Deadly Class #38
Recap
Marcus Lopez and his girlfriend Maria have survived the carnage of the freshman great exam, life on the run, being hunted by the cartels and the yakuza, and the deaths of nearly all their friends. They return to Kings Dominion to face the music from Master Lin.
Review
Rick Remender and Wes Craig have got some balls. This issue works as a jumping on point but is also part three of a story arc.
After spending so long away from the school, to return things back to Kings Dominion and reset the board, especially after the trauma of the last ten issue (if not the series so far) with such triumph is a big move.
The creative team must be aware of it too. They channel this confidence and bravado into every square inch of Marcus and Marias grand re-entrance.
Not only that but the time away from the school setting has done nothing to chip away at the authenticity of depicting high school life.
Even if you took away the weapons and the Machiavellian plots, this reads like the best high school film you’ve never watched.
This issue specifically carries the spirit of cult favorites such as Class of 1984, Class of 1999, and other VHS genre films of the ilk, only there’s nothing B-grade about any aspect of Deadly Class.
The reestablishing of the classroom boundaries and the cliques’ everyone is aligned with. The portrayal of reactions and attitudes to the power couples return. Right down to the point of view angles as Marcus negotiates his new found popularity.
Remender does an excellent job, too, of portraying that high-school fame into fuel to further throw Marcus into the role of an alienated loner. Seeing Maria fully embrace her own new-found ascendancy is also something to marvel at.
In fact, witnessing the growth and development of all the characters in this issue, truly getting an idea of how past events are informing even the most sparingly used character, is an incredible thing to see.
Wes Craig’s layouts, the previously mentioned choice of angles and camera placement, and attention to character design are sublime in this issue.
Amidst the fanfare of a TV adaptation, this title embraces the spotlight and rises to the occasion, constantly changing its landscape and pushing its boundaries to pack in so much story and reward for readers that it makes waiting for the next issue just that little bit less painful.
Final Thoughts
Even when serving up jumping on points (in the middle of an arc no less), Deadly Class does not take it easy. The combination of rich, deep, storytelling with art that reads like nothing else is beyond captivating. The Kings Dominion feels like a real place whose students and walls all have real stories to tell. The whole package captures the time period setting so completely you would be excused for thinking it was produced in the '80s, were it not for such cutting-edge storytelling. Read this book at all costs.
Deadly Class #38: Never Go Back (pt. 3 of 5)
- Writing - 10/1010/10
- Storyline - 9.5/109.5/10
- Art - 9/109/10
- Color - 9.5/109.5/10
- Cover Art - 9/109/10