I was frustrated by the insistence we round the edges off of all of that. Not talking about it leaves this cloud lingering over DC, over Deathstroke, over Marv, over me. Excusing Deathstroke's behavior is wrong and stupid. Deathstroke's choices are indefensible.īut painting Terra as a saint is wrong and stupid. Any attempt to rationalize the behavior just blows up in your face. It is kind of unsurvivable in terms of character-you really can't soft-pedal the behavior and continue to root for Deathstroke. It frustrates me a little that Deathstroke is so popular these days, and actually has always been super popular with the fans, while so many of them decry this, the moment that literally defined who he is.ĭeathstroke manipulating a young girl is reprehensible. 'How can you write that pedophile?!' This business, of creepy old Slade (who, in 1980's version, really did look like he was in his fifties) in bed with a nude teenager (who was also smoking-which actually offended me even more) is the defining moment of the Deathstroke character. This is what I'm asked about most regarding this series, especially by comics readers who remember the Wolfman/Pérez run.