The Story So Far: ECLIPSO has manipulated SHADE the Changing Man into separating people's animae from their human halves, sometimes with disastrous results. These shadow aspects have been channeled through ECLIPSO's Black Diamonds, into a weapon called the Sunset Gun, which has opened a dimensional gateway into the Area of Madness, where he will wage final war with his Creator...
Layout:
127
347
567
127
347
567
Panels 1 and 2 are a diptych. It is dusk, and the sky is a rose red. Panel 1 is the end of a pier at the Gotham Naval Shipyard, which operates as an ordnance disposal site. HANK HALL, his back to us, looks out into the distance at the Gotham skyline. He is dressed in naval issue blue shirt and dungarees, white sailor's hat clutched in one hand, the other holding a cell phone to his ear. From one low roof, a thin black beam shoots into the sky in panel 2, opening a portal into the Area of Madness. On the water is a Coast Guard cutter, a lone figure is visible on the aft deck grasping the rail as a lone witness (this would be DON HALL). Copy is as follows:
Panel 1-
CAPTION: Gotham Naval Ordnance Disposal Site.
HANK: Jeezus, Don! Are you seeing this?!?
CAPTION: Gotham Naval Ordnance Disposal Site.
HANK: Jeezus, Don! Are you seeing this?!?
Panel 2-
CAPTION: Coast Guard Cutter Gavyn.
DON: I see it, Hank! Whatever it is...
CAPTION: Coast Guard Cutter Gavyn.
DON: I see it, Hank! Whatever it is...
Panel 3- We are now facing HANK HALL, still on his cell, and poised as if he's about to jump off the pier into action. He has tossed his hat to the side.
DON: (on phone) ...it's stirring up the harbor!
HANK: We gotta get out there, stop whoever's doing this!
DON: (on phone) Wait!
HANK: We gotta get out there, stop whoever's doing this!
DON: (on phone) Wait!
Panel 4- Close-up of DON HALL, one hand holding binoculars to his eyes in one hand, his cell to his ear with the other.
DON: There are other vessels caught in the chop! We have to save those crews!
In the gap between the second and third rows of panels, mystic lettering, copy reads: BROTHERS!
Panel 5- HANK's face is bathed in white light, but a hawk-shaped shadow falls across his eyes.
(Off-Panel): YOU WISH FOR POWER TO STOP THE OPENING GATE OF MADNESS.
HANK: Yes!
HANK: Yes!
Panel 6- Same as panel 5, except it's a dove-shaped shadow across DON's face.
(Off-Panel): YOU WISH FOR POWER TO SAVE OTHERS FROM THE DANGERS THAT COME UNSEEN.
DON: Yes!
DON: Yes!
In the bottom gutter beneath Panels 5 and 6, more mystic lettering, copy reads: SO BE IT. ONLY SPEAK THAT YOU SAY THAT I AM.
Panel 7- Leaping out of a flash of white light, two figures emerge toward us. Their leather-like white armor is fletched by blood-red and sky-blue feathers respectively, their heads covered by similarly adorned bird-head cowls. From above, talon-like hands extended, the aggressor avatar of war. From below, diving forward into an off-panel sea, the guardian avatar of peace. Both cry out their new namesakes.
HAWK: HAWK!!
DOVE: DOVE!!
DOVE: DOVE!!
...to be continued...
Whoa! This is, by far, both the most concise and the most interesting origin that I have ever encountered or considered for the Hall brothers. It could probably benefit from a second page to give everything a bit more room to breath, but the packed nature of this page does fit in well with the style you've been playing with thus far.
ReplyDeleteI'm particularly fond of this page because it manages to fit into your ongoing tale while also functioning as an excellent stand alone story. Kudos!