Deadly Class #11 is rife with loads of gruesome and shockingly violent action, horrible language, and blood, all of which a cool spectacle in its own base way. It never lets up and gets progressively more and more disturbing, with great structure that ramps things up in lockstep with a quick pace. There’s a particular reveal that is almost certainly the screwiest thing in this series yet, and one of the most messed-up things I’ve seen in a comic in recent memory. What’s so special about this comic, however, is that even with all of this boisterous content are character development and monologues that stick out and demand attention. Deadly Class is bursting at the seams with thrilling and sensational sleaze, but issues like this arc-ending chapter show that the backbone anchoring it all is its fascinating characters.

Because of the way this issue is done, focused entirely on a big brawl with light implementation of dialogue and narration that remains tied to a single setting, the art is very important for this issue working. As always, it does not disappoint.

The visuals go a long way in nailing the tone, atmosphere and pacing. Whenever a sword pokes through someone’s face, causing an eye ball to pop out of place, skewered on the blade, it looks like a ridiculous kind of cool rather than an uncomfortable kind, thanks to a style that remains a bit cartoonish. Layouts are done in such a way that sends one’s eyes zipping around the page in unconventional directions, with just enough panels to create a quick sense of movement. The pace is barreling, aside from scenes that creep with suspense building into something fast again. Often stunning use of highly contrasting coloring keeps things interesting, but more importantly gives the visuals a bit of a surreal bent, moving things away from the uncomfortable realm of realism.

This is all massively important for the kind of experience Deadly Class is; despite everything that happens physically being so disturbing, the atmosphere is kept fun. All of the dark, discomforting storytelling is kept to in the characterization, all of which faithfully believable. At its core, Deadly Class is a remarkably relatable character study.

Deadly Class as a whole tells things predominantly from the protagonist Marcus’s perspective, but this issue deviates from this entirely. This issue hosts interaction between Saya and Maria as well as respective bits of narration devoted to both. The two serve as foils for each other when it comes to their views on romantic attachment and independence, all based around their own relationship to Marcus. Trying to figure out their thoughts was interesting before because readers were locked into Marcus’s bias, but the more direct approach to characterizing them here manages to be fresh, thanks to the contrast.

Deadly Class #11 is filled with loads of shock and sleaze that entertain a simpler part of the human psyche, but that aspect is immensely impressive because of the intricate and careful execution. Thought-provoking and harsh words are caked in these light and nutty pictures. Rick Remender and Wes Craig didn’t forget the beating heart of this series, that being the fascinating characters. Each issue makes me care more and more about these infinitely complex little deviants.

Story: Rick Remender Art: Wes Craig
Story: 8.25 Art: 9.5 Overall: 8.75 Recommendation: Buy

Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Check out Matt’s digital portfolio here

The latest issue of Deadly Class is a beautifully constructed train-wreck that never lets up. From the first page to the last, this comic never takes a break. It is constant discomfort that is all over the place, from a frantic run on the street to a congested comic book store to a violent Oceans 11-style operation. This is the comic book craft at its finest, delivering a wonderfully-paced story with downright unsettling art to accompany it. Yes, Deadly Class #10 rocks.

With its close-up of a bloodshot eye and a bird’s eye shot of two naked, knocked out teenagers, Deadly Class #10 is immediately uncomfortable. From that point on, it’s one location and plot point to the next: bam, bam, bam, until its conclusion. What keeps everything cohesive is the wonderfully written narration that has always been one of the strongest parts of this series. Given the rapid pace protagonist Marcus is forced to keep up with, his narration reads as rushed and confused. Just as the story progresses at a quick and hard to keep up with pace, so too does Marcus’s thoughts.

The narration continues to be fascinating, diving into an analysis of lust, motivation, love, depression, and just about anything else that is emotionally distressing. The plot of Deadly Class does a great job of sticking to a micro-level examination of its main character, not only showing what he does but giving readers a glimpse into his thought process. Each individual part of his life, whether it be his sex drive or his desire for revenge or his depression is interesting on its own, but it becomes downright captivating when one realizes all of these things are interlocked. The human mind is complex, and Deadly Class displays this elegantly.

Compartmentalizing things again, all of the sequences in this comic are great. Running around on the streets gives Marcus the most amount of time to think about his current predicament, giving readers loads of unsure and unreliable analysis. Laced between the car wrecks he causes and the trees he vomits on are little, creeping panels that flashback to his night, with just the right coloring to give off a nightmarish feeling. Even more enjoyable is the sequence in the comic book store he works at, which ramps up from crowds of loud nerds looking for very specific buys to the disaster that ends up getting Marcus in deep shit. This screw-up of his is so horrible and grotesque, and it is portrayed so horribly and grotesquely, that it ends up being absolutely hilarious.

The operation at the end is light on narration and heavier on building a cool set-up and deliver some nasty, visceral action. It’s here that the fantastic page layouts of this issue are at their finest. Many of the panels in this scene are placed rotated to their side, with some blank space thrown in to extenuate the size and placement of each panel. The more disorderly the panels get, the more the already frantic atmosphere gets more out of control. Aiding this even more is the harshly contrasting colors and sharp, ghoulish pencils. Wes Craig can design and draw the hell out of a comic book.

And Rick Remender sure can write. He doesn’t pull any punches, with loads of horrid language and striking violence. Deadly Class #10 is a train-wreck, but it’s so masterfully and concisely crafted that it’s impossible not to appreciate.

Story: Rick Remender Art: Wes Craig
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.5 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Check out Matt’s digital portfolio here

There has been an interesting mystery lurking throughout the entirety of Rick Remender and Wes Craig’s Deadly Class. Readers have been forced to guess who the deformed, monstrous figure constantly looking to attack Marcus is. The one big hint the comic gave before was that this man formed a grudge against Marcus during his time at the orphanage; something also kept mostly in mystery up to this point. Issue #8 gives loads of answers and totally delivers. Deadly Class #8 is a visually-interesting, exciting, and twisted look into a very revealing segment from the past of this book’s protagonist.

The coloring here, from Lee Loughridge, is done in a very simplistic fashion, bathing the pages in such a way that simultaneously makes it look like a flashback and something simply stylish and cool. At the start, pages are soaked entirely in yellow, and then it shifts to red, and then green, at which point the colors blend along with the heightening of the story’s franticness. Out of context this minimalistic take on coloring is neat, but it’s especially impressive in how it fits the story of the comic. Aside from this bold change, characters look as gross and intimidating and the action looks as dynamic as brutal as ever. Deadly Class #8 is a fantastic looking comic.

In terms of plot, what’s delivered here is disturbing enough to be downright enticing to read. This portion of Marcus’s upbringing spent in a hugely fundamentalist and generally evil Christian orphanage sure was terrifying. Like the art, the plot functions well in a vacuum but even better in context. The strange and nauseating events of this issue, along with the triumphant, action-packed fight back Marcus gives, is great fun on its own. Good turns to great whenever the rest of the series is taken into consideration, this issue serving as an explanation for so much of Marcus’s character.

This issue was a long time coming, and it did not disappoint. The concept of a school for young assassins may have seemed potentially trite at the start of this series, but Remender pleasantly surprised whenever the series turned into something much different. Deadly Class is a fascinating character study on a bunch of sad, screwed up kids; they just so happen to attend some crazy classes sometimes.

Story: Rick Remender Art: Wes Craig
Story: 8.75 Art: 8.75 Overall: 8.75 Recommendation: Buy

To check out Matt’s about.me, click here.

Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review