Cover of the Week 5/8 – Deadly Class #15 by Wes Craig

Sometimes it isn’t the prettiest or the most technical pages that make the cover of the week, sometimes it isn’t even the most stylish. The ability to portray a message and be effective in that process is almost the most important aspect of that page, and may be the reason why a new reader picks it off the shelf. That is exactly what Wes Craig does with this issue of Deadly Class. You can see it because it is bright white for the most and crystal clear in its direction: Saya is not going to be stopped. The comic has always shown very innovative use of inking and panelling and this cover is another wonderful example of that. The fantastic balance of red, black and white is purely to colour and not to ink, which is why her tattoos perform that function and her forearms disappear into the ether. It is quite a striking pose as not only is she running but she is extremely determined with grit in her teeth and blood around her mouth. Her manner and flowing her depict the movement and the samurai sword yielded behind, is ready for swinging. The use of space is there not only to focus on her single minded exertion but also to show to us, there is nothing else. There is no other goal, no distraction, the rest of her mind is completely empty. All that remains is the task at hand…