Batman: The Animated Series Introduces Deathstroke

Batman: The Animated Series has added on of DC Comics‘ most popular villains, Deathstroke, to its rogues’ gallery. Batman: The Animated Series is famous for its iconic depictions of Batman‘s signature foes, including the Joker, Mister Freeze, and Catwoman. The story of the television show is continuing in the digital-first comics series Batman: The Adventures Continue. The latest chapter introduced Slade Wilson to the world of DC Animated Universe. Wilson’s absence from Batman: The Animated Series wasn’t ever questioned. He was always thought of as a Titans villain and appeared in the Teen Titans cartoon. In more recent years, he’s been used in comics and other media as a foe for the Dark Knight, given they are equals in hand-to-hand combat and strategic abilities. It makes sense then to add him to the cast of Batman’s animated universe.

Batman: The Adventures Continue Chapter Three introduces Deathstroke in the first part of the new storyline “Mentors.” Deathstroke appears in Gotham in time to give Batman, Batgirl, and Robin a hand in stopping a rampaging Clayface. Later, it is revealed that Deathstroke’s partner Sunny provided Clayface with drugs that were supposed to cure him of his condition. Instead, the drugs caused the rampage that drew out the Batman Family.

As in the comics, Deathstroke in the DC Animated Universe is a mercenary and he’s wanted by Interpol. Deathstroke’s game isn’t clear yet. He makes contact with the Batman Family and presents himself as an ally. He later makes contact with Batgirl alone, offering to be her new mentor if she decides she wants to expand her horizons beyond Gotham City.

Ty Templeton draws the issue. In an interview, he said “Deathstroke is one of DC’s enduring hero/villains. I’ve always loved his design and his history with the Titans, which makes him part of Dick Grayson’s history, which makes him part of the Bat-World. Slade is kind of a ‘Batman-but-with-guns’ type of character, only with a very different moral code. That kind of tension, where characters have different approaches to similar problems, is always a fun undercurrent to play with.”

Writer Paul Dini added, “It was fun to come up with a first encounter between him and Batman and rework his character and motivations in a way that made sense of the animated series at that time. We’ve also given him someone new to interact with, a female protégée named Sunny—yes, her name is ironic. She’s sort of a Batgirl gone way wrong. “

Batman: The Adventures Continue Chapter Three is available now on Comixology. It will be released in print as part of Batman: The Adventure Continues #2 in June.

Batman: The Adventures Continue #2
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(W) Paul Dini, Alan Burnett (A) Ty Templeton (CA) Dave Johnson

Slade Wilson has come to Gotham City, and his arrival is making the Dark Knight very suspicious. Robin, on the other hand, thinks the swashbuckling mercenary is just here to help. Is Deathstroke a friend or foe…and what are his plans for Batman?

In Shops: Jun 03, 2020