Deadshot: Beginnings

by John Ostrander

Other authorsGerry Conway (Author), Marshall Rogers (Illustrator), Robert Greenberger (Editor), Terry Austin (Illustrator), Doug Moench (Author), Bruce D. Patterson (Illustrator), Paul Levitz (Author), Kim Yale (Author), Steve Englehart (Author), Adrienne Roy (Colourist), Luke McDonnell (Illustrator)5 more, Luke McDonnell (Cover artist), Jerry Serpe (Colourist), Don Newton (Illustrator), Alfredo P. Alcala (Illustrator), Julianna Ferriter (Colourist)
Paperback, 2013

Description

Deadshot, the assassin for hire who never misses, faces new and deadly challenges in this new collection. Spinning out of the hit 1980s series SUICIDE SQUAD, this bullet-ridden tale sends Deadshot on a solo missing to kill a crime boss known as El Jefe - only to learn that the men who sent him on this mission have ulterior motives. And while Deadshot stalks his prey, his therapist is trying to uncover what drives him to kill. Collects DEADSHOT #1-4, BATMAN #369 and DETECTIVE COMICS #474 and 518.

Language

Original language

English

Physical description

159 p.; 26 cm

Publication

New York, NY : DC Comics, [2013]

Pages

159

ISBN

9781401242985

Local notes

Contains the 1988 "Deadshot: Beginnings" miniseries, as well as Detective Comics #474 (1977) "Batman: The Deadshot Ricochet", Detective Comics #518 (1982) "Batman: The Millionaire Contract" and Batman #369 (1984) "Batman: Target Practice", all three stories featuring appearances by Deadshot set prior to the miniseries.

Library's rating

½

Library's review

The main miniseries is very good for its time. It doesn't shy away from Deadshot's horrific excuse for a moral code, does not end the way I expect it to when reading it, and has a pretty solid pace. It might seem a tiny bit by the numbers by current comic standards (though the main twist would
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still be rather surprising in a mainstream DCU book, I feel), but it's hard to hold that against it. It's a great character piece and sort-of-origin story, and probably something of a must-read if you're a fan of Deadshot.

The three other (older) stories included in the volume as bonus materials ironically lower the book's overall rating. These are in that odd Batman space where the stories are going for dark and gritty but character relationships are still dumb and corny (Alfred being around when Batman and Robin interact with outsiders, for instance) and fights on giant type writers are still a thing that happens. They were reasonably entertaining reads, for what they were, but should have been placed before the main miniseries in this collection -- they both take place prior, and that way the book would end on a high note.
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Rating

(3 ratings; 3.2)
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