Panel One.
A very young Kate Kane is riding her bike down a suburban street, racing against her twin sister Beth. They’re both peddling frantically, determined expressions on their faces. They’re both wearing T-shirts and shorts, neither is wearing any cycling safety equipment. The sun is setting.
CAP (Kate): I was six years old.
CAP: The bikes were a Christmas present.
CAP: Not from Santa, Dad didn’t believe in any of that.
Panel Two.
Suddenly a cat streaks out across the road in front of Kate’s bike. She slams on the brakes, screaming.
CAP: The first thing I remember is the cat.
Kate: Ahhhh!
Panel Three.
Young Kate sits in the road, nursing a scraped and bleeding leg. There are more bruises and scratches on her arms and face. The bike is on its side behind her. She’s screeching her lungs out like kids do when they come off their bikes.
Kate: Waaaaahhhhh!
Jake (off-panel): Kate.
Panel Four.
A long shadow falls on young Kate and she stops crying to look up. We can’t see him, but the shadow comes from Kate’s father, Jake Kane. We can see Kate’s sister sitting on her own bike nearby, watching. Her mouth is a big 'O'.
Jake: Get up, Kate.
CAP: This is my earliest memory.
Panel Five.
Present day. A dark and storm-lashed Gotham City rooftop. Batwoman lies bruised and bloodied following a particularly brutal encounter with Bane. She’s trying to pick herself up.
Jake (off-panel): Get up, Kate.
CAP: And it pretty much set a precedent…
Panel Six.
Jake helps his daughter to her feet. Bane lies nearby, unconscious: beaten.
Jake: You did it. I knew you could. I knew you could beat him.
CAP: Back then, he always made me stand up on my own.
CAP: Nowadays... sometimes he actually gives me a helping hand.
Damn Rol this is a great page. Such lovely visuals in the first half of the page, building up to such a cool final section with Batwoman.
ReplyDeleteWow, Rol - this is brilliant. Absolutely top notch.
ReplyDeleteI liked the look into Kate's past this page deals with, especially the focus on the relationship between Kate and her father.
ReplyDeleteThe voices and characters are spot on. Excellent stuff.
Great stuff, Rol. This is perfect, one-page storytelling, putting everything you need to enjoy it right there in the script. A really nice, natural build to the concluding moment - which is a really sweet look at Kate and Jake's relationship. Batwoman has been bringing out some fantastic pieces all around.
ReplyDelete