The “Shadow War” crossover between DC’s Batman, Robin, and Deathstroke titles is nearing a climactic finale. What began with the death of Ra’s al Ghul has quickly escalated to losses on both sides of the war, with Deathstroke and Talia al Ghul’s clone, Respawn, also becoming a casualty. Even though readers saw someone dressed as Deathstroke murder Ra’s, he has constantly denied doing the deed. The answer to who was really impersonating Slade Wilson is revealed in Robin #14, the penultimate chapter of “Shadow War.” Not only is the character a surprising choice, but they also have ties to a forgotten team formerly led by Batman.
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WARNING: Spoilers for Robin #14 follow. Continue reading at your own risk
Robin #14 by Joshua Williamson, Roger Cruz, Norm Rapmund, Luis Guerrero, and Troy Peteri features a final battle between Deathstroke and Talia al Ghul’s forces in Nepal, with the two enemies facing off in one-on-one combat. Also on hand for the showdown are Batman, Damian Wayne, and Rose Wilson / Ravager. Just as Slade appears to deliver the killing blow, Talia blocks his blade and retaliates with a knife to the side, which she then uses to slice Slade open. Rose declares her father dead, though that remains open-ended until we get to see what happens in Shadow War: Omega. However, the more pressing concern is the Deathstroke impersonator that appears to gloat over Slade’s apparent death.
Our impersonator goes on and on about believing Batman would be proud of how he raged war from the shadows, and how Deathstroke hurt his family and country. Tremors erupt in the background, offering another hint at the villain’s true identity. Once the impersonator namedrops “Markovia” and how “The people of Markovia need their prince to avenge them,” the ripping off of his classic Deathstroke costume reveals former Justice League of America hero and founding member of the Outsiders, Geo-Force.
Created by Mike W. Barr and Jim Aparo, Geo-Force debuted in 1983’s The Brave and the Bold #200. Prince Brion Markov has the metahuman ability to control gravity and helped form The Outsiders with Black Lightning, Metamorpho, Katana, Halo, and Looker. His half-sister is Tara Markov, aka Terra, of the Teen Titans, who was Deathstroke’s spy inside the team. Fans have also recently gotten to see Geo-Force make the transition to animation, starring in Young Justice: Outsiders, the third season of the DC animated series.
“Shadow War” wraps up next week on May 31st with Shadow War: Omega #1. Its description reads: “THE SHADOW WAR’S EPIC CONCLUSION! The shocking finale of the Shadow War! Lives have been lost. Heroes and villains have fallen in battle. And now the real mastermind behind the Shadow War has been revealed. But they are far from done! Batman and Robin are all that’s left to put a stop to their real plans. Can the father-and-son duo work together to save the day? Events in this issue lead directly into DC’s next big summer event!”
What do you think about the big Deathstroke revelation? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
