Deadly Class, Remender and Craig

Deadly Class (2014-) is a comic series published by Image and written by Nick Remender and illustrated by Wes Craig. I have been looking at Deadly Class quite a bit recently as it is a useful reference for my own comic and I am studying for my long essay, which is comic focused. Deadly Class is a useful comic because Wes Craig is a master of laying out pages in interesting, unique, busy yet clear ways. I can't think of a single other comic that lays its panels out in such a dynamic way. Actually, J. H Williams III's Sandman Overture run is pretty uniquely and creatively laid out, however being about dreams and magic his pages are less clear and are dynamic in a different, more chaotic way.
While comics such as Saga, Rat Queens and Paper Girls have relatively large panels, rarely going over 6 or 7 panels and often having splash pages or those with as few as 2 or 3 panels, Deadly Class has many pages with over ten panels and very few pages only have a few panels on them. I put this disparity between panels per page down to what I call movement and atmosphere panels. Movement are little panels, often focused on one element that subtly changes from panel to panel, several may be used where only one or two could, and often would be used. Craig uses several instead to control pacing and in text timing or build a certain atmosphere. These can also be used to bring attention to minute details such as a clenched fist or eye movement.
Atmosphere panels are panels that do not do much for the narrative progression of the comic but do give a situation atmosphere and give some minutiae to the event, things such as an unrelated figure shouting on a phone, a close up on a smoking cigarette etc. Craig usually uses a few of these in a row (like an opening montage) when introducing a new scene or place and it really is effective for setting mood, also depending on the size and shape and frequency of the panels they effect the pacing of the story as well. (http://thelatestpull.com/2015/01/comic-review-deadly-class-10/)

Craig uses another type of unique panel I'll call close ups. This is where he'll draw a larger scene and then put small panels within the scene showing the details of things going on. This is used to show multiple things going on at once or to give the reader a clear idea of what is going on in general and specifically all at once.

These types of panel are useful for thinking of ways of making my own comic clearer layout way as well as giving me new ways to compose panels so I don't have to keep using the same methods which would get stale. When applying Craig's methods to my own work (to create atmosphere, control pacing etc,) I need to make sure they fit with the overall aesthetic of my pages. A Wes Craig style page would be out of place and break immersion if inserted in any other comic for instance. Still I can take his techniques and tweak them to my own style, or tweak my style to better fit in the elements Craig prioritises, such as pacing, movement, atmosphere.
(http://wescraigcomics.tumblr.com/post/69608241426/2-pages-from-deadly-class-1-out-in-january)

(http://houseofflyingscalpels.com/2014/05/02/deadly-class-4-the-trials-and-tribulations-of-tormented-teenagers/)