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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A bit too gritty and needlessly violent for my tastes. Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of Rick Remender in general for that reason.
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I want to start out by saying that I've enjoyed probably everything I've read that Rick Remender has written. I haven't gone out of my way to read his book. They just seem to resonate with me in some way. Deadly Class takes the reader into a school for assassins during the late 1980s. I'm interested to see where it will go based solely on the time period the story is set in. Marcus, who is our hero maybe?, starts out homeless and running from the cops when he gets recruited into this school. Everything that follows encompasses shenanigans that you might expect to see involving the new kid.
The biggest drawback for me in this book is the characters. They all start out quite tropey. Some of them begin taking strides to move past that by the end of this volume though. The other thing that is throwing me off about them is that none of them are particularly likeable. Not surprising since they are being trained to murder people. Maybe these are things that will get addressed further into the series.
Anyway, that's enough of what I didn't care for. I really like the way that the story is structured. It flows pretty nicely and even the off the wall elements make sense within the context of the story. And the art is great. There is some drug use in the book and the art does a great job bringing that part to life. I'm looking forward to reading the next volume, if only to see what crazy stuff Remender decides to jam into the next part of the story.
The biggest drawback for me in this book is the characters. They all start out quite tropey. Some of them begin taking strides to move past that by the end of this volume though. The other thing that is throwing me off about them is that none of them are particularly likeable. Not surprising since they are being trained to murder people. Maybe these are things that will get addressed further into the series.
Anyway, that's enough of what I didn't care for. I really like the way that the story is structured. It flows pretty nicely and even the off the wall elements make sense within the context of the story. And the art is great. There is some drug use in the book and the art does a great job bringing that part to life. I'm looking forward to reading the next volume, if only to see what crazy stuff Remender decides to jam into the next part of the story.
This was a surprising read for me. I didn't know what I to expect and I was pleasantly surprised. I really liked that this was a very dark story. The tone was necessary for this story about high school assassins. The art work isn't my favorite but I think it suited the story. I am definitely picking up the next volume.
The year is 1987.
Cold War is nearing its end;
walkmans are filled with pop cheese tunes;
leather jackets are studded and zippered,
Dirty Dancing is released;
.....and somewhere underground,
in an unsuspecting place,
in an improbable school full of thugs
one kid decided he's going to kill Ronald Reagan.
*******************
This is not my first introduction to Remender work.
I couldn't get into [b:Black Science #1|18691177|Black Science #1|Rick Remender|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1382278836s/18691177.jpg|42088705] and [b:Fear Agent, Volume 1: Re-Ignition|993861|Fear Agent, Volume 1 Re-Ignition|Rick Remender|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1390440468s/993861.jpg|979355] was one crazy,pulpy whack-a-mole, so Deadly Class was not really on my radar.
But, I ordered my paperback right on cue, because Kat wrote in her review it's "the best thing she read since Saga".
That's one hell of a pimping line. :)
The story starts with Marcus Lopez, homeless kid trying to survive on his own. His only valuable possession is his diary and through several entries we can grasp some of his backstory and why he ended up where he did.
Soon, Marcus caches an eye of several interesting people and before he knew it, he is enrolled in King's Dominion School of Deadly Arts.
School for assassins.:)
Except this one little tidbit, it struck me that Deadly Class is actually following familiar story since Marcus is dealing with every issues teens are usually dealing with:
He is a new kid in the school,
he hangs up with outcasts,
popularity contests and rep sheets,
homework is crazy,teachers are insane,
there are highschool cliques formed,
there are mean girls and jealous boyfriends
and he ends up tangled in love triangle.
This school doesn't have jocks and prom queens the way you think of them, and you can be sure their pranks don't involve buckets of pig's blood, but teenage angst and teenage drama is there. It just gets completely different meaning when every mistake means death.
It's basically My So-Called Life with assassins. :D
Remender inverts common trope so subtly and skillfully to a point where having classes like Beheading and Assassins Psychology is the most normal thing about it, but the guy watching poodle show on TV makes you uncomfortable.
Characters are all interesting, but being what they are- badasses, where certified kill is a requirement for being accepted in this school- likeness depended more on those scenes where they showed some weakness.
Hence, they go from "I have to read more before I like you completely" to "Saya is my soulmate."
Saya is everything.
Writing was my favorite part, but Wes Craig's art is mind-blowing. One particular segment is worth mentioning where combined with Loughridge's coloring we get one amazing, suspenseful, psychedelic bonanza chase scene on acid.
It's weird and quirky depiction of tripping...
Trainspotting, assassin way.;)
TL, DR: I am in love.
Stuff like this reminds me again that i should definitely read more comics
Like I knew I'd love the story but but oh boy little did i know i would love it THAT MUCH
The dark and gritty art style & the use of colors made the whole experience even more amazing. This is simply genious and so damn good.
Like I knew I'd love the story but but oh boy little did i know i would love it THAT MUCH
The dark and gritty art style & the use of colors made the whole experience even more amazing. This is simply genious and so damn good.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder