly and tried to get him to quit. Slade probably thought that since Grant wasn't quitting, he really wanted to learn. And so Slade kept trying, over and over, until Grant made a mistake and seemingly died in an explosion (caused by Midnighter, right?!). And Grant's uterus is all bent out of shape because daddy didn't show him any love. At least not the kind of love and acceptance Grant was looking for.

Keep telling yourself that. It's probably easier to believe Slade can't love than to realize the truth: Slade just doesn't love you!

Grant believes Slade can't love although Grant's real doubts are that Slade doesn't love Grant. But Slade will probably reverse the battle here and get the upper hand. Which is when he'll tell Grant how much he's always loved Grant and he didn't coddle him because coddling him would have gotten him killed. But Slade knows that the way he treated Grant didn't work either. He drove him away from him and that got Grant killed (or seemingly killed! Sheesh!). And Deathstork Deathstroke will apologize right before he kills Grant. Maybe!

And then Kyle Higgins, thankfully, changes up the script from the Hollywood cliche shit I've been guessing would happen! Grant has the upper hand right up until Grant's Legacy suit locks up from a remote control command given by April's parents! Slade collapses near his son as the parents approach.

Is this one of those Sophie's choice situations?

If Deathstroke chooses to kill Grant then I'll never have to read another issue of this comic book with Legacy attacking Slade (although I probably won't have to anyway once Rob Liefeld will be taking over soon and he'll forget all about the Legacy story). But I don't think Slade will do that. That would mean the parents had control of this situation and Slade won't give up the power. He'll probably kill the parents and rescue Grant. What does he care if more Legacies attack him? He'll kill every one that come at him until nobody dares put on the Legacy uniform. Grant will probably run off into the woods wiping away his tears, unable to face his father afterward.

It's easy to be right about certain situations when the writer actually has a handle on the character. Bravo, Kyle Higgins.

The mother shoots Slade three times before he can jab his sword into her face. Slade then collapses backwards onto the ground near Grant. Grant struggles to his feet, picks up his sword, acts like he's about to kill his defenseless father, and then just walks away. End of the issue.

Deathstroke Issue #7 Rating: +1 Ranking. Except for the long, drawn out beginning sequence, this was a good issue. I'm glad I was wrong about the direction the issue would go. A lesser writer would have gone with the usual Hollywood tripe. I usually guess the Hollywood tripe because many of the New 52 DC writers have proven that that's all they know. I'm not thrilled that Grant is still alive. But that's the comic book format for you. Better to keep a nemesis alive than to cover over that well of future plot-lines.