Here are six pages from a dramatic adventure called THE POWER THROUPLE.
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Remember, there isn't any one specific way to write a comic book script. This isn't how
everyone writes scripts, but it is the way I write them. I tend to offer detailed descriptions and engaging dialogue, while trying to consider the notes and the opinions of the artists, while still playing to the artists' strength.
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In this case, the artist had an amazing flourish with real people, seductive scenes and excellent backgrounds, which is why he was so perfect for this script!
PAGE ONE
PANEL 1
Establishing shot – it’s a downtown lesbian bar. The sign has hearts and flowers and the neon picture of an open palm next to the name in pink neon letters: PINK PONY. If you want to draw the skyline of a city in the background, we are in Chicago.
PANEL 2
Shawn Shephard has just walked in. We see him from the back – he is wearing a black trenchcoat, and he has long blond hair. Although we can’t see his face yet, he is a handsome looking man with slender features and a clean-shaven face in his mid-30s. In front of him, staring him down, are several women who frequent this bar. None of them look very happy to see this man in their bar. One of the women is pointing at him with one finger, and holding a beer bottle with the other hand.
DAISY: She doesn’t want to talk to you, Shawn. Didn’t she make that clear?
PANEL 3
We see Shawn walk past this woman, holding up his hands politely. He doesn’t look directly at the woman, and he’s clearly not going to be deterred.
SHAWN: Doesn’t involve you, Daisy. Excuse me.
DAISY: I’m serious, breeder, just turn your ass around and---
SHAWN: This is only going to take a hot second, I promise.
PANEL 4
He approaches the back of the bar, where two women are in a booth – they’re making out. There are several glasses and beer bottles – mostly empty – on the table they’re seated at.
One woman has closely shaved hair, earrings, heavy make-up and a tight white t-shirt and no bra.
The other is Abbie Parker, aka The Tank. She’s wearing a halter top and tight jeans. The two of them are kissing passionately.
SHAWN: Hey! Our job isn’t done, Abbie.
PANEL 5
Close-up of Abbie, as she gives an angry side-eye towards the camera. The other unnamed woman is licking Abbie’s cheeks.
PANEL 6
Abbie stands up from the table, and she’s holding a beer bottle in her hand. It’s here where we can see that she’s towering over everyone else in the room – she stands 6’ 4. They glare at each other. The woman with closely shaved hair looks drunk, and remains seated at the table, but she’s idly touching Abbie’s legs. Abbie doesn’t notice, her eyes are firmly locked on Shawn.
PAGE TWO
PANEL 1
Abbie points at Shawn’s chest and snarls angrily.
ABBIE: I don’t work for you. And you don’t need me anymore. And hey, the kid is dead. Just…..leave me alone.
PANEL 2
Abbie is walking across a dance floor now, with Shawn walking briskly behind her. Other women on the dance floor look at Shawn with annoyance, but they all make a path for them to walk through.
SHAWN: Abs, I need you, this thing is bigger than we thought!
ABBIE: Obviously, there’s no “we!” There’s you and her, but there’s no we. You, me and we don’t even belong in the same sentence, Shawn!
SHAWN: Are you TRYING to make as little sense as possible? Abbie…please….
PANEL 3
Close-up of his hand reaching out to grab her hand.
SHAWN: (Off-panel) - just listen for a ---
PANEL 4
Abbie picks up his entire body off the floor, lifting him up over her head. She’s grinding her teeth angrily. Her armpit is exposed in this shot, revealing very thick armpit hair. Women behind Abbie are covering their mouth in shock at seeing her lift up Shawn off the ground. Shawn looks caught off-guard and surprised.
SHAWN: Whaaaa?!!!
PANEL 5
She hurls him into a table, startling a group of people standing nearby. All of the beer bottles and ashtrays fly off in different directions, and he looks like he’s about to painfully land.
PANEL 6
Abbie glowers over him, with tears in her eyes.
ABBIE: Fuck off – you can BOTH just fuck off!
PAGE 3
PANEL ONE
A hand reaches out to Shawn, who is still on the ground and covered with alcohol and cigarette butts. He’s rubbing his temple – he’s mostly unhurt, but definitely rattled, and annoyed. It’s Cassia’s hand that’s reaching for him.
CASSIA: Y’all right?
SHAWN: What, you have a few more lies to feed me? Go home!
PANEL TWO
She pulls him up to his feet, and she has a defiant look on her face. This Is Cassia. Shorter than Shawn, she has blonde hair and is wearing a black business suit with a tie.
CASSIA: You are being SUCH a baby about this. Like you don’t have some skeletons in YOUR closet!
SHAWN: What are you doing here?
CASSIA: We were wrong about everything! Where is she?
PANEL THREE
Now Abbie is standing right next to all three of them. They are staring each other down in an angry, heated triangle. Shawn is addressing Abbie, Abbie is addressing Cassia, and Cassia is addressing Shawn. They’re all waving their hands around angrily – people are behind them staring. They’re definitely causing a scene.
ABBIE: What do YOU want? You chose your man – I never wanted him in the first place! Just go away, Cass!
CASSIA: What did you tell her, you absolute egoist? Hey, maybe you were just a notch on MY belt, did you ever think of that?
SHAWN: And you’ve been fucking with my emotions for fifteen years – you think you’re just being true to yourself, but all you’ve done is kept yourself alone and isolated!
PANEL FOUR
Cassia pulls out a high-tech looking weapon. It’s a handgun, modified with some crazy looking wires and modifications that look like their powered by energy and glowing plasma. Both Shawn and Abbie put up their hands fearfully and take a step back.
ABBIE: Whoa!!
SHAWN: Cassia, put the gun down!
PANEL FIVE
There is a smashing sound from off-panel, and they all turn their heads to look behind them. Abbie and Shawn look confused, but Cassia looks vigilante and ready. She knows what smashed the glass, and it’s exactly why she pulled out a weapon.
SFX: SMASHHHH!!!
ABBIE: No, I think we’re going to want the gun, actually…..
OFF-PANEL: EEEEEEEEEE!!!!! (Lots of screaming)
PAGE FOUR
Panel 1
Suddenly, it’s early morning, and we see the face of Shawn after he has just woken up from what appears to be a nightmare. His eyes are wide and bloodshot, he has a bit morning stubble, and there’s a pair of black panties on his head.
SHAWN: GAHHHH!!!!!
Panel 2
A blonde-haired, very fit woman of 22 is in bed next to him, and she’s looking at him with a sleepy, confused expression. They’re both naked. Her name is Wendy, and this is her apartment. It’s very tastefully decorated.
Shawn is rubbing his temple with one hand, he looks as if he’s experiencing a major headache.
WENDY: Baby? You okay?
SHAWN: Nnnn…..shitty dream…..or dire premonition…..or bad tacos, I dunno….
WENDY: It’s six in the morning…..go back to sleep……
Panel 3
Shawn peels the panties off of his head while looking at a message on his cell phone. He looks curious.
SHAWN: Hmmph. Have you seen my pants? I have an appointment downtown.
WENDY: Aw, you promised to take me out to breakfast, man….
Panel 4
Shawn is now standing up from the bed, and he’s holding his phone in his hand while looking around the apartment. He’s fully nude, and his forearm with the phone is the only thing blocking the reader’s view from his genitals. He’s 5’ 10”. While not a muscular man, he’s slender and fit. There are mystical looking tattoos covering one arm and portions of the right side of the body from his chest to his thighs. There is mystical energy coming from the hand that isn’t holding the phone, and his pants are floating in the air surrounded by the same type of glowing mystical energy.
SHAWN: I’ll make it up to you tomorrow. Are you working tomorrow?
WENDY: My husband will be back tomorrow, you dick.
SHAWN: Right. Sorry. Do you think he’d like to tag along?
PANEL 5
Wendy is sitting up now, and grabbing a cigarette. Her exposed breasts are fully visible, and she’s reaching for a pack of cigarettes by her night stand.
WENDY: Can’t imagine he would, no. Can we do this again? Like….not after another six weeks this time?
PAGE SIX
PANEL 1
It’s not ten minutes later. It’s three hours later. Shawn is knocking on a nice looking apartment door. The numbers on the door say “3P” He’s wearing a brown leather fedora and a black trench coat, and he’s smiling leisurely.
CAPTION: Three hours later.
PANEL 2
The door opens, and we see a voluptuous woman with multi-colored hair and overdone make-up. Her eyes are red, she looks like she’s gotten dressed hurriedly, and she looks like she just broke up with someone. She has a large box of belongings in her hand, and she’s also carrying a suitcase. Shawn doesn’t seem to notice right away.
SHAWN: Hey there, what’s the good----
UNNAMED WOMAN: She’s all yours now. Good luck to you both.
PANEL 3
Shawn is in the extreme foreground, as he watches the woman angrily push the buttons for the elevator. She’s muttering something indecipherable to herself.
PANEL 4
Shawn walks into the apartment, with a confused and concerned look on his face.
SHAWN: Abs?
PANEL 5
He walks into a well decorated living room area. There’s some broken plates on the ground, and the wide screen television hanging on the wall is uneven – and definitely busted. Abbie is wearing tight leggings, a plain white bra, and she’s sitting in a chair and curling a pair of weights that look impossible for any normal person to curl.
It’s otherwise a nice, well kept apartment with good furniture and tasteful decoration. They are on the third floor (that’ll come into play later) and there is a balcony visible with a sliding glass door in the background.
ABBIE: ‘sup?
SHAWN: …….hi buddy. Everything…..okay?
ABBIE: Yup. Perfect. What kind of stupid question is that?
PAGE FIVE
PANEL 1
Shawn is walking into the bathroom, looking over his shoulder and smiling seductively, revealing his bare bottom.
SHAWN: Are you trying to cripple me? I have to be somewhere in thirty minutes! Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to take a nice soapy shower…..
PANEL 2
Wendy has just jumped against him, pressing her nude body against him and pushing him against the wall. They kiss deeply.
WENDY: MMmmmmmmppphhh
SHAWN: Mfffffff!!
PANEL 3
Wendy is licking his chest now, and her hands are clearly gripping him from below the waist. Her hands aren’t in the frame of the picture, but judging from the look on Shawn’s face we can tell what part of Shawn’s body she’s holding.
SHAWN: nnnnnnnn….
WENDY: Just promise me you’re not using any of your voodoo to make me want you this badly.
SHAWN: Even if my spells……..hhhhhh……could do that, I’d never do that. I might be a scoundrel, but I’m not an asshole.
PANEL 4
She looks up at his face longingly, biting her lip.
WENDY: Just ten minutes?
SHAWN (Off-panel) Ten minutes.
PANEL 5
This is a view of the bathroom mirror, which shows a reflection of the bathroom floor. In the foggy reflection of the mirror, she is lying on the floor with her legs around his back, and he’s on top of her now.
WENDY: ….ten or fifteen….. hee hee hee
PANEL 6 – This is a solid black rectangle, featuring the name of the comic, the chapter’s title, and the credits for the creative team.
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