Review: Deathstroke Vol. 2- God Killer

Quick Summary

Pros: There is plenty of action throughout the book. The main villain’s power makes the story more epic. The entire volume looks great and enhances the story.

Cons: The story is more generic and less interesting than the previous volume. Strange actions from characters make the plot seem less believable.

Overall: Though full of plenty of exciting action, this volume is a bit underwhelming when it comes to story. Deathstroke’s abilities are on full display here, as he takes on a number of opponents who would, normally, be more than a match for him. This makes every battle feel epic and fills the book with suspense. However, the story is less interesting and disappoints in a few places. Readers looking for intense and beautifully drawn action will find it here, but should be aware that the story is pretty lackluster.

Story

Deathstroke Vol. 2: God Killer, by Tony S. Daniel, is a thrilling volume filled with action and exciting fight sequences. Readers get a chance to see Deathstroke swap blows with a variety of powerful enemies in a variety of creative settings. These fights are tense and elicit plenty of suspense. However, the story holding these fights together is only average and has a number of holes preventing it from being as good as it could be. Together, these attributes create a volume that is heavy on action but light on story, which is certain to appeal to some readers but not all readers.

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The most distinct factors in God Killer are the high stakes and the incredibly powerful main villain. In the previous volume, Deathstroke’s foe was far closer to his own power level, making the fight seem more evenly matched. However, here, Deathstroke is literally facing off against a god. This makes everything seem more important and gives this entire adventure the epic nature of a “David and Goliath” style story.

These high stakes and powerful enemies contribute to the book’s other major positive, thrilling action sequences. Watching Deathstroke take on the likes of Wonder Woman, Lapetus, and even Superman proves to be incredibly satisfying. In addition, Deathstroke’s use of the God Killer Sword is creative and gives an additional dimension to the fights. All in all, the change in enemies allows Daniel to display Deathstroke’s abilities in an entirely new way.

However, unlike the previous volume, the story throughout God Killer is a far more generic. There is little connection to Deathstroke’s background, large pieces of the story are advanced because of misunderstandings, and the main villain is more ambiguous. This generic storytelling makes the volume far more predictable than the previous one and dilutes the experience. It is still an entertaining read, it just isn’t quite as captivating as the previous volume.

In addition, illogical decisions from the characters hurt the story as well. For example, Wonder Woman’s decision to attack Deathstroke instead of stopping Lapetus’s resurrection makes little sense, especially when considering the threat he poses. Superman’s actions also seem illogical, since he seems to completely ignore the threat from Lapetus and focus on Deathstroke instead. Both of these decisions lead to solid fight scenes but also foster disbelief in the story being told.

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Art

Though not quite as beautiful of a book as Deathstroke Vol. 1: Gods of War (Review), God Killer still manages to be a gorgeous volume overall. Both Tony S. Daniel and Tyler Kirkham do a great job in emphasizing the power of the characters Deathstroke meets throughout the volume, including Superman, Wonder Woman, and a Greek God. Playing up these characters’ strengths makes the volume’s biggest positive, the fight scenes, even more memorable and exciting. This is a book where the art does well in enhancing the story, which every reader is sure to appreciate.

Continuity

Deathstroke Vol. 2: God Killer continues the story started in Deathstroke Vol. 1: Gods of War (Review).

The story here continues in Deathstroke Vol. 3 Suicide Run (Review).

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

• Multiple elements from Wonder Woman’s recent history are mentioned throughout this volume:
  • Her mother died in Wonder Woman Vol. 1: Blood (Review).
  • She became God of War in Wonder Woman Vol. 4: War.
  • Apollo died in Wonder Woman Vol. 5: Flesh.