Remender and Craig explore circumstances that create a killer in “Deadly Class” #8. We are given a look back into Marcus’ past, through which we gain a more complete understanding of the character and his motivation. An example of near perfect storytelling on all fronts, this issue shines in its darkness.
Written by Rick Remender
Illustrated by Wes CraigFor 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
In this issue of “Deadly Class” from Rick Remender and Wes Craig we are allowed a glimpse into Marcus’ past. Until now, we have known very little about the way in which Marcus came by his reputation as a killer, and earned his place at an academy for assassins. It’s been clear that Marcus’ life was not easy, that being homeless on the street was a relief from his previous set of circumstances, but those circumstances have been shrouded in mystery. In this episode, however, we join Marcus on the day everything changed for him. Via his journal we are taken back in time and given a front row seat to watch the fires that forged this character.
“Deadly Class” #8 is all about filters. Filters of memory and perception, of justification and rationalization; foggy lenses which separate us from the past and color our experiences. That comes through in this issue because of Lee Loughridge’s outstanding work. The central focus of this issue is a lengthy flashback to Marcus’ time at the Sunset Children’s Home. Loughridge approaches this episode using soft subjective colors that obscure nothing. The despicable actions of the staff and Chester Wilson, Marcus’ former roommate are depicted in unflinching brightness. There is a bravery to this choice, the darkest things you can imagine are all lit up like sunshine and righteousness. This makes Marcus impossibly vulnerable. These scenes become more uncomfortable, painful and relatable than they would have been any other way. These villains do not hide under the cover of darkness. They don’t go away when the lights come on. The threat they pose exists in the light of day, as a feature of the constant, hellish reality that has become Marcus’ life. Loughridge’s coloring presents this flashback as a completely new kind of terror.
Everything about Craig’s work evokes a feeling; every detail is precisely engineered to grab readers by the heart and pull them into this story. I have never seen better acting in sequential art. The characters are beautiful and complex, their expressions so varied and convincing that they are truly transportive. The characters have an elegance to them, they are just wonderful to look at. Their portrayal makes the detailed depth of Remender’s characterization fully come to life.
Craig captures a plethora of subtle emotions, almost whispering the intent of each interaction. Quietly, but with complete resolve, he executes the interpersonal scenes within this story with finesse and refinement. He also roars with an untempered ferocity in the action sequences. Brutal and cruel, he never turns away from violence; however, he balances his willingness to show calamity with a delicate artistic sensibility that prevents the illustrations seeming gratuitous. Wes Craig may be the Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde of comic book art. Each side of his work is equally powerful, constantly retaining its essential signature qualities that set Craig’s illustration apart in the world of visual storytelling.
The creative team behind “Deadly Class” understands how to build tension. Craig has a commanding knowledge of the impact of scale and framing that lends itself to Remender’s pacing very well. Actions are dissected, allowing readers to hang in the space of a breathless moment of anxiety, or settle into an emotionally significant moment and fully take it in. The moment in which Marcus decides to trust Saya and open up to her about his past is distilled into four panels. Marcus removes his journal from his bag in broken animation, we the audience are allowed to linger there with him and ponder the significance of this action. There is a unique visual perspective in this book that both fully integrates readers into the experiences of the characters and holds them back, just enough to allow for surprises. Seamlessly integrated, Remender’s expert storytelling paired with Craig’s almost uncanny ability to direct the attention of the reader make this book an effortless read.
Continued belowRemender has an understanding of emotion and impact that guides the story in this issue. He begins by building the stakes, Saya finds Marcus to tell him that she has located Chester Wilson, and reminds him that they will be risking their lives to take him out. Instantly, we are able to understand that this is a matter of life and death, and that magnifies the importance of everything that follows. Marcus is expected to offer an explanation of why he is willing to risk his life to get rid of Chester. We know that what follows will be explosive, we have high expectations because Remender has raised the stakes so high already. Within this framework, the flashback that takes up the majority of this issue has weight from the very beginning. By transporting us back in time through the words in Marcus’ journal, Remender allows the character to be fully honest and vulnerable. He is not coloring this experience to meet anyone’s expectations, embellishing for effect, or leaving out details that don’t reflect favorably upon him. This is the most honest account of the past we could hope for.
With Saya (who is reading Marcus’ journal) as our proxy we enter the Sunset Children’s Home, not knowing what to expect, but certainly not expecting anything good. Though we are only with Marcus for one day, we are given a very quick and thorough summation of what life in this place has been like for him. He and the other children are subjected to brutality, humiliation, harassment, hunger and abuse that is hard to look at. From the moment we join Marcus, we know he has a plan to escape. We are curious to know what it might be, and know that it is going to come to fruition. This detail gives the story structure and shapes the expectations of the audience. Remender allows us to rejoice in Marcus’ triumph for only a moment before he obscures that victory in tragedy. He raises the character high, so that we can fall further into despair with him only panels later. Returning to the present, Remender reintegrates this story into the larger narrative seamlessly.
With a clear understanding of emotion and structure, Remender displays his skill at engineering smart, functional stories that entertain as well as inform. He draws on empathy and wish-fulfillment in order to get his audience invested. He will not allow this story to be ignored, and he shouldn’t; it’s fantastic.
Final Verdict: 8.9 – “Deadly Class” #8 should be studied as an example of how to tell a story that stays with you.
