Unspoken Issues #158- Deathstroke - "City of Assassins"

Gotham isn’t just dark in this episode — it’s a city of assassins, and Jesse Starcher is joined by Dean Compton and Darry to take on one of the most important early-’90s DC arcs: Deathstroke the Terminator #6–9. The big historical hook? As Dean points out, this storyline marks the first time Batman meets Deathstroke in DC continuity, a moment that echoes all the way into modern games, cartoons, and pop-culture perceptions of Slade as a “Batman villain.”From there, the conversation turns into a smart, funny, and surprisingly thoughtful deep-dive on what makes Deathstroke tick — not just as a badass mercenary with a code, but as a character who constantly tests the boundaries between “antihero” and outright villain. The trio digs into the uncomfortable parts of Slade’s legacy, his uneasy “face turn” energy, and why his brutal practicality makes him such a perfect foil for the Titans and for Batman’s rigid no-kill stance.And because this is Unspoken Issues, it’s not only plot — it’s craft. Jesse, Dean, and Darry rave about Steve Irwin’s moody Gotham, dynamic action, and visual storytelling choices that mirror Batman and Deathstroke’s methods… right up until Slade does what Batman won’t. They also spotlight the era-specific flavor: Mike Zeck’s killer covers, a detour through what was on DC shelves in November ’91, and even a spirited roast of the then-current Batmobile design.