Deadly Class by Rick Remender, Wes Craig, and Jordan Boyd continues to be one of my favorite comic series. That being said, I unfortunately fell behind recently. The good news is, I got to read six issues in one sitting.
The story takes place in San Francisco during the 80s. You can think of it as a sort of John Hughes movie–if he ever made a movie with teenage kids attending a deadly school for assassins along with extreme violence lurking around every corner. I always knew I really loved the series, but the point was driven home in issue #21 with [spoiler] the death of a character. There were feelings of shock along with some anger after that. All signs of a great creative team that really makes readers care about the characters.
Beginning with issue #22 (and Volume 5 of the trade paperback), we had what felt like Season 2 of a television series. It was our second year seeing events at the school. That meant new characters as freshmen joined the student body. It was a little unsettling trying to get to know the new characters while missing some of the recently departed. With continuing story threads, you could easily become immersed into the new direction as the new and old elements mixed. The violence, humor, and character development were all still here.
Issue #30 is an example why Rick Remender is a fantastic writer. With a road trip underway, readers get the chance to learn more about the characters. As past readers know, road trips in Deadly Class don’t always end up going too smoothly. It is a great opportunity to allow the characters to grow further. Away from the pressures of the school and all the tension between the different groups within the student body, the new group of friends learn a lot from each other.
Of course, not all is as it seems for this diverse collection of kids. Readers recently learned the shocking truth about a character a few issues back. New student Quan suggested the road trip to further his plans of survival from Saya’s evil and big jerk of a brother. The pieces are being set up on the board, and there’s about to be some major fallout.
The art and color by Craig and Boyd continues to shine in this issue. I couldn’t imagine seeing the characters if Craig wasn’t providing the art. It’s one of those things you don’t want to think about. Boyd’s colors brilliantly set the vibe for each scene. Like the story, the bold colors sometimes really get in your face to compliment the heavy action and tones. The visuals simply pull you into the story and keep you captivated from page to page.
Deadly Class is a book I can’t get enough of. You never really know what to expect with each chapter. You’ll find moments of happiness and humor and then quickly get hit with an unsurmountable level of dread. Despite being filled with a group of unsavory characters, you can’t help but become attached and invested in them. This has consistently been one of the best books on the shelves. If you’re not reading Deadly Class, you really need to fix that right away.
Now to begin counting the days until issue #31 goes on sale.
What the Heck is going on?!? 