Review: Deadly Class #56 — The Final Issue That Brought Me To Tears

I just finished reading Deadly Class #56. It’s the final issue of the series I’ve always said was my favorite comic book series since the first issue. I told myself I wasn’t going to read the last issue so I’d always have “one more new issue” out there, waiting. I just couldn’t resist. I read it…and I’m literally in tears. I’m talking ugly crying face and all.

Deadly Class by Rick Remender, Wes Craig, and Lee Loughridge debuted back in January 2014. I fell in love with the characters and concept from that very first issue. With the story starting out in 1987, I just felt an odd sort of connection to it…despite the fact the characters attended a school training the world’s deadliest assassins. I swear, I did not attend a school like that. Regardless, I was hooked right away. In fact, I forced myself to actually look up the review I wrote for the very first issue on that one website I helped start up. Those words still hold.

Deadly Class has been an amazing, joyous, beautiful, and emotional ride.

There was another reason I was hesitant to read the final issue. These last few issues have delivered time jumps to bring the characters’ lives and fates closer to our present. Needless to say, there weren’t really many happy endings. These characters have had tragic and deadly lives. They’ve committed atrocious acts for both good and bad reasons.

Is there any hope this final issue could possibly have any semblance of a “happy ending”?

With each turn of the page, I was full of trepidation. We’ve all read far too many tragic tales and have come to expect the worst. This isn’t a “Hollywood story.” The feeling of a horrific explosive, and final, panel coming kept looming. I had to force myself to slow down and read every single word on the page and take in every single detail of the art and color. This is my favorite series and the last issue I’ll ever get to read. I was just so excited and scared.

Then the tears came.

Obviously I’m not going to say anything more about the story and fate of the characters. Those last few pages just blew me away. I wasn’t expecting it. Being selfish, I am in no way happy that it’s over, but that with all the characters we got to know, Remender, Craig, and Loughridge delivered a perfect ending.

Landing on the absolute final panel, all I could think about was starting over. It’s like when you finish watching all the episodes of Friends, The Office, or Adventure Time. You just want to go back to the beginning and go on that amazing ride again.

All I can say is “Thank you!” to Rick Remender, Wes Craig, Lee Loughridge, Rus Wooton, and everyone and anyone else behind the scenes and at Image Comics. I’m not okay with it being over, but “all good things must come to an end” and all that. I am, and forever will be, extremely grateful to have been able to read this series.