Comic Review: Deadly Class

Publisher: Image Comics

Writer: Rick Remender

Artist: Wes Craig

Status: Ongoing

Issue Count: 43

Image Comics rarely come out with a bad series, and while I thought Deadly Class would be a good filler while I awaited the continuation of titles such as Saga and Monstress, I was greatly treated to a thrilling series that truly stands out on its own, definitely deserving of an apology for originally being sought out as a mere distraction from the other titles. The story follows a young boy named Marcus, a Nicaraguan immigrant who came to America with his parents in search of a better life, and a better life was indeed what seemed guaranteed with his amazingly supportive and loving mother and father. But as we have all become familiar within these stories, dreams quickly turn to nightmares as in a random turn of events, a schizophrenic woman decided to commit suicide by jumping off a higher vantage spot above the family on a day out, landing flat on Marcus' parents and killing them instantly.

All alone, Marcus was relegated to the hell that was an orphanage, run covertly as an illegal sweatshop by a couple of sadistic religious fanatics. With enough planning, he eventually managed to get revenge on his captors and escape from his prison, deciding that life on the streets was better than a life lived in servitude. But as time went on, he realized that his prospects were bleak, and concluded that the natural next step from homelessness was suicide. The only thing that kept Marcus from taking the final step off of the ledge was the subconscious whisper of his father telling him to hold on and the actual whisper of a future classmate.

Without his knowledge, Marcus' past activities had piqued the interest of the headmaster of a secret school dedicated to training the next generation of top assassins. With the help of a few of his students, Master Lin offered Marcus the choice of joining this prestigious school to sharpen the tools necessary for exacting revenge on those he believed were responsible for his misery. With a little convincing from the girl who prevented him from punching out altogether, Marcus agreed to enroll in Kings Dominion, the academy for the deadly arts, essentially, the Hogwarts for Hitmen/women.

The magnificence of the academy both surprised and left Marcus in awe of its towering buildings and multiple facilities, but what didn't surprise him were the typical power structures and dynamics one finds within any high school. The halls filled with learners from all walks of life, their allegiance tightly bound to their respective cliques. From the Yakuza, the Cartel, and Italians, to the Compton gangbangers, KGB, and beyond. Marcus found himself in hostile territory, determined to maintain his independence, while simultaneously understanding the importance of running in a group. When he wasn't taking classes on assassin psychology, bomb-making or stealth, to name a few, Marcus attempted socializing with the other colorful characters enrolled with him at the academy. Each possessed his or her unique reasons for wanting to pursue a life in the killing arts, carrying their emotional baggage and horrifying pasts like dark passengers on their backs. It is this that created the realization that Marcus was not alone or unique in his story, pairing up with individuals like Willie, Saya, and others in a series of trials that would test them in more ways than they had ever imagined.

The students would come to find that the real lessons happened outside of their formal classroom setting, presenting the challenges that required them to call upon the skills that simply cannot be taught. Master Lin is portrayed as an almost omnipotent puppet master, pulling the strings in the background and setting things in motion that many, including the readers, will never know about or see coming. The comic is action-packed, with explosions, guns blazing, and fist and knife fights that all make up an average day at Kings Dominion. But the greatest harm is not always the physical kind, as emotional manipulation, blackmail and backstabbing are all part of the experience.

The series creates a relatable experience with individuals who, despite being trained to be killers, are nonetheless still only young high school students who are riddled with insecurity and other shortcomings. They desire genuine human connection and experiences, they long to create lasting memories and relationships, and yet both their successes and failures skillfully open the floodgates of nostalgia for all that know and understand how complicated/wonderful/terrible high school is/was. There is a character for everyone in this story, and the rapport between each, and the writer's ability to give each their just representation, is another reason why Deadly Class is such an enthralling read. The series consists of well-constructed arcs that pull and push various characters within the narrative, setting up hair pulling cliff hangers, jaw-dropping twists and a few moments of satisfaction in victory.

43 issues in and Deadly Class appears far from finished, and fortunate are those who will pick up and start the series for the first time. I liked that the artwork was also not always clean and neat, but rather a little messy, and even grimy in places, which complimented the unpredictable and ugly nature of the school, and the world the characters live in as a whole. The characters themselves just felt more real, bouncing between the kind of people that we can get behind, to disgraceful figures that are undeserving of our forgiveness. This perfectly sums up the complexity of people, and how our respective stories and our journey through life is anything but easy and/or straightforward, our grasp on what constitutes good and bad, hardly planted on sturdy ground. With all of this said, I truly look forward to the next set of issues, and the tests and turns that await the characters. Pick up issue one, and get started.

Happy reading :).