Layout:
123
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444
Panel 1 - establishing shot: inside the Ha-Ha-Hacienda. It is abandoned, and is decorated with the requisite pranks, toys, and giant Joker cards. BATMAN crouches down close over the naked body of Crispus Allen (we do not know if he is unconcious or dead). ETRIGAN watches from behind.
BATMAN: He's its host. How could he possibly get separated from it?
ETRIGAN: The spectral agent of the Deity - suffers from a crisis of identity...
Panel 2 - close-up on ETRIGAN as he thoughtfully elucidates...
ETRIGAN: The Presence has no longer need for a clumsy vengeful tool - and so decreed the Spectre "Spirit of Redemption", the Almighty Fool...
ETRIGAN: And during this spiritual changing of the guard - the host, at his weakest, went down, and hard...
Panel 3 - ETRIGAN pokes BATMAN in the chest, who has a "don't touch me" look on his face. ETRIGAN, however, is dead serious.
ETRIGAN: Thou knowest the clown has magicked before, but lacks the discipline - He nearly beat us last time, and more - we can not let him win.
ETRIGAN: Be not concerned with reason, it matters not the wherefore's or what's - No time, creation trembles...
Panel 4 - bottom 2/3 of the page. The JOKER is now the SPECTRE. The green cape swirls about his white, almost skeletally skinny, body, and the hood covers the eyes as always, but the blood-red rictus is laughing maniacally as he juggles moons while standing in Jupiter's Great Red Spot.
CAPTION: (Etrigan) ...The Spectre's gone completely nuts...
...to be continued...
Crikey. I can't even begin to fathom HOW Joker as the Spectre would operate but it's got my mind zinging in lots of different directions.
ReplyDeleteNice pairing up of Etrigan and Batman too.
As Dan has said a Joker Spectre is a terrifying thing to even think about.
ReplyDeleteThe pair of Etrigan and Batman is a really wonderful one with so many great possibilities within this storyline.
Very good page!