Exclusive DC Preview: 'Deathstroke Annual' #1

DC has provided ComicBook.com with an exclusive preview of Deathstroke Annual #1, due in stores on Wednesday from writer Christopher Priest and the art team of Denys Cowan, Bill Sienkiewicz, and colorist Jeromy Cox.

The issue will bring the "Defiance" era of Deathstroke (in which he put together a superhero team featuring Kid Flash, Terra, and other young heroes) to a conclusion, giving audiences a couple of months to recuperate before launching into the next big thing, Slade Wilson's war with Batman.

The epic showdown between Batman and Deathstroke will not take place in its own miniseries, as some had assumed based on DC's title treatment, but rather in the pages of Deathstroke.

The story, which launches in April, centers on a mysterious package that seemingly proves Batman's son Damian is actually not his own, but Deathstroke's.

Given how poorly most of Deathstroke's familial relationships work out, that seems like a net win for Damian, but we will leave that aside for now.

Deathstroke Annual #1 Gallery

As the Dark Knight detective sets about getting to the bottom of it, the six-part story will unfold monthly in Deathstroke.

The preview, which you can see in the attached image gallery, also seemingly promises a tie between Deathstroke's Team Defiance and Power Girl, who appears in what seems too real to be a dream sequence.

Under the direction of Priest and Pagulayan, not to mention the contributions of Cowan and Joe Bennett, Deathstroke has been one of the best titles in the stacked line under DC's Rebirth. The series has revitalized the character as a misguided hero, exploring his roots as a great assassin and terrible father.

Bringing Batman into the mix will no doubt attract fans of DC's cinematic universe, who have been anticipating such a showdown since Ben Affleck teased Joe Manganiello's Deathstroke on Twitter as part of some test footage for The Batman.

You can check out the official solicitation text for the annual below.

Deathstroke Annual #1

"An Innocent Man"!

Team Defiance is pushed to the edge of oblivion when one of their own ends up dead—and Deathstroke is to blame! Is this the end of Slade Wilson's hero turn? It's all been building to this—don't miss the finale of "Defiance," the events of which will lead Deathstroke down a shocking new path!

Deathstroke Annual #1 will be in stores and online Wednesday. You can get one by contacting your local comic shop, or pre-order a digital copy online.