I’d really like to call an international moratorium on the “punk kid collective.” Seriously. How many more comic books or films featuring punk kids from the wrong side of the tracks involved in something either violent, supernatural or both do we have to deal with? Rick Remender, who remains hit and miss with me, presents Deadly Class, yet another group of “punk” kids. This time – *GASP* – they’re assassins.
The year is 1987, and Marcus Lopez Arguello is living on the streets. Can you guess the plot? When Marcus was a little kid his parents died in a violent tragedy. Being refugees from a foreign country, Arguello had no family, so he was bounced around from foster home to foster home. Thus far, Deadly Class resembles any number of Law & Order: SVU episodes. Arguello lives on the streets by his wits and manages to rattle off soulful parables of the rich and affluent, as well as life on the streets.
While keeping it real on the streets, Arguello becomes convinced he’s being followed. Then, one fateful day, when our homeless hero with the stylish haircut and cool coat decides to jump off a bridge, a young, tattooed girl whispers “don’t,” and for some reason, Arguello decides against it. Turns out the tattooed girl has been watching him. Jump ahead a few months and Arguello is roped into a sting, one where gruff, mean looking cops chase down cool looking teenagers. After nearly being killed, Arguello is saved by the girl with the tattoos.
Her name is Saya, and she brings Arguello into a hidden lair where he meets a small, well-dressed Asian man and a bunch of “punky” looking kids who give him a hard time. Turns out these kids have all been trained to be top-notch assassins at a school called Kings Dominion School of the Deadly Arts. The school is hidden deep underground, through a cave entrance that seems somewhat supernatural. Arguello accepts the invitation and Deadly Class #1 ends.
To make matters worse, the way the other kids shout things like “he don’t look like much” or “Master’s never been wrong,” along with the “Master’s” attitude towards Arguello, makes it feel like there’s going to be a “he’s the one” element to this series. Everything here screams cliché, even Remender’s dialogue and characters. I’m assuming the target audience are the same teens who read Umbrella Academy, or anybody who never saw an ’80s teen punk film.
Wes Craig’s art is the best thing about Deadly Class. It’s a visceral style, one that captures movement in every panel. The line work is thin, but Craig’s pencils bring it all together into something consistently interesting. He also varies his approach depending on the scene. The way he illustrates the death of Arguello’s parents is like a children’s book turned into a horror film, which is very different than his straight pencils. Lee Loughridge is there for the assist with really great color work. Urban sprawl can tend to look drab, but Loughride manages to keep the melancholy aspect of it, without losing a solid palette.
(4 Art, 2 Story)
