The Teen Titans' shapeshifter, Beast Boy, gets a dark new look thanks to the Titans' archenemy, Deathstroke. The two foes have clashed many times over the years, from the classic The Judas Contract to their final meeting in Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths. Now Beast Boy and Deathstroke are more connected than ever, given Beast Boy's recently revealed design details.
The relationship between Deathstroke and Beast Boy has been around for almost as long as the Teen Titans have been fighting superpowered mercenaries. Deathstroke's latest threat has appeared in the pages of DC's massive event book, Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths, where Slade Wilson has been possessed by the corrupted Great Darkness and now leads a massive army of super-villains in coordinated attacks against heroes of all kinds. all the world. To send a message to another hero, he shoots Garfield in the head, apparently leaving him to die. In the final issue of Dark Crisis, Beast Boy is revealed to be alive, but in a coma and struggling psychologically with the trauma of a shooting.
Beast Boy will be back in action sooner than fans expected. As a reminder of the final order deadline for Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #5, Joshua Williamson tweeted a preview image of the upcoming issue. The image shows an army of legacy heroes rushing into whatever battle they face next. Heroes including classic titans like Nightwing, Donna Troy, Cyborg and Beast Boy return to action. However, Gar is back with a major new design detail: he now wears an eyepatch over his right eye.
No doubt Beast Boy fans will be relieved to see this hulking Titan back in action and clearly eager to strike back. This preview image confirms that the Gar won't last long, but what's even more interesting are the new design details. When Deathstroke shot Gar in Dark Crisis #1, most fans assumed he was the first real victim of this big event. Although Beast Boy is clearly still alive and well, his head and eye injuries, as indicated by his new blindfold, make him a visual echo of his near-murderous foe, Deathstroke. While Slade Wilson is often considered Nightwing's nemesis, one could argue that Beast Boy's encounter with Deathstroke, especially in classic Titans stories like The Judas Contract, is a much stronger emotional stake.
The history between Deathstroke and Beast Boy makes this new design element even more interesting, and should have Beast Boy and Titans fans eager to see where Garfield Logan's story leads next. Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths has become a fast-paced, action-packed story focused on the themes and history of "legacy" throughout the DC Universe. It's clear from this preview that this focus, and especially the focus on the legacy of the Teen Titans, will continue as the story approaches its climax and conclusion.
