Day 21

Last night, as I was trying to fall asleep, I had an inexplicable urge to write a comic book. Since this urge was still there when I woke up this morning, I'd thought I'd make a go of it. The idea is clichéd and silly (I've probably created a new genre, called "Superhero Conventions Taken to the Extreme"), but what the hell. It isn't meant to be taken seriously.

Like everything this is a rough draft; I expect, were I to turn it into a comic, that it would need a lot of revising, especially since this is my first time trying to pace panels of artwork. (For example, I have a sneaking suspicion the action should take up more pages.) Eh, whatev.

***

PAGE 1

SPLASH PAGE: It's nighttime, outside in a back alley somewhere, and we see the scene from above. Across from us, sitting atop the opposite building, is a figure shrouded in the shadows; at first glance she shouldn't be obvious, as it's the scene in front of us that's the focus. With his back to us is a man wearing the blue jumpsuit of a janitor. He's got one hand raised in front of him, cowering as he's being cornered by three thugs. They've formed a semi-circle around him, facing us, and they're wearing hoodies and baggy clothes. Their grins are gruesome in the light of the streetlamp. One of them, the leader, is holding a knife confidently.

TITLE: Flare: The First Light

JANITOR: N-no! Please!

CREDITS: --

PAGE 2

PANEL 1: Close up of the Janitor. We can now see his face, and he looks terrified. He's holding out his wallet (towards us, as if we’re in the place of the thugs) and his hand is shaking.

JANITOR: Just take it! It's all I got!

PANEL 2: Angle on the Ringleader and his buddies standing on either side. He's snatched the wallet from the Janitor, and he's smirking, brandishing the knife. He's having fun.

RINGLEADER: That's right, bro. Else I'm gonna cut you up.

FLARE (off panel): Aw, come on, man!

PANEL 3: Behind the thugs drops Flare; she's posing, arms above her head, one leg bent and the other pointed at the ground, in the way superheroes sometimes make an entrance as they land. She's wearing a black hoodie and black cargo pants. The hood is up and you can't see her face, only a vague impression of features. The thugs turn their torsos to look at her. They're surprised to see her.

FLARE: That threat is so last year.

PANEL 4: Close on the Ringleader. He's angry at being interrupted. Behind him, the Janitor is starting to sneak away. The thugs haven't noticed yet.

RINGLEADER: Who the fuck are you?

PAGE 3

PANEL 1: Flare stands there confidently. She's acting like nothing's wrong, mocking them by staying cool. One hand on her hip, head cocked to the side, that sort of thing. The Ringleader now looks furious, and is gesturing with his knife to his buddies, who're off panel.

FLARE: The name's Flare. I'm new in town, and I was hoping we could be friends.

RINGLEADER: Get her!

PANEL 2: The two other thugs are advancing on her, and Flare looks disappointed. In the palm of her right hand, which is hanging by her side, there's a small ball of light forming.

THUG #1: Grr!

FLARE: Shame! If you just got to know me a little--

PANEL 3: The thugs are closer now. Flare has raised her right hand, fingers splayed. The ball of light in her palm is bigger, and it's casting light on her and the thugs.

FLARE: --I’m sure you'd lighten up.

PANEL 4 (inset): Close up on Flare's lips, which so far we haven't seen because of the hood. They're pulling up in one corner; it's a wry smile, almost a smirk but more good natured than that implies.

PAGES 4 AND 5

DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD: Light bursts forth from Flare's palm. It's her signature move, the "Starburst." The three thugs cower, covering their eyes against the glare with their arms. They've been momentarily blinded by the attack; the Ringleader has dropped the wallet, but he's still hanging on to his knife.

SFX: some sound that the light could make [does anybody know a sound effect I could use?]

SFX: Ahhhhhh!

PAGE 6

PANELS: The layout of this page is up to you. The thugs are incapacitated, and Flare takes advantage of that. She downs the nameless thugs (kneeing 'em, that sort of thing) then turns to face the Ringleader. He's just starting to recover, but she disarms him easily and the knife drops to the ground. He keels over slowly.

PAGE 7

PANEL 1: Wide shot of Flare standing in the alley. The three thugs are slumped on the ground around her, unconscious. This is the first time she's done this, so now it's over the bravado is gone. Her stance shows she is simply relieved.

PANEL 2: Close up of the Ringleader's head. His eyes are closed and his face slack. Flare is stepping over him.

PANEL 3: Close up of the wallet on the ground where it fell. One of Flare's feet is in frame, as well as her arm as she reaches down to pick it up.

PANEL 4: Flare holds the wallet in her hand. Her hood has slipped a bit, giving us a look at her profile. Her wavy hair pokes out and frames her face. She's looking at the empty entrance to the alley. The Janitor is long gone. (Caption is in lower right hand corner.)

FLARE: Damn.

CAPTION: "You stole his wallet?"

***

Oh, man, this is fun! I haven't even got to the scene I originally came up with, so I think I'm gonna run with this for a couple of days. (Luckily my pet werewolf is very patient.) Anyway, now I've got an excuse to read lots of comics—gotta read 'em so I can learn how it's done... Ah, research of the best kind. ^__^

(Yeah, I really need to learn how to write action scenes, don't I? Page 6 is a bit silly at the moment; while leaving some things up to the artist is okay, I think I need to be a tad more specific.)

[Edit: Continued here.]