Cover to Giant-Size Avengers Special #1
Shown here is Bryan Hitch’s cover to my first published Marvel work, Giant-Size Avengers Special #1. This marks Hitch’s return to the mainstream Marvel Universe after a long time in the Ultimate Universe. Soon he’ll be working with writer Mark Millar and inker Paul Neary (the artist for my Avengers story) on Fantastic Four, coming out in 2008.
Release date for my first Marvel story
It’s official. This December 19th will see the release of my first published comic from Marvel Comics with a 10-page story in Giant-Size Avengers Special #1. With a cover by Bryan Hitch, my story has been penciled and inked by Paul Neary whose pencils you’ve seen in the past in Captain America and Nick Fury vs. S.H.I.E.L.D. He’s done incredible work on this, and I can’t wait to see reactions when the comic hits the stands.
To learn more about the release, you can go to Marvel’s catalog at http://www.marvel.com/catalog/?id=7796.
I hope everyone is able to stop by their local comic’s store and pick this up – it’ll make a great read over the Christmas holidays and a perfect gift to give.
Scripting the Devolution installments
The entire 4-issue Devolution miniseries story is mapped out for each installment. What is not complete is the script for each installment. There are several things that go into writing the scripts.
First, I try to find the right pacing. Although I know what should happen in the 2 to 4 pages of each installment, I still have to find the right pacing to tell that part of the story. I want each page to end leaving the reader wanting more, anxious to turn the page. Sometimes that means splitting the dialogue so that a character’s statement is completed on the next page. Sometimes it means putting the character in some degree of danger with a small resolution on the next page. This element of suspense is what novelists use to propel readers to the next chapter.
I’m also trying to find interesting visuals. Particularly in a story like Devolution where the bulk of the action is fairly stationary in a house (and mostly in the upstairs bedroom and downstairs closet), I don’t want to get into what’s called the “talking head” syndrome. Comics are a visual medium, and a comic works best when there are dynamic visuals to go with the story. That’s not to say every single panel will be a full-page splash, but you do want to make it look as good as possible.
Another thing I’m trying to do is make it interesting for my artist. Jake always manages to surprise and impress me, but hopefully I do the same with some of the images I have planned for him to render. An artist is going to get bored if he’s drawing the same images over and over. Again, that’s a danger for a story that’s as static as Devolution as far as setting.
Planning and plotting the installments for Devolution was the easy part. The more difficult part is definitely making each installment as interesting as it can be panel by panel and page by page. Hopefully we’ve succeeded more than we’ve failed.
You can find the Devolution comic installments at www.ComicCritique.com. Thanks for reading, and feel free to comment at DevolutionComic@gmail.com.