The Silencer #12
DC Comics
Written by: Dan Abnett
Art by: Jack Herbert
Inks: Tom Derenick
Colors by: Mike Spicer
Letters by: Tom Napolitano
By and large, DC’s New Age of Heroes hasn’t been a can’t miss initiative. Only a few series have yet to meet the chopping block, The Silencer being one. If DC only keeps one series, it has to be The Silencer—especially after what happened in The Silencer #12.
I’ve always had a soft spot for Talia al Ghul because of her involvement in creating Red Hood. After what she did to her “friend,” Honor Guest, though, I’m not so sure. Talia is about as cold-blooded as it gets in The Silencer #12.
Actually, she’s pretty much been that way this entire series. That’s not to say she’s ever been all that stable or kind in any way. She just always seemed like a likable villain.
But, when you force a mother into the decision she forced Honor to make, any redeeming qualities go out the door. Not to mention, Talia stabbed The Silencer after she agreed to her BS terms and then booted her from the Leviathan castle sitting atop a mountain. She’s obviously not dead for good—as much as Talia would absolutely go through all of that simply for payback. I’m sure we’ll see her rise from the Lazarus Pit in The Silencer #13. She’s too valuable, as Talia made sure to emphasize as she threatened the lives of the Guest family.
The other piece of this issue that can’t be lost is The Silencer’s fight with all of Leviathan. She was absolutely rolling. Honor had to have taken out at least 10 people. Ten people are plenty enough, but these were assassins and crime lords. And when you consider how many assassins were probably in that room, and that they were all gunning for Honor, it becomes clear why Talia wants her back so badly. This woman has been on the shelf for five years, and here she is carving her way through the best assassins in the world all by herself.
As much as I’m done with Talia, I can’t wait to see her put Honor back to work.