Deadly Class #42 Review

Written by: Rick Remender
Art by: Wes Craig
Colors by: Jordan Boyd
Lettered by: Rus Wooton
Published by: Image Comics

In this issue, the students of Kings Dominion try to take it easy and have a little break at Stefano’s cabin. So, if the past is any clue, this means something terrible is about to happen.

Relationships were at the center of this issue. Last issue set up the situations our characters have gotten themselves into, this one is more focused on the characters themselves. While it started with a few scenes that felt like it was going to be about the grand scheme again, it quickly became one of the most character development packed issues of the series. However, Marcus played the odd man out in this one, with everyone else's moments being witnessed (sometimes unwittingly by Marcus). His plan still hasn’t been revealed, and he hasn’t changed his focus much. I was hoping he would interact with Saya more but, when Jayla pushed him into introducing her, he kept his cold demeanor towards her. Maybe this is all part of his plan, but, currently, it seems he still harbors contempt for her hand in Willie’s demise. The interaction between Jayla and Saya was done great and I’d like to see more of how they connect. Stefano is showing more and more that he can’t be trusted. And now it seems Maria has been caught in his charm. Or, maybe, it’s Marcus’ one-track mind that is pushing her away. Either way, the couple is now on the rocks and that could be exactly what Master Lin wanted.

Shabnam’s circle of villains are also having their own set of problems. At the center is Brandy and her attempts to take control of Shabnam and the group. She has caused a rift that explodes in this issue. She also gets her hands (or eyes) on some sensitive information that she can now play when she wants to disrupt Marcus; Brandy is now the villain to watch out for. Victor has been one of my favorite characters, despite all his earlier actions, for a while now. After the showdown with Marcus and the flashback issue focusing on him, this issue adds more complexity to his personality. This is another huge development I can’t wait to see play out. Rick Remender knows these characters and writes them with such complex believability. No matter how much I want to yell at Marcus to lighten up or tell Maria to focus on the big picture, I know that these are the flaws built into the characters and can just hope that they can get it together before it costs them.

Wes Craig’s opening shot is great. The top of the page shows a buck that looks like he’s seen some… stuff, then down to the cute bunny nightlight, until you get to Marcus grimacing on the porcelain throne. The next few shots are excellent too; the flashbacks done in squares, matched by Rus Wooton’s narration boxes, then the Blue Velvet marquee with the letters floating away, and Craig’s interpretation of Dennis Hopper with Jordan Boyd adding blue colors. Boyd’s colors really stand out in the cabin scenes where he highlights the warm interior and the frosty exterior with perfect palettes. There are a couple of shots that use footprints in the snow to tell a story. This literally leads to the scene with Maria and Stefano. This is the scene that shows how the colors and art come together so well in this series to create a mood. Craig uses darker lines and shadows to bring in the tension, then Boyd soaks the scene in an unnerving palette until the action explodes. Then what happens next is expressed without dialogue, to give further focus to the art. However, the key scene done with the art is a visual gag that is repeated and made me laugh out loud for several seconds both times. Marcus opens a door and is shocked by what he sees, he just closes it with the most hilarious look on his face. What he saw was so troubling that he decides to just go to sleep, so he opens another door and sees an even wilder scene, he repeats his action of closing the door and it may be the funniest thing to ever happen in this series.

This issue is so packed with character development that some of it even happens in the background. The status quo has been effectively shaken up. This was an excellent way to show how focusing on character actions can move the story forward drastically. There is one scene in particular that is not only hilarious but changes the complexity of a character that’s been around since the beginning. With everything seeming to be moving further out of Marcus’ control, it’s going to be interesting to see him deal with it all.