The script for the fourteenth issue of the superhero comic book, Rapid City, has now been posted.

Panel 3 Sidekick is suddenly aware of this actual moment, no longer looking down the street. He is looking powerless and sad. Maybe trying to force a smile.

SIDEKICK

Then they just beat me up, man. I didn’t do anything to stop them. I didn’t know what to do.

KINETIC

But, that’s not possible. You can’t be hurt.

Panel 4 Tight shot of Sidekick wiping his hand across his bloody mouth.

Panel 5 Similar shot, but showing more of Sidekick. This one is from Kinetic’s POV as Sidekick extends his, now bloody, hand to show off the blood. Behind the hand, he stares as icily as he can muster. Which, in his shaken state, looks more wounded than icy.

Panel 6 Another similar shot of Sidekick.

SIDEKICK

I have to go Flamethrower. She’s out there, and they could hurt her.

Read and discuss this issue of Rapid City, plus all of the previous issues, for free here.

One of the challenges of writing a superhero comic book which reflects and is inspired my own life is that the genre demands lots of high-energy conflict, while the source material is mercifully thin in that regard.

The way I usually address this is to write the inner and interpersonal conflicts realistically, and then let the super-battles grow out of them. And then sometimes the plot and the genre just demand some fights. So, sometimes I just do some fights.

For example, at the end of issue 13 I needed to show that the bad guy plan was bearing fruit. I needed to show that they were starting to beat heroes. So, what better way to show this than to have them take down the until-now invulnerable Sidekick? The scene work pretty well, as he is in one move, not only defeated physically, but also emotionally. He has never been hurt before. Relatively minor injuries open him up to the terror of vulnerability that everyone else deals with every day. For a scene which is essentially a plot point, it packs some punch.

Plus, it promises a heart-wrenching scene between Sidekick and Flamethrower. She has never seen him hurt before, and this new potential fear is something that they will have to work through together. Not really allegorical, but a nice scene.

And then the other day I was talking with my boss about the dangerous environment in which we work. After being punched by a student, I had to deal with the fact that I could actually get hurt here. That is scary for me, but it is far scarier for the people who love me. For example, my girlfriend.

What I thought I was writing as side-plot to advance the main story…. turns out was a pretty straight-up allegory for a very challenging dilemma I am currently facing.

The script for the thirteenth issue of the superhero comic book, Rapid City, has now been posted.

Page 12 Playing the hand

Panel 1 Full shot of Switchboard, still bound in the same position, but now smiling smugly.

SWITCHBOARD

Bluffing. Of course I am….

SWITCHBOARD

Crux.

Panel 2 Shot of Crux turning toward her with surprise and anger on his face.

CRUX

How did you know my name?

Panel 3 Shot from behind Crux and Coil as they look over at Switchboard.

SWITCHBOARD

Come on, dummy, that’s what I do. Isn’t that why you’re here? Because of how I handle information? I know you’re thorough and you pick your targets well. You did a good job, so you shouldn’t be surprised that I know stuff about you….

Read and discuss this issue of Rapid City, plus all of the previous issues, for free here.

The script for the tenth issue of the superhero comic book, Rapid City, has now been posted.

Panel 2. Sidekick on the ground. He has knocked over one of those black waste barrels and several pump hoses have come out of their cradles. He is gesturing to one of the hoses, or holding one up, as an example,

SIDEKICK

Careful? Doesn’t look like you’re too…

Panel 3. Kinetic has grabbed Sidekick by his jacket and is swinging him in a high arc.

SIDEKICK

careful!

Panel 4. Kinetic completes the high arc by slamming Sidekick hard into the ground. Monkey is leaping clear of the impact and bits of gravel are spraying up.

Panel 5. Kinetic gripping his bandaged abdomen in pain and grimacing. Sidekick is climbing to his feet again

KINETIC

Damn.

SIDEKICK

What was the point of…. Oh!

SIDEKICK

Are you ok?

Panel 5. Shot of Monkey looking over at the slightly larger crowd.

MONKEY

Sidekick, this isn’t working.

Read and discuss this issue of Rapid City, plus all of the ones leading up to it, for free here.

The script for the fifth issue of the superhero comic book, Rapid City has now been posted.

Read and discuss it here.

Panel 5 Max lets the pressure off a little bit and the kid slumps.

MAXWELL MURDER

Yeah? That’s right where she was. Was there a girl there? Dead girl in a costume?

YOUNGER KID

No. No girl. I just saw the phone so I picked it up. I was gonna sell it.

MAXWELL MURDER

When? When did you find it?

YOUNGER KID

Thursday. Thursday night.

Panel 6 Max starts to walk away leaving the kid breathless and bleeding behind him.

MAXWELL MURDER

No girl. No body. So where is she?

This issue is the first part of the second story arc. The direction that Kinetic had been searching for finds him when the mysterious Hourglass needs his help to solve a murder.

This is part of what I have been working on today.

Panel 2 Flamethrower is smiling.

FLAMETHROWER

Sure. Likely story.

SIDEKICK

I just hate stuff like this. I don’t know what this guy knows, or what she wants people to know. I mean, I can’t tell this guy “I know her, but I don’t know her secret identity”. You know? What if he knows her, but not as “Hourglass“? This must be what its like to be gay.

FLAMETHROWER

What? What is wrong with you?

Panel 3 Shot of Sidekick, he is speaking seriously.

SIDEKICK

I’m serious. Like, not knowing who is out to who, or whose secret you might be blowing. The whole thing is really stressful. Why can’t everyone just be “out”?

FLAMETHROWER

Easy for you to say. You’ve got no family, all of your friends are superheroes, and you’re invulnerable.

FLAMETHROWER

You don’t know. She could have kids or something.

If this were the 90′s I could make the whole book about Sidekick jabbering on like that….throw in some Soundgarden…. and you’re done! But, alas, times change and now you have to dramatize a conflict and have dynamic characters.

This is the latest version of the second issue of my superhero comic book, Rapid City.

Read it here.

SIDEKICK

It’s a science word, right? Means, like, motion energy? Right?

KINETIC

Right. Like my powers. Kinetic energy.

SIDEKICK

That makes sense. I like it when names make sense.

In this issue, Kinetic gets closer to acting on his dream, and Maxwell Murder makes a move. In this version, some of the secenes were tightened up to make room for Max.

This is the script for the second issue of my monthly superhero comic book, Rapid City.

Read Issue #2 here.

Panel 4: Rat’s eye view, peeking out from some hidey-hole as the two walk past.

SIDEKICK

“Could be I’m shooting at the same 3 or 4 rats every day and they don’t mind it at all…”

In this issue, the running changes start to show. The character who had been named Rampart in the previous issue is now named Kinetic. There are a few other details that, as of “press time”, have not been ironed out. They aren’t that important, and apart from some name confusion, the story is intact.

Enjoy.

This is a short piece that I wrote a while back a favor for a friend.

Red Lion: B-Sides

It is based on some characters from our Rapid City comic book and some of his daughter’s toys. The germ of the idea came from her suggestion of “Red Lion vs Blue Zebra”

If you follow this link, please let me know if it works.

I would, of course, appreciate comments on the script itself, but I am mostly just testing to see if the basic set-up work.