(6 Panels)
Panel 1: HELLCAT is in NEW YORK CITY, in costume,
near the scene of where a battle just took place. In the background, the damage
can be seen and is centered around the disembodied eye of SHUMA-GORATH, though
the eye looks like it’s actually still alive, and it's glaring at Dr. Strange.
Next to the eye are
DR. STRANGE and BETA RAY BILL who are both looking at the eye.
However, this is all
in the background, and the focus should be on HELLCAT, who is talking on her
cell phone.
HELLCAT: I’m sorry, mom, but I was in the middle of helping
some important people smash a very tentacled monster.
PHONE (1): No need to explain, Patsy. I actually saw the
whole thing on the news!
PHONE (2): Is that Mr. Beast there with you?
Panel 2: HELLCAT looks a touch embarrassed, but in a
way that show’s she’s doing a good job of hiding it. Nearby is seen BEAST and
ABIGAIL BRAND.
In the background,
BETA RAY BILL indicates to SG’s eye in a way that says ‘now what?’, while DR.
STRANGE looks like he’s saying something akin to ‘I got this’.
HELLCAT (1): Mom, it’s either Dr. McCoy or just Beast.
PHONE (1): Oh, I’m sorry.
PHONE (2): Could you say ‘hello’ to him for me?
HELLCAT (2): *sigh*
Panel 3: HELLCAT has her head away from the phone
just enough to make it believable that she could be swapping between talking to
someone else and talking into the phone.
BEAST and AGENT BRAND
look towards HELLCAT as she talks to BEAST.
Over by SG’s eye, DR.
STRANGE has his hands up and looks like he’s waving his hands just a touch as
he prepares a spell.
HELLCAT (1): Beast, my Mom says ‘hi’.
BEAST (1): Oh.
BEAST (2):
Well…say ‘hi’ to her for me, I guess.
HELLCAT (2): Beast says ‘Hi’, Mom.
Panel 4: The look of HELLCAT suggests she’s currently
in one of those situations where it’s “Look, I love you, but can we have this
conversation some other time?”.
As DR. STRANGE does
his work, SG’s eye looks like it’s folding in on itself. BETA RAY BILL looks a
touch surprised by what’s happening.
PHONE (1): He seems like such a nice man.
HELLCAT (1): Mom, is this important, or can I call you back
later?
PHONE (2): I just wanted to give you the good news.
HELLCAT (2): What good news?
PHONE (3): This is still supposed to be hush-hush, but some
people from Hollywood recently said they’d like to make a movie about you.
Panel 5: Beat panel, focused solely on HELLCAT, as
she wonders something along the lines of “What?” or “Did I hear that right?”.
Panel 6: HELLCAT starts to move away from the scene
of the fight in an attempt to keep the conversation more to herself.
HELLCAT: About me?
PHONE (1): Yes, dear.
HELLCAT: Why me?
PHONE (2): Remember those comics I wrote that were based on
you and your friends?
PHONE (3): It seems that with comic movies being all the
rage these days they’re looking for opportunities everywhere they can, and
someone stumbled upon some of the issues.
(END PAGE)
The juxtaposition between the 'domestic' side of Patsy's life with the stuff going on in the background is excellent.
ReplyDeleteReally strong page.
What makes this page is what's going on behind Patsy. The background and foreground stories are both strongly rendered. The BRB and Dr. Strange stuff, especially. And your Hellcat is just awesomely endearing.
ReplyDeleteI really like this piece. A lot. As a whole entire, sure, but all the attention you put to all the parts sets it above. Great job, MK.
Dan and Ray have really summoned this page up. Its an extremely strong showcase of your skills and understanding of the comics medium.
ReplyDeleteYou bring us in late to the scene so we are instantly asking questions wanting to know more. Then you pull us in to your web further with two brilliant narratives, making the very most of each panel. Both the BG story with Dr Strange and the main plot with Patsy on the phone to her mum are both solid on their own but it is your weaving of the two to play out together that take this page over the top. Whilst all of this is happening you manage to keep your character acting always moving and the conversation exciting and fun, which with the phone call could have easily fallen flat.
I am taking a lot away from this that I hope to apply to my own writing so thank you.
Great page MK. The disparate elements of the page are all well handled and you captured that phonecall-with-mam feeling perfectly.
ReplyDeleteI'm not too familiar with Patsy Walker, but you have brilliantly covered both aspects of her here -- the mystical and the everywoman.
ReplyDelete