Deadly Class #8

by Kalem Lalonde on October 15, 2014

Written by: Rick Remender
Art by: Wes Craig

There’s always inspiration behind a story. Reading a story could spawn an idea in a writer’s head and they extrapolate and create works of art out of a simple idea. I think that writers are always at their best while telling a personal story. A tale that was inspired by their personal experiences, thoughts and emotions. This is something that I love about Sex Criminals and it’s what makes Deadly Class so special. The honesty behind the characters and situations is astounding. Deadly Class returns this week with a great character-focused issue that digs deep into the character of Markus even though the hole was already deep enough.

I’ve seen so many disputes over some story having too simple of a plot or too little character and heart. After reading numerous stories, I seemed to be enjoying both of the aforementioned cases. I realized that if a story has an abundance of character and heart, I won’t complain about a simplistic plot. Same goes for plot, if the plot is intricate, significant and multifaceted, I won’t notice the lack of character. Deadly Class #8 is very much on the character side of this and even though the plot barely budges, I was enthralled by this issue.

We return to Markus’ days at a sordid orphanage where they treat the kids with the respect one would treat a prisoner with. We explore how Markus escaped and the consequences of his merciless methods. It’s a very heartbreaking story that expands Markus as a character. And, in addition to the character forming aspects, this flashback has an appropriate and realistic relevance to the central-plot. Remender utilizes the flashback excellently here.

What I’ve found so incredible about Deadly Class is how ubiquitously relatable the story is. Everyone was a teenager and despite being exaggerated, Markus’ struggles feel very real. I’m a teenager and I recognize people I know in this book. Remender has an extraordinary understanding of the thought process of a crazy, depressed or even supercilious teenager is. This was very well shown last issue and continues to be here

Wes Craig hands in the same excellent quality he always does. The colouring in this issue is different due to the flashback scenes and instead of being distracting the colours do a great job of telling this dark story about a forlorn teenager.

Deadly Class continues to impress with issue #8. The plot barely budges but the amount of character placed into this issue makes up for it. This is a story about pain, depression and the fear one has of sharing their feelings at a young age. It’s a brutally honest story about the struggles of a teenager and humans in general as well. Remender is telling a deep and profound story with Deadly Class and this series’ intensity hasn’t faltered yet. It’s not for the faint of heart but it’s an incredible experience for those who are up to it!

Our Score:

9/10

A Look Inside