History ComicBook / ShadowWar

* FalseFlagOperation: [[spoiler: In ''Batman'' #122, Bruce wonders (as does Slade later in ''Robin'' #13) if Talia was actually behind the assassination to consolidate her hold on the League and to manufacture a ''causus beili'' to deal with Slade (given tensions between their organizations had been growing). Talia denies it.]] ''Robin'' #14 reveals [[spoiler: it ''was'' a False Flag op...and that it was actually Geo-Force.]]

** Bruce and Damian also get variations in the Prologue after the assassination of Ra's. Damian holds Bruce and his choices responsible for the deaths of his grandfathers (Ra's and Alfred). Bruce's angry, the impulsive response also implies that, deep down, a part of him blames Damian for Alfred's death (as Damian going into Gotham against orders prompted Bane's retaliation).

* WallOfWeapons: Predictably, Slade has the walls of his SupervillainLair covered in weapons, but medieval style meele-weapons as well as firearms.

* SupervillainLair: While on the run from the League of Assassins, Slade takes Respawn to a SecretUndergroundPassage in San Francisco that leads to a base so they can hide for a while. He claims he built it on the days he fought against the ''Franchise/TeenTitans''. Damian and Rose end up tracking them there, and Slade is forced to active a BoobyTrap that caves the whole place.

* GrandFinale: For Williamson's ''Deathstroke Inc.'' and ''Batman'' runs, as Williamson will be leaving those books following the crossover (due to his workload with ''Dark Crisis'').

* AbsoluteCleavage: Angel Breaker, the only new member of the League of Shadows, has a plunging neckline that goes past her navel.

* CameBackWrong: [[spoiler: When the Secret Society use a Lazarus Pit to revive Slade, the pit turns a murky black and only just revives Slade, who vows to kill everyone. The Society realizes that that's not supposed to happen and, since it's a SequelHook to the upcoming ''ComicBook/DarkCrisis'', it's implied the Great Darkness corrupted him.]]

** Bradford Thorne, the Crime Doctor, makes his first Post-Flashpoint appearance during ''Deathstroke Inc.'' 9.

* ItsPersonal: [[spoiler: Geo-Force orchestrated the Shadow War to avenge Markovia after what Talia did to his homeland during the events of ''Leviathan Dawn''. Deathstroke was also targeted for his past crimes against the Markovs (i.e. ''The Judas Contract'').]]

* SignatureStyle: In ''Robin'' #13, this is what convinces [[spoiler: Damian that Repsawn is telling the truth that Slade's been set up. Damian knows his tells when he's lying...and as his clone, Respawn's exhibiting none of said tells.]]

* TakingTheBullet: [[spoiler:Respawn dies protecting Slade by getting in the way of the ninjas hail of bullets]].

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:Geo-Force has become a FallenHero for his actions against both Deathstroke and the al Ghuls, Taila has been rearrested to stand for her crimes, Angel Breaker is in command of whatever's left of the League of Shadows and Slade has CameBackWrong, but Bruce and Damian are back on talking terms again, reuniting fully for the first time since ''City of Bane''.]]

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:Geo-Force has become a FallenHero for his actions against both Deathstroke and the al Ghuls, Angel Killer is in command of whatever's left of the League of Shadows and Slade has CameBackWrong, but Bruce and Damian are back on talking terms again, reuniting fully for the first time since ''City of Bane''.]]

* TakingTheBullet: [[spoiler:Respawn seemingly dies protecting Slade by getting in the way of the ninjas hail of bullets]].

* TheBusCameBack: In order to avenge her father, Talia assembles nearly every major member of the League of Assassins and the League of Shadows, many of whom hadn't appeared in years; The Demon's Fist, the Seven Men of Death, Rictus, December Graystone, Sportsmaster, Onyx Adams (who had recently returned during ''ComicBook/{{Catwoman}}''), Whisper A'Daire, Dragonfly, White Willow, and Mara al Ghul (who hasn't been seen since Benjamin Percy's inaugural arc on the DC Rebirth-era ''Teen Titans'').

* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Besides Talia with her father and Deathstroke with Respawn, Dr. Moon reveals he was in love with Phobia, [[spoiler:which is why when he's captured he tells Slade that they must rescue Phobia before Angel Breaker kills him]].

* TheReveal: ''Robin'' #14 reveals the identity of the fake Deathstroke, the one who started this war: [[spoiler:Geo-Force, getting revenge on what Deathstroke and Talia did to his family and his country]].

* FrameUp: [[spoiler: Deathstroke's framed for the assassination of Ra's -- or at least ''he'' claims he's being set up.]]''Robin'' #14 reveals [[[spoiler: it was Geo-Force.]]

* ItsPersonal: [[spoiler: Geo-Force orchestrated the Shadow War to avenge Markovia after what Talia did to his homeland during the events of ''Leviathan Dawn''. Deathstroke was also targeted for his past crimes against the Markvos (i.e. ''The Judas Contract'').]]

* ItsPersonal: [[spoiler: Geo-Force orchestrated the Shadow War to avenger Markovia after what Talia did to his homeland during the events of ''Leviathan Dawn''. Targeting Deathstroke is also almost certainly because of Geo-Force's longstanding hatred of Slade for his role in Tara Markov's death during ''The Judas Contract''.]]

* FalseFlagOperation: [[spoiler: In ''Batman'' #122, Bruce wonders (as does Slade later in ''Robin'' #13) if Talia was actually behind the assassination to consolidate her hold on the League and to manufacture a ''causus beili'' to deal with Slade (given tensions between their organizations had been growing). Talia denies it.]]
* FrameUp: [[spoiler: Deathstroke's framed for the assassination of Ra's -- or at least ''he'' claims he's being set up.]]

* AssociationFallicy: The League of Shadows have standing orders to kill anyone connected to Deathstroke. This includes Black Canary, who teamed up with him during ''Deathstroke Inc.''[='s=] early issues, and Harley Quinn, who is revealed to have been a part of an incarnation of the Secret Society for all of five minutes before getting tossed out.

* ScrewThisImOutOfHere: Prometheus leaves Deathstroke alone after the League sends a huge army of ninjas against the Secret Society.

-->'''Slade:''' Those are instruments of death and destruction, ''Respawn''. Nothing that can take a life is ''ever'' a toy.\\

* IOnceKilledAManWithaNoodleImplement: Referenced in ''Deathstroke Inc.'' #8.
-->'''Slade:''' Those are instruments of death and destruction, ''Respawn''. Nothing that can take a life is ''ever'' a toy.\\
'''Respawn:''' You telling me you've never killed someone with an action figure?\\
'''Slade:''' [[{{Touche}} Okay, maybe.]]

* IKilledAManWithaNoodleImplement: Referenced in ''Deathstroke Inc.'' #8.

* IHaveYourWife: Angel Breaker convinces Dr. Moon to sell out Slade and contact him by threating to kill Phobia if he doesn't comply to her demands. She still has ''him'' killed, anyway.

* FalseFlagOperation: [[spoiler: In ''Batman'' #122, Bruce wonders if Talia was actually behind the assassination to consolidate her hold on the League and to manufacture a ''causus beili'' to deal with Slade (given tensions between their organizations had been growing). Talia denies it.]]

** Deathstroke's assassination of Ra's. The solicitations made no attempt to hide it given it was the event catalyst. There ''was'' however, misdirection and ambiguity about the exact motive. [[spoiler: Why the final issue of ''Deathstroke'' suggested it was revenge for Respawn, the kickoff has instead shown Slade was framed.]]