The Silencer #5 – Dan Abnett, Writer; Viktor Boganovic, Artist; Mike Spicer, Colorist
Ratings:
Ray – 8/10
Corrina: The Plot Thickens…
WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW
Ray: Five issues in, it feels like The Silencer is finding its groove as one of the most compelling and entertaining of the new characters introduced in the New Age of DC Heroes. That’s mainly because Silencer is a compelling character with some real stakes, and this issue surrounds her with equally ruthless individuals that she can match wits with. The issue starts with her being held hostage by Deathstroke, who is seeking revenge for her role in the hit that got her out of Leviathan in the first place. He’s trying to convince her that the war is back on and she needs to re-enter the assassin field, but she’s convinced that she was allowed out for good – a concept he thinks is laughable. Abnett’s Deathstroke isn’t nearly as compelling as Priest’s, no, but he is an adversary with multiple layers, and it’s great to see Honor Guest prove that she can go up against him long enough to escape.
The key question running through this series, of course, is which side Talia Al Ghul is actually on. Honor’s trusted her as her only true ally ever since she left the field, but Deathstroke provides a very different picture – one of Talia as the secret architect of all of Honor’s misfortune. As she tries to settle back into her normal life, you can see the stress of the situation is wearing on her, and the issue builds until she calls Talia for a meeting. That leads to a tense one-on-one meeting – with Honor’s young son present – at a diner, where the truth comes out, and the next big showdown is set up. This series is slowly but surely developing an original character we care about, which is something that some of the others, like Damage and Brimstone, have been thoroughly lacking. I’m not sure how long it’ll be around, but I’m excited to see Honor’s story unfold – although I sort of feel like she might work as well if not better as an original rather than a DC character.
Corrina: I have a possibly irrational love for this concept, mostly because Honor is refreshingly normal as a mother, and not angst-ridden by who she used to be. She’s not struggling with what she did before. Instead, she’s focused on creating the future. It’s a clear-minded approach, though she’s not in denial of what she was.
That said, this may have been the best issue of the series. The conversation with Deathstroke added layers that have been missing and established that Honor has no one she can trust. Talia and Honor’s bond may not be what Honor believed, leaving her without allies. She’s realizing that she was never really out of the business. Obviously, she cannot trust Deathstroke but he knows exactly what button to push with her: her son. That leads to a choice that may have been wise/unwise. We’ll see.
Now, if the series would just explain why Honor married her as yet unremarkable and kinda cardboard happy husband, I would be more than satisfied. But I expect, at some point, that he will be toast. And that her child will be taken hostage. I really hope I’m wrong.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
Disclaimer: GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
