Deadly Class: Compendium

Deadly Class #1-12

by Rick Remender, Wes Craig (cover_art)

It's 1987. Marcus Lopez hates school. His grades suck. The jocks are hassling his friends. He can't focus on class. But the jocks are the children of Joseph Stalin's top assassin, the teachers are members of an ancient league of assassins, the class he's failing is ""Dismemberment 101,"" and his crush has a double-digit body count. Welcome to the most brutal high school on earth, where the world's top crime families send the next generation of assassins to be trained. Murder is an art. Killing is a craft. At Kings Dominion School for the Deadly Arts, the dagger in your back isn't always metaphorical. From New York Times-bestselling writer RICK REMENDER (LOW, BLACK SCIENCE) and fan-favorite artist WES CRAIG (KAYA, Batman) this collects the entire dark, heartfelt, and twistedly humorous story of a group of damaged Gen X teens fighting a system determined to transform them into monsters.

Collects DEADLY CLASS #1-56 and the DEADLY CLASS FCBD (ONE-SHOT)

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Thriller, Adventure, Fiction

1395 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 31, 2024

About the author

Rick Remender is an American comic book writer and artist who resides in Los Angeles, California. He is the writer/co-creator of many independent comic books like Black Science, Deadly Class, LOW, Fear Agent and Seven to Eternity. Previously, he wrote The Punisher, Uncanny X-Force, Captain America and Uncanny Avengers for Marvel Comics.

Reviews

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first arc is exceptional. The rest is inconsistent but still entertaining. Very good book.

[Radwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a ride!

The first arc felt like I'm entering a familar but new world, and the rest that followed, I did because I became too invested in these characters. for some reason i thought this was fantasy, but it's not. it's grounded in reality, unless you think that being a student in an assassination school is something fantastical.

We follow Marcus, a homeless boy who has been through a lot with vengence on the brain, destiny or chance lead him to cross paths with Kings Dominion, a school for teens his age from different countries to teach them how to assassinate people, using stuff from posion to fighting skills to bombs. he finds a friend group to from some sort of a found family, but considering the environment they're in, this comfor doesn' last for long.

it's gory, bloody, violent, heartbreaking, and at times felt so realistic. it has drama, dark humor, politics, romance, and social and ethical dillemmas.

[Toby C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't remember when I first stumbled across the first issue of this comic series. It was sometime long ago, back when I was getting comics from the library (probably around the same time I first encountered Rat Queens). The initial premise got me hooked - a homeless kid with a lot of rage is brought into an underground school for assassins. With a harsh, gritty art style and some interesting plot twists, I enjoyed the issues of this series that I could find. But either due to lack of interest or because new issues took longer to be released, I stopped somewhere in the middle.

I'm pleased to have found the Kindle version of the entire series from my library, thereby letting me read the whole saga and finally reach the end.

Overall, I think this series is pretty solid. I like the artwork and it remains consistent throughout (no changing artists or major styles, which is nice). The comic does a great job of immersing us in the time period and making that era come alive. The dialogue was decent, although the major characters are sometimes very prolific in their music tastes, philosophies, or backstories, sometimes preaching and debating for literal pages in a manner that seems contrived. The characters are supposed to be high school freshmen, so they're likely 14 or 15? The language doesn't always seem to fit with this age range. Not to mention how much these kids curse, drink, do drugs, and have sex, you'd expect them to be in their twenties. Although I suppose any kid being trained to kill is likely going to naturally be more mature and damaged than the average teenager.

The story starts at a high for me. A damaged loner arrives in the deadliest high school and soon finds people he can call friends. I really enjoyed the entire plot through the showdown with Chico's family. After that, Marcus slowly becomes someone extremely unlikeable, and it's hard for his character to recuperate from that. As someone who wanted so desperately to find people he could trust, he certainly found a way to piss it all to hell. And a story that I thought was going to focus on found family with lots of action instead devolved to a soap opera of shifting alliances and betrayals. Which is fine, I guess. The decisions people make haunt them and drive them to make other destructive decisions. As we approach the end, we see Marcus truly trying to be a good person and lead with forgiveness, but his transformation into that from a rage-filled nihilist doesn't feel fully authentic.

I will say that there's a lot of redemption in the last few issues. Seeing some of the characters as adults, hashing out old wounds, settling old scores, gives this story a certain amount of closure. Marcus says himself that stories simply don't end, and that if you pay attention long enough, more sadness and misery are inevitable. So deciding to end on a happy note is a conscious choice, and one that I totally agree with.

I'm a little torn. I devoured this whole thing in 24 hours (I actually put down the other book I was reading to devote all my time to completing this) and I enjoyed the ride overall. But there were chapters that also felt like slogs, too much time talking about music genres and the authenticity of bands and songs, or the philosophical musings of inherent human nature. Maybe the whole thing was just a little too heavy for me at this point in time, despite the effort of ending on a happy note. I'd consider revisiting this series again at some time in the future, and would recommend it to people who are interested in a bloody, angsty, drama.

[Davide Pappalardo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Teen drama, violence, drugs, 80’s punk and goth references, reflection about life, human nature, love and death. All wrapped up in Remender’s usual cynicism and depressive takes counterbalanced by hints of accountability and acceptance of life, if not wholesome optimism. The art is gorgeous and serves the story with its psychedelic style. The characters are loveable assholes that one could get attached to, but as always with the author no one is sacred and untouchable, death and betrayal are around the corner. Most of the comic is more linear in its narration than other offers from Remender, but the last part uses a lot of time-jumps and flashbacks. Overall, one of the best works from the author.

[Chompa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't even remember where I was turned on to Deadly Class. I think it might have been a YouTube video about the best comic series. I'm glad I was.

This follows a group of kids enrolled in a school for assassins. It sounds like a fairly normal comic series from just that, but it is about so much more. The story is great, with many twists and surprises, but it is also deeply heartfelt and insightful. Rick Remender is now a guy I'm going to be seeking out.

The ending of the series was great, and there is an issue in the last volume that, when I read it this morning - is so fucking relevant to 2024 post-election life that it blew my mind.

[Justin Saenz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The final arc gave meaning to the endless monologues from Marcus that made me go 3 instead of 2 stars. The ending was the redeemer. I kind of loved it!
There were moments that I felt like quitting this book. I loathe dream sequences and this book had many. It also didn’t help that holding this brick of a book was a challenge in itself!
Now that I’ve finished it though I’m happy to have read it and will check out more from these authors.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two stars might be generous here. Unlike in Low or Black Science, Remember's oppressive nihilism isn't offset by good art or a particularly engaging concept. The core premise of a school for assassins also takes a back seat fairly early on and is never really capitalized on. Most of the characters, especially the main character, are also not likeable or believable. Spend your time elsewhere.

[André-Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deadly Class est une lecture très forte, visuellement ambitieuse, et narrativement dense.
Si vous acceptez son univers sans concessions (violence, ambivalence morale, intensité), vous y trouverez beaucoup de valeur — tant dans le visuel que dans la profondeur émotionnelle.
Bref j'ai adoré : un chef d'œuvre !

[Kyle Danyluk · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5
I had fun with this! It’s been years since I last read a graphic novel, and this was a great reentry into the genre. Some arcs stood out more than others, but one thing is for sure—the art style was incredible. The art alone made this worth the read.

[Will Kilby · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really wild ride. Got a little dense and repetitive in the middle, but really enjoyed how it all wrapped up. The art was spectacular and it’s probably one of the most creative stories I’ve ever read.

[Nicholas Haney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would’ve been a perfect “five star” book, but unfortunately it shit the bed when it revealed one of the characters had an autoimmune disorder and just reminded me of my health problems. Everyone wants representation I guess, but I don’t need it. Thanks, though.

[Marlon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was für eine Reise. Eine tolle Geschichte mit super kreativen Art Style und harten Wendungen. Der Humor war teilweise nicht so meins, aber ich konnte die Story und Charaktere trotzdem genießen.

[The Cronker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant writing with wonderful characters. Extremely powerful ending that didn't disappoint had me crying my eyes out. Great pacing and action throughout.

[Matteo G · Rating 1 out of 5]

I started reading it but it's not for me, I didn't like the story

[Frederic Biermez · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a ride: 10/10!

[Radiantbeni · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think about this comic all the time. Life changing stuff

[Dyllpiccle · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only superhero comic I would EVER recommend

[Ame Motladi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

Read this after watching the Netflix series. This is much more darker and grittier. Hell of a read. Must read

[Amritesh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brutal, emotionally intense coming-of-age story set in a secret high school for assassins during the 1980s. It follows Marcus, a damaged teenager trying to survive both the school's deadly hierarchy and his own self-destruction. The tone is often bleak, but filled with sharp character work and dark humour, while the kinetic artwork is a perfect match for the pacing and tone.

[Phillip · Rating 4 out of 5]

bleak yet filled with hope. A story which made me feel on multiple occasions. it's well thought out, fast paced and flows well from story beat to another. Real and Raw relationships that's beautifully presented with stunning art. The characters go through ups and downs, and it feels so true to life, even if it can feel a little bizarre at times.

a world filled with darkness, where kids are trying to find the light.

[marcinczyta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastyczna seria komiksowa. Olbrzymi, pokaźny komiksowy omnibus, który przez 1300 stron zabiera na do krawego świata przemocy i przyjaźni szalonych nastolatków z lat 80tych poprzedniego stulecia. Fajna kreska i odlotowy scenariusz.