Deadly Class #8 Review

It’s a bit of a one-shot this issue, but Deadly Class #8 still manages to deliver on most of the themes and plot lines a title such as “Deadly Class” could evoke – what more could you ask for?

The official description from Image:

For the first time in his life, teenage assassin-in-training Marcus Lopez has a lot to lose: a circle of friends, a lover, a home. All these things are on the line when a terrifying figure from Marcus’ own shadowy past comes back into his life to torment him. It all started during those years Marcus spent in an orphanage, the year’s he’s chronicled in his secret journal.

This issue is pretty easy to read, opening and closing with a simple framing device around a quick and straight forward flashback. The story itself isn’t the most intense or original, but it’s told relatively well and likely resonates more for long term readers (‘long term’ in the relative sense for a series that hasn’t even reached double digits yet.) Still, there are a few areas that might bug a few people.

First of all, the writing is relatively thought out, but it’s hard not to imagine how quickly Rick Remender came up with the plot. It’s a little too obvious, built around the entire aspect of a terrible orphanage. While it ties into the comic itself – rage, murder and violence anyone? – it feels very, well, simple. It also introduces a fair few details, from characters to settings, that might not even matter in the long run, with names that are fairly forgettable.

In terms of the art, Deadly Class #8 offers a different style for the flashback sequence, which is the majority of the issue. In both instances, we still have Wes Craig on art duties with Lee Loughridge on colors. The opening and start look fine enough for the series, with pale artwork that splashes a little bit of colour. However, the orange and brown midsection is hard to look at at times and, honestly, the creative break simply makes it look less professional that the outtermost pages.

All in all, it’s not a bad issue and, while I appreciate it trying to do a few things, I’m not sure this one will go down that well in the title’s longer run.