Well after another couple of weeks and a site update, I'm back, baby! I would like to thank all you who have taken the time to read my blogs and commented. After all, I'm not writing these for my health. That aside, I would like to present my third favorite comic character, the world's greatest assassin.....DEATHSTROKE!

Wait, what? How can I not be my favorite comic character? Well, it may come as a shock to some, but I'm not actually Slade Wilson. Deathstroke does have a very special place in my heart, but it is shared by two others that may take a bit of precedence over him. But we are not concerning ourselves with those other two right now, are we? Deathstroke first sliced his way into my life onto the Teen Titans television show. Actually, I was not aware of Slade's true awesomeness at the time. What I got from him on the show was that he was a scary-as-hell villain with a really cool mask. It was merely a passing introduction to which I would make the connection back to later on. My true introduction to Deathstroke was the strangest of all of my intros to comic characters. It was about seven or eight years ago and I was scrolling through a Wikipedia page of some hero or villain whose name has faded from my memory. I saw the name Deathstroke underlined and highlighted in blue. To that day, it was the coolest name I've ever heard. I clicked on the article and read the whole thing through. And then I read it through again. And then I searched for pictures of this badass. This dude had it all. The most intimidating/coolest name ever. The best superpower a super-soldier could ask for. And then he had the costume. Man, that costume kicks ass to the moon and back. The original looks like a combination of a pirate, a knight, and a ninja with a full friggin' armory strapped to his back. Modern iterations make an effort to push the soldier motif (excluding the amazing Flashpoint version), which really isn't bad, but the original will always be my favorite. The mask, which has largely remained the same, is definitely the best part of the outfit. I can't begin to describe why, it just simply is. Under that mask is a square-jawed, Wolverine-hair goatee with an eye patch. An eye patch?! Yes, this dude has an eye patch! This man could kill without a mask and still look like the ultimate badass. I feel like I've beaten his costume to death, so onto the assassin himself. Awesome costume or not, Slade is the most powerful mortal man there is in the DC Universe. Deathstroke is the only man whom Batman has never defeated. The Batman, who can take down the entire Justice League (a la Tower of Babel), was not able to finish off the Terminator. Slade is able to access the part of the brain not available to the rest of humans, making him stronger, faster, and smarter than even Bruce who stand at the height of human capability. The dude took on a version of the Justice League on his own until GA stabbed him in the eye from behind. I think it's clear that even as he ages, Slade wields incredible ability. He ought to be feared by heroes and villains alike. That sentiment leads me to my next point. Slade is grossly under-credited. I feel that you, the reader, have already gotten the gist of his power in what was stated above. I, as any other sane comic fan should, feel that with those attributes and accomplishments, Deathstroke would hold a high position in the DC Universe. But sadly, my friends, this is not always the truth. He has been considered a second rate villain and enforcer, merely filling in pages as a worthless grunt. Folks, has Marvel ever tossed the Punisher into an issue, just to get his ass handed to him by Spider-Man? Okay, maybe that wasn't the best example. But I think my point is clear. Deathstroke, whether a hero or a villain, should be held to the standards of any A-Lister. I found that Justin Jordan has done a more-than-capable job in the most recent issues, but I do maintain that Kyle Higgins truly knocked it out of the park in the first eight issues of the New 52. I think it would be best to forget Leifeld's attempt.

My love for Deathstroke has only grown stronger in recent years. His appearance in mainstream media looks to bolster his overall popularity, to the elation of myself and hundreds of over devotees. I'd call Slade the ultimate role model, but I don't think it's possible to cram that much badassery into one lifetime.

P.S. Did ya count how many times I said 'bad ass'?