Comic Book Discussion

[gmac]

hehe, I found the issues and just started reading and didn't want to stop.

[ReZourceman]

so after reading this thread I've now managed to get into Invincible, now read 1-60 in just over 4 days.

 

All I can say is wow

 

I'm now a slave to Kirkman, gonna start reading Walking Dead now as well.

 

New League of Extraordinary Gentlemen should hopefully hit the shelves this week as well, can't wait

 

Jowza, utter ledge.

 

Better read The Astounding Wolf-Man too.

[Happenstance]

Great to see more Kirkman love around here!

 

I need to hurry up and carry on with Walking Dead, still got the 3rd and 4th hardcovers to buy

[Dan_Dare]

you know, I don't rate TAWM that highly. I know you bumz teh Kirkman, but I really don't dig the art to much and the plot just...doesn't get past it. I just can't take the action seriously when it looks like a toonami saturday morning slot.

[gmac]

the only TAWM I've read so far was the crossover one, it didn't seem anything special, but I'll try and acquire a couple more issues to see if I'll keep up with it

[Happenstance]

Its definately worth reading, its probably better received than Invincible I think.

[Dan_Dare]

that one was really lame. The Immortal looked absolutely crap- and that just won't fuckin do.

[gmac]

so I see that free comic book day is coming up, are any of them worth getting?

 

I've seen the lists, will probably pick up the TMNT one if they have it over here, but any others look good?

[Dan_Dare]

where's the list?

[gmac]

http://www.freecomicbookday.com/comics.asp

 

but don't know how many will actually be available here

[Dan_Dare]

I just finished a few pages of script for my comic idea. Probably needs work and my grasp of technical language is lamentable. Sill, I used Invincible vol.1 as a reference for general script *stuff* and I stole a few frame layouts I like from Ottley too.

 

Here it is, anyway. Spoiler boxed because it's epix.

 

Post

A POST HUMAN SPY THRILLER

 

Page 1. 4 panels.

Panels 1 and 2 are thin landscapes stacked in the first half of the page. Panels 3 and 4 are square frames taking up the bottom half.

 

Panel 1.

The scene is a wide angle shot of Prague from above- the view of a low flying helicopter or a bird. It is about 5 O’clock in the evening; the light is not gone but a muted, late spring haze is over the city. A heavy sunset is reflected in the water of the city’s river. Dotted throughout the classical architecture of the city as we know it are newer, fictional buildings. This is Prague in the future- an undisclosed date.

 

CAPTION: PRAGUE. SOON.

 

Panel 2.

We have zoomed in on the city. We are at street level.

Across the street a man sits alone at a street café table. A coffee is in his hand and a rolled up newspaper on his table. His build is slight, unimpressive. His clothes are equally unimpressive- a meek businessman’s suit, though he is not cheaply attired. Clearly, he is not a man of action. He should be seen through a gap in a loosely defined crowd: Perhaps they are not as detailed, perhaps the colouring draws our eye.

 

CAPTION (Dialogue): Last night at 22:00 hours our man in Prague made contact on the darkest line in the city.

CAPTION 2 (Cont): Requested a top clearance crash meet today…

 

Panel 3.

Close up, eye level with the table.

There is a small black case- a hard drive perhaps- It’s not important what it is- is inside the rolled up paper, hidden from view.

 

CAPTION (Cont):…says it’s important

Panel 4.

 

Our view is returned to the man at the table. His head is turned down the street and from behind his shoulder we follow his eyes. A figure is walking down the street towards him, a man. He is in the distance and remains indistinct. Little more than a silhouette, he nevertheless draws the attention of this frame. Like the man at the table, we are expecting him.

CAPTION: (second voice): So why us…

Page 2. 5 panels.

Panel 1 is a tall portrait that takes up half the page. Panels 2-5 are small frames stacked, taking the opposite side of the page.

 

Panel 1.

 

In contrast to the man at the table, this second character looks far more dramatic. His build is athletic and capable, without being overly muscled. Kind of like Leo Decaprio in Blood Diamond. His hair is short but unkempt, though his face is clean shaven. He is wearing a short zip jacket over a grey hooded sweater (the jacket has no hood) and jeans. His pose should be conveying an alert, measured stride while his eyes don’t miss a thing. It’s a military trained stance. He doesn’t stand out though, and those around him do not heed his passing.

 

CAPTION (Cont)…why me

 

Panels 2-4.

A static repeat shot of the table: In sequence, the second man sits down, asks the first man a question,(though we don’t hear it, it should still be obvious they’re talking) and leaves with the newspaper in his hand. They have exchanged the hidden package.

CAPTION (first voice): The package is hot as hell

 

Panel 5.

As if through the eyes of a third customer at the café, we can see across the street past the tables and our attention is drawn to a van parked across from the exchange. With a non descript look, its placement is nonetheless loaded with meaning: they have been observed by a third party.

CAPTION: and we don’t think you’re alone

 

Page 3. 6 panels

Panels 1, 5 and 6 are ¼ page landscapes. Panels 2-4 form a snapshot sequence.

 

Panel 1

The second man is now our only focus. He has rejoined the crowded street and begun to leave the area. Our view is above street level, looking over the cusp of buildings. He does not know it yet, but he is being followed. While the pedestrians should be indistinct, the man and a number of cars or men should be made clear. The effect should be, as is the case across the page, that we are viewing the world as the man would- noticing the covert agents from amongst the crowd.

CAPTION: (second voice) And if I’m compromised?

 

Panels 2-4

These panels convey that the man knows that he’s been followed. A reflection in a shop window, a discreet shoulder check for a passing car, then a close up on his face as he confirms his suspicions

CAPTIONS (First voice): If you think you’re made.. anything at all

Note: this dialogue should be spread through the snap shots to flow with the action as fits

 

 

Panel 5

Action! The man bolts- he doesn’t show panic on his face but he knows he’ll die if they catch up. The shot should be from behind, partially silhouetted by the setting sun as he barges past pedestrians heading down the street.

CAPTION: Run!

Panel 6

The shot pulls back- now, from below the rear passenger window, we see a car accelerating towards the fleeing man in the distance. In the middle ground we should see one, perhaps two, men chasing on foot.

 

 

 

 

Page 4. same layout again.

 

Panel 1

Wide angle profile shot of the man running full pelt past some shocked civilians: This time the crowd should be in full detail, with one having just been pushed towards the ‘camera’ by the fleeing man, who should be turning his body back in to a sprinter’s stance after shoulder barging the bystander out of his way.

 

Panels 2-4

Snapshot sequence again. The man should slam on his breaks after an SUV cuts off ahead of him then, either with a face reaction shot or a cut to his legs turning, he should bolt in to the busy road

CAPTION (second voice): If it gets bad..

 

Panel 5

Overhead wide angle of the road: at the top of the frame, we have the side of the road our fugitive is running from and at the bottom, his destination. The man has weaved in between speeding traffic. The road is wide and cars are fast! He should be about half way, with cars swerving to avoid or skidding out of control where he has dashed across. Back across the street, it should be obvious some of the pursuing men aren’t quite that crazy and they’ve stopped by the roadside. Finally, the man should be lined up to be sprinting towards a distinctive red car that’s parked in front of a distinct alleyway entrance.

 

Panel 6

Wide frame again but this should be close up to capture a totally sweet Beastie Boys ‘Sabotage’ old school bum slide over the bonnet. The man should look stressed, full of motion as, arms flailing he just flung his body weight over the car as hard as he can- towards the alleyway entrance out of shot.

CAPTION (Cont)…if this goes to shit

 

Page 5.

3 vertical split panels The panels on this page are tall and thin- our view is constrained by the brick walls of the old city and should be reflected by a sense of visual claustrophobia.

 

 

Panel 1

The man has entered the alleyway. He is running towards us, dominating the lower half of the panel- but looking back over his shoulder as two silhouetted G-men block his escape and begin to draw their guns from holsters under their jackets- raised but not aimed.

 

CAPTION (Cont):…how far do you want me to take this?

Panel 2.

 

The man has stopped and turned: he screwed up and ran in to a dead end. In a reverse of the previous panel, the foreground is dominated by the silhouette of one of the men blocking off the exit- we should see his leg and lower arm as the low angle shot throws the fugitive in to stark relief against a blank brick wall. He has pirouetted to face his enemies (who by now should be levelling their guns to aim but not firing) throwing his arms down and away from his body as he spun. We see him at the end of this action. Along the floor, various newspapers and urban detritus litter the ground.

CAPTION (first voice): rest assured you have permission

 

Panel 3.

 

Almost from the same angle, only tilted sharply to the rooftops of the buildings penning in the scene. The twist of this sequence is revealed! With a force that has scattered the papers to the winds, shattered windows and blasted dust in to the eyes of the pursuers, the man has launched in to the air at massive speed.

CAPTION: If you do what you do

Page 6.

 

Splash.

 

The man is flying. He is high above the city and rising at tremendous speeds. His arms are punching down and away, forming his body in to a spear (rather than a Superman forward arm pose) with his legs straight and pointed towards the rapidly vanishing cityscape below.

 

CAPTION: Those bastards won’t know what hit them

 

 

[ReZourceman]

Wolf-Man is awesome!!!! I can understand not being crazy about the art, as it is an accquired taste (but I love it personally) but its brilliant! Loads of call and sinister and OTT characters, with a sweet plot! Its getting REALLY good. !!!!!!

 

-------

 

I read Blackest Night, which was awesome, as it had the Black Lantern oath for the first time.

 

I'm itching to pick up "The Avengers" also, as its got Thor and looks to be the long awaited return to proper Avengers (hopefully anyway)

 

--------

 

*Reads Dans script*

 

I really like it. "Rest assured you have permission" has a lot of impact. Sounds uberly cool.

[Happenstance]

Oops, reading back I thought gmac was talking about The Walking Dead not Wolf-Man.

 

Although I still think its worth reading, its just not as well regarded as I said.

[Dan_Dare]

Yeah The Walking Dead is something else. I think it's better than Invincible in many ways- it's closer to a literary piece than a comic book. It's a very serious thing, which is rare. I love it.

[Happenstance]

Yeah, I mean the Zombies in that are kind of a secondary story that just lifts up the main from time to time. Its much more about the survivors and their lives/interactions which I think is what makes it so interesting.

[Dan_Dare]

definitely. I think every good apocalypse story I can name does that: making the apocalypse a setting and a catalyst for the actual story. Most people don't get that, which is why most zombie fiction is really shit!

[gmac]

Just read Invincible #61, really good issue, and Rez is right about that last panel, it's damn sweet

[Dan_Dare]

It's aces. I'm expecting an absolutely mammoth punch up in #62

 

I've said it before, but I think there's only one way this is going.

 

Earth surrendering to Conquest. The way I can see it going is this: Conquest beats and, just short of killing Invincible, Cecil teleports 'vince to safety and waves the white flag.

Here's the good bit though: We know the original artist is coming back to switch focus back to Allen and Nolan is space so if that becomes the main arc for a while we can definitely look forward to the triumphant return of Omni-Man to kick the living crap out of Conquest with Allen.

seriously. I'd put money on that (though less so the second part)

 

[DomJcg]

God 61 was soooo good, the last panel was so epic.

 

well, if your going by assumptions, then i would like to point out that the cover for 63 is eve's arm being all bloody, and the last time this idea was used as a cover it was omni mans arm being all bloody, which was when he beat mark to near death. I really hope something like that doesn't happen.

 

 

Thoughts on the 60, it was waaaaay too quick, it was over so fast that i guess it made it all underwhelmed tbh, rex's death especially so, i really liked rex, i would have loved more of a send off. Oh well.

 

[gmac]

It would be good to actually see Invincible do a bit of proper damage to a Viltrumite for once. Although I wouldn't say no to an Allen the Alien story arc

 

 

#1-#7 on Walking Dead done, epic stuff

[ReZourceman]

Word to everything. Last panel is my phone background now, and I'm making a Heroclix of Conquest...his head might be a bit big though. Oh well.

 

Can't wait. Ottley said on his Deviant Art page "You guys are gonna love 62"

[Dan_Dare]

So, yeah.

 

I think Mark Millar is the best comic writer ever. Possibly. He definitely gets super heroes. I think the way he gives a sense of other-ness; deliberately setting them apart from mere humans is utterly incredible. And he does it so concisely too. Obviously, it wouldn't work outside of a medium where images can be used to make up for a short script but it really is amazing. He can convey incredibly dense ideas that totally change the way you perceive a character in little more than a sentence- and as a would be writer myself I can tell you that's really fucking hard.

 

Everyone needs to read Ultimates. It's absolutely bloody spectacular.

[ReZourceman]

Duh.

 

Read 1985

 

and

 

Kick Ass.

 

Man you'll like Kick Ass.

[Dan_Dare]

I do indeed love Kick-Ass. Y'all need to read that shit!

 

I've also started Green Lantern Corps. Being new to the Green Lantern thing I was quite surprised by it. Last I knew, The Green Lantern was just a guy in a mask on Earth with funky powers. Nowadays it turns out Green Lanterns are interstellar Space Cops- somewhere between Phillip Marlowe and Obi Wan Kenobi. It's actually pretty cool though and, with Grant Morrison at the wheel, immensely readable. I have a whole shit tonne of GL headed my way atm so I'll be getting in to that wholesale soon enough.

[ReZourceman]

I do indeed love Kick-Ass. Y'all need to read that shit!

 

I've also started Green Lantern Corps. Being new to the Green Lantern thing I was quite surprised by it. Last I knew, The Green Lantern was just a guy in a mask on Earth with funky powers. Nowadays it turns out Green Lanterns are interstellar Space Cops- somewhere between Phillip Marlowe and Obi Wan Kenobi. It's actually pretty cool though and, with Grant Morrison at the wheel, immensely readable. I have a whole shit tonne of GL headed my way atm so I'll be getting in to that wholesale soon enough.

 

Word, and Green Lantern is better than GLC, but the whole thing altogether is absolutely awesome. When you reach the Sinestro Corps War stuff you'll need to start reading GL at the same time, so you read it in the correct order or it'll spoil, cos it weaves in and out etc.