DEADLY CLASS VOLUMES 1-5 review
(Reviewed by Melody Werner)
Deadly Class is an ongoing comic series that began in 2014 written by Rick Remender (of Uncanny X-Force fame), penciled by Wes Craig, colored by Lee Loughridge then Jordan Boyd, and published by Image Comics. It's a crime thriller/romance series about a high school for assassins set in the 80's and inspired by the real life experiences of Remender and co. (though not a true story by any means). It's become one of Image's killer series, with a strong readership and a TV adaptation in the works (at time of writing). However, I've heard some mixed thoughts on it, namely from Ethan Herbert (who I often listen to the recommendations of). A few months ago, I decided to try reading it for myself, since I was in the mood for a pulpy crime comic and wanted to see for myself if I'd like it. After reading the first five volumes nearly back to back, I would like to explain why I think that this series is perfect for readers like me who are fans of Brubaker/Phillips series such as Criminal and why I think some people may end up disliking it.
Craig's art is great. Not only are his covers iconic because of how stylized and unique they are, his interior work is on fire. He especially makes the action sequences in this series really pop. They're so dynamic and fast-paced, and Craig cleverly plays around with the panels to great effect. It's bombastic and leaps off the page in spectacular fashion. But Deadly Class's art cannot be completely explained justly without kudos to Lee Loughridge's contributions on coloring (and later Boyd). Loughridge and Boyd make this 80's pulp crime series really work, using flats rather than fully rendering the colors--a sort of minimalist approach which hearkens back to old comics of the era this particular series is set--but don't mistake it--this is an incredibly vibrant looking series with LOADS of color. The story may be grim and tense, but the art easily pulls you into its world in a way which cannot be fully explained purely through words. There's also the matter of the more surreal moments of this series, like an acid trip in the first volume, which is absolutely fucking gorgeous as far as I'm concerned. Suitably trippy and bizarre, a bit demented, which is more or less how I'd describe the series as a whole. The reading flow is smooth, though in some later volumes the layout can be a bit over the place and somewhat hard to track. Things like the lettering (by the indelible Rus Wooton) and general presentation are absolutely stellar.
Deadly Class is a series which I think is a perfect melding between visuals and writing. Each could stand up in the other's place, but the series itself is all the stronger when the two elements are together. The narrative in Deadly Class is one of the greatest on shelves now, hands down. It's so twisted and tense, no character is ever safe, and there are some moments, some character deaths, which will leave your jaw hanging on the floor. This series pulls no punches and always catches you off-guard. It's constantly changing the paradigm, with every new volume/arc being a discernible departure from the predecessor in tone and pushing the series further. You're not going to read this series and get bored over the story not progressing, as it's always doing just that and changing the game. The style of these covers have become certifiably iconic to me--they're simple, but so visually striking and unique. When I look at that cover, I don't need to see the title of the comic to know without a doubt that it is Deadly Class.
None of the characters are one-dimensional, with tons of complexity, motivations, secrets, personality, and fundamental character flaws which play into the story in a natural way. This is like Brubaker in that you will not like any of the characters completely, they're all a bit broken and fucked up, and any who isn't either will end up like that or they'll probably end up dead. It's grim, but that's part of the charm in it. It's necessary for the story. In terms of the romance, I would say that this isn't really a romance, it's more of an "unromance" story. Romantic interests play a huge part in the story, but it flips the usual ideas of them on their head. There's a lot more conflict when it comes to the romance than sappy garbage. And I never felt that it got in the way of the rest of the story, it actually plays into the overall tale quite organically. And I usually hate romance in comics because they're almost always underdeveloped and get in the way of the story, so kudos to Remender and crew for creating romances which don't make me want to tear my skin off. The dialogue and narration are notably verbose with very well written lines which add to the series's atmosphere, which is already strong.
Deadly Class is yet another Image series that is incredibly addictive. Like Chew and Saga and Criminal and Wayward, it's a series which constantly leaves me wanting more. Wanting to see where the next part of the story goes, and what happens to the characters, and what twisted mindfucks Remender can come up with. Deadly Class is not for everyone--if you are not a fan of the Brubaker way of doing things, then you will probably find yourself not being too into Deadly Class either. But if you are, I think you'll find yourself completely absorbed in this story and this setting and this dialogue. Along with Kill or be Killed, it fills that gap which Criminal has left open in the market (at time of writing) for a hard-boiled crime tale with great aplomb. I don't think it's necessarily on par with Criminal, but it's damn close. Deadly Class volumes 1-5 get a 9.5/10 from me.
Must-read
Summary:
A nail-biting crime series for fans of series like Criminal and Kill or be Killed. Twisted, with great art and stellar storytelling, some may not like the grim world or the flawed characters (who are interesting and complex, but also cannot really be rooted for, except for when they're dealing with characters who are even more flawed and unlikable), but if you like the style then I think this will really interest you.
Deadly Class is an ongoing comic series that began in 2014 written by Rick Remender (of Uncanny X-Force fame), penciled by Wes Craig, colored by Lee Loughridge then Jordan Boyd, and published by Image Comics. It's a crime thriller/romance series about a high school for assassins set in the 80's and inspired by the real life experiences of Remender and co. (though not a true story by any means). It's become one of Image's killer series, with a strong readership and a TV adaptation in the works (at time of writing). However, I've heard some mixed thoughts on it, namely from Ethan Herbert (who I often listen to the recommendations of). A few months ago, I decided to try reading it for myself, since I was in the mood for a pulpy crime comic and wanted to see for myself if I'd like it. After reading the first five volumes nearly back to back, I would like to explain why I think that this series is perfect for readers like me who are fans of Brubaker/Phillips series such as Criminal and why I think some people may end up disliking it.
Craig's art is great. Not only are his covers iconic because of how stylized and unique they are, his interior work is on fire. He especially makes the action sequences in this series really pop. They're so dynamic and fast-paced, and Craig cleverly plays around with the panels to great effect. It's bombastic and leaps off the page in spectacular fashion. But Deadly Class's art cannot be completely explained justly without kudos to Lee Loughridge's contributions on coloring (and later Boyd). Loughridge and Boyd make this 80's pulp crime series really work, using flats rather than fully rendering the colors--a sort of minimalist approach which hearkens back to old comics of the era this particular series is set--but don't mistake it--this is an incredibly vibrant looking series with LOADS of color. The story may be grim and tense, but the art easily pulls you into its world in a way which cannot be fully explained purely through words. There's also the matter of the more surreal moments of this series, like an acid trip in the first volume, which is absolutely fucking gorgeous as far as I'm concerned. Suitably trippy and bizarre, a bit demented, which is more or less how I'd describe the series as a whole. The reading flow is smooth, though in some later volumes the layout can be a bit over the place and somewhat hard to track. Things like the lettering (by the indelible Rus Wooton) and general presentation are absolutely stellar.
Deadly Class is a series which I think is a perfect melding between visuals and writing. Each could stand up in the other's place, but the series itself is all the stronger when the two elements are together. The narrative in Deadly Class is one of the greatest on shelves now, hands down. It's so twisted and tense, no character is ever safe, and there are some moments, some character deaths, which will leave your jaw hanging on the floor. This series pulls no punches and always catches you off-guard. It's constantly changing the paradigm, with every new volume/arc being a discernible departure from the predecessor in tone and pushing the series further. You're not going to read this series and get bored over the story not progressing, as it's always doing just that and changing the game. The style of these covers have become certifiably iconic to me--they're simple, but so visually striking and unique. When I look at that cover, I don't need to see the title of the comic to know without a doubt that it is Deadly Class.
None of the characters are one-dimensional, with tons of complexity, motivations, secrets, personality, and fundamental character flaws which play into the story in a natural way. This is like Brubaker in that you will not like any of the characters completely, they're all a bit broken and fucked up, and any who isn't either will end up like that or they'll probably end up dead. It's grim, but that's part of the charm in it. It's necessary for the story. In terms of the romance, I would say that this isn't really a romance, it's more of an "unromance" story. Romantic interests play a huge part in the story, but it flips the usual ideas of them on their head. There's a lot more conflict when it comes to the romance than sappy garbage. And I never felt that it got in the way of the rest of the story, it actually plays into the overall tale quite organically. And I usually hate romance in comics because they're almost always underdeveloped and get in the way of the story, so kudos to Remender and crew for creating romances which don't make me want to tear my skin off. The dialogue and narration are notably verbose with very well written lines which add to the series's atmosphere, which is already strong.
Deadly Class is yet another Image series that is incredibly addictive. Like Chew and Saga and Criminal and Wayward, it's a series which constantly leaves me wanting more. Wanting to see where the next part of the story goes, and what happens to the characters, and what twisted mindfucks Remender can come up with. Deadly Class is not for everyone--if you are not a fan of the Brubaker way of doing things, then you will probably find yourself not being too into Deadly Class either. But if you are, I think you'll find yourself completely absorbed in this story and this setting and this dialogue. Along with Kill or be Killed, it fills that gap which Criminal has left open in the market (at time of writing) for a hard-boiled crime tale with great aplomb. I don't think it's necessarily on par with Criminal, but it's damn close. Deadly Class volumes 1-5 get a 9.5/10 from me.
Must-read
Summary:
A nail-biting crime series for fans of series like Criminal and Kill or be Killed. Twisted, with great art and stellar storytelling, some may not like the grim world or the flawed characters (who are interesting and complex, but also cannot really be rooted for, except for when they're dealing with characters who are even more flawed and unlikable), but if you like the style then I think this will really interest you.
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