Shadnam hatches a new plot to get rid of Marcus and Maria in Deadly Class #39, by writer Rick Remender, artist Wes Craig, colorist Jordan Boyd, and letterer Rus Wooton. This issue is full of twists and turns, taking readers on a fun ride that ends with something they have been waiting for a long time.

In the Castro, Stephen, a gay member of the Student Council, violently stops a homophobic assault on a couple. The couple is horrified that he’s willing to kill, but he tells them the freedom to be who you are is always worth fighting for. Later at King’s Dominion, Shadnam and Brandy start to scheme together about what to do about Marcus and Maria, with Brandy positing that the two of them should be more than partners in the Student Council. The rest of the Council comes in, and they all agree that Marcus and Maria need to be eliminated. Stephen and Brandy are picked to do the job. Zenzele makes a mysterious phone call, promising to get Maria to go somewhere. In the lunchroom, Zenzele invites Marcus and Maria to Christmas Mass with her, but Marcus can’t control his cynical attitude, and the two get in a fight, after which Maria leaves with Zenzele. Stephen comes to talk to Marcus, trying to distract him from Brandy’s impending attack, but has a change of heart at the last minute, slamming Brandy in the face with a tray, resulting in both of them getting punished. Marcus is invited to a party by Jayla, sister of his dead best friend Willie, and agrees to go. Elsewhere in the lunchroom, Tosawhi and Helmut discuss Helmut’s plans for the future, which involve going after Petra’s father. Tosawhi volunteers to help him. On the walk to the church, Maria and Zenzele get very close. At the party, Jayla pulls Marcus away from the domino table and is given a gun, but Marcus is quicker on the draw. He tells Jayla that Willie was his best friend and he never meant for him to die before propositioning her. At the church, an old friend is waiting for Maria.

While the above synopsis is very long, the issue has an excellent flow. None of it feels like filler and no scene overstays its welcome. Remender efficiently moves the plot along, building the issue’s story. There’s something that’s very old-school feeling about this comic. It has the kind of feel a Chris Claremont written issue of Uncanny X-Men had. It presents a story that’s main plot is essentially a one and done- the Student Council decides to assassinate Marcus and Maria and fail- but also builds several other scenarios before ending on a big moment for readers. Much like one of those old Claremont comics, there’s a lot of dialogue, but it doesn’t bog the book down or make it feel tedious. This comic is part of a bigger story, but it does something that so few comics do nowadays- it moves the plot forward without being withholden to what came before or what comes next. A reader can pick this one up and enjoy it, getting a full story and some great character moments.

It’s those moments that make this comic so good. Stephen begins the issue taking his rage out on some homophobes, rage that is fed by his treatment at school and the fact that he isn’t out of the closet to anyone but the Council and they hold it over his head. Marcus wants to get revenge and get out of King’s Dominion and can’t be bothered by things as trivial as Christmas. Maria and Zenzele both are looking for belonging after the horrors of their lives. Shadnam is still the nerd who is given power, easily manipulated by a pretty girl. The only part of this comic that feels out of place is the conversation between Tosawhi and Helmut, and that’s mostly because it brings up things about Petra that weren’t really established before. It feels like Remender wanted to give Tosawhi and Helmut something to do.

Wes Craig’s art has been very hit or miss lately, but in this issue, there are none of the deficiencies that have been plaguing him. His figure work is steady and never loses detail. His faces don’t get sketchy and do a great job of selling what’s happening on the panel. His work has a sharpness to it that it hasn’t had in a long time.

Deadly Class #39 feels old school, and that’s a great thing. In a time when so many stories are written for the trade, this issue feels like a one and done while still moving plots forward. It’s a testament to Remender’s skill that he’s able to make this work. There’s so much good character work in this issue that the surfeit of plot and dialogue never bog this issue down. Wes Craig’s art is better than it’s been for a long time, with a sharpness and detail that it’s lacked. The ending is a big moment for this book, bringing back a favorite fan character. This issue is the best Deadly Class has been in a long time.

Grade: A