Maybe I should just start posting scans of my page lay-outs
Page 1
5 panels. Top quarter of the page is 1 next to 2, with 1 twice the width of 2. Panel 3 is the second quarter of the page, full width. Bottom half is 4+5, with 4 a tall narrow panel on the left-hand side, panel 5 a single small close-up frame in the upper left-hand corner of 6, and the remainder panel 6.
Panel 1: Running across an ancient stone bridge, this is a mid-shot of several of them (8-9 total) from the knees to the shoulder, blurred somewhat in action – they’re sprinting.
Panel 2: From the front, close in on the two or three faces in the front. The bridge is wide enough that two of them can stand side-by-side but they’re disorganized in their rush to make it to the other side. One is looking behind as he runs. At this angle we can’t see too far beyond them, but they’re obviously all terrified.
Panel 3: From behind again, they’ve arrived at the end of the bridge, with forest a short distance ahead of them. Whoever is in front has slowed down. Second in line is looking back, terror in his eyes.
Panel 4: From the side, full body wide-ish shot. The lead runner is slowed almost to a standstill now, looking ahead and slightly up at the dark forest ahead of him. The boundary is stark, grassland one moment and dense, gnarled trees the next. The second is running past him, still looking behind him.
Friend: Oh god, we’re trapped.
Sam: Keep running!
Friend: But the forest…
Panel 5: Second runner, close-up of face, grim, determined, with first runner behind him. We might be able to see the others coming up behind, all slowing down.
Sam: We don’t have a choice!
Panel 6: Looking towards the forest boundary again, just as we see the second runner crash through low-hanging branches, arms crossed to protect his face.
Page 2
4 panels. Two panels (1 and 4) split the page into top and bottom halves, with panels 2 and 3 small close-ups along the split, evenly spaced across the page.
Panel 1: The same perspective as last panel of previous page but zoomed out more now, with the group in the foreground, all jumping somewhat at the scream cut off by a sickening crunch.
Sam: AAAAAAAAAHH-
Sound: KRNCH.
Panel 2: Close-up of the first runner, still staring into the forest, fear and a tinge of hopelessness on his face. We can just see the back of Zoe’s head on the right-hand edge of the frame, looking the opposite direction.
Friend: Oh god…
Panel 3: Similar shot, but facing opposite direction. Zoe is looking on in fear, with the back of 1’s head on the left-hand edge of the frame.
Friend: Oh god we’re trapped…
Panel 4: Looking back towards the bridge, a few of the group in the foreground, looking at the creatures just arriving at the edge of the bridge. They are clambering along the middle and sides, running on all fours except for the lead two which are standing on hind legs, preparing to attack.
Page 3
7 panels. Top 3rd or so split into three. Panel 1 on the left, tall and narrow, panel 2 is a small close-up in the upper left-hand corner of panel 3. Panels 4-6 split the remaining 2/3rds into 3rds with panel 6 slightly taller and panel 7 a tall panel to the right of panel 6, same height.
Panel 1: Above and off to the left, looking down on the group. They are all turning back to face the creatures, bracing for the attack but obviously terrified.
Panel 2: Close-up of Zoe, mouth tight in a grimace, angry, but her eyes are afraid. She’s ready to try to fight, but she knows it won’t end well.
Panel 3: Wide shot, above looking down at the whole scene, forest’s edge on the left, bridge’s end on the right. The creatures are closing the gap (not large to begin with) between the bridge and where the group is standing. Speech bubble is at the bottom, coming from elsewhere.
Voice: So—
Panel 4: Wide shot of a field, smoke, bodies, blood. The bodies lie in something of a trail, wider and more dispersed in the foreground, narrowing and more densely packed in the distance. These are corpses of creatures similar to the ones chasing the group.
Voice: Do we have ourselves a deal?
Panel 5: Wide shot, but following this trail of bodies and zooming in slightly. We can now see the end of the trail, the bodies taper out into a semi-circle surrounding a dead man. The ground is muddy, bloody, strewn with footprints/creatureprints and a trail of creatureprints leading away from the carnage.
Voice: You do understand what I’m offering, I hope. I could easily give you far, far more, and it would still—
Panel 6: Closer in now. The body surrounded by a few corpses. He (we can see it’s a guy at this point, but he’s lying face down) has been trampled into the dirt, bloodied, broken, scratched, straight-up killed. Two captions, same voice. Cap 1 top of panel, cap 2 bottom and to the right.
Voice: It’s a guarantee, boy. I’ll do as you ask.
Voice: So do we have ourselves a deal?
Panel 7: Extreme close-up of the side of his face. Bloody, dirty, pushed partially into the dirt. His eye is open wide, looking past us.
Voice: Good.
Pages 4+5
Wide shot. From the side of the carnage. We see him from several yards away, close enough that we can see he is running, but far enough to give some perspective to the force of his movement. He is launching himself forward, sprinting. The shockwave is sending bodies flying behind him. The ground punched down from where he launched.
Page 6
4 panels, page divided into 3rds. Top 3rd is panels 1+2, panel 2 is ¼ of the row, far right. Remaining 3rds are panels 3 and 4.
Panel 1: Similar perspective as above. He is running across the field, the shockwave leaving a burning path in his wake.
Panel 2: Close-up of Zoe with the group behind her, viewed from the side. Fear on their eyes. Shadows looming over them. These shots of the group are progressing in slow-motion, with the progress towards her ducking her head and raising her arm defensively and the creatures moving in to attack
Panel 3: Same perspective as panel 1, but running through what looks more like grasslands now. Dry, with dust being kicked up behind him by the running and the shockwave. Rocky outcroppings in the background.
Panel 4: Similar shot to the last scene depicting the creatures and group. The creatures are making progress, as though in slow motion, just a few steps closer. The group is flinching slightly more than before.
Page 7
5 panels, again divided up into thirds. Top third is panel 1. 2nd row is panels 2 and 3, with panel 2 ¼ of the row. Last row is panels 4 and 5, similar layout but flipped, with panel 5 the smallest.
Panel 1: Still in the grasslands. He has just blown through a rock formation, shattering it at ground level and sending rocks and dust bursting ahead of him. The top of the formation has just begun to tilt in response to the blast.
Panel 2: Zoe again, flinching slightly more.
Panel 3: He is still running, still from the side. Moving into a forest now. Trees are shattering on either side of him, a blazing trail in his wake. The trees appear preternaturally dark, with the shadows barely receding from the flames. Branches are razor sharp but not necessarily claw-like. The trees are gnarled and sharp. Any damage is still up in the air, with nothing having had the time to even begin descending.
Panel 4: The group again, this time from the front, and we see one of the creatures raising a claw/fist/hand to strike. Zoe has her arms raised to try to block.
Panel 5: Close-up of Zoe, under the shadow of the creature, eyes squeezed shut, mouth open in a scream.
Page 8
5 panels. Panel 1 is a narrow band along the top of the page. Panel 3 takes up the remainder of the page, with panel 2 a small inset at the top left corner of 3 and panels 4 and 5 side-by-side at the bottom right of the page.
Panel 1: Running across the panel is the KRRK-KOOOOOMMM from the sonic boom and we see the group, viewed from the front bracing from the force of a strong wind coming from behind them.
Panel 2: Zoe looks up in shock. She is leaning back now, having fallen back from bracing against the gale.
Panel 3: He is standing in front of them, viewed from Zoe’s perspective with her in the foreground at bottom left, him standing over her but looking ahead at the creatures. In one hand he is holding a bloody arm, in the other a head attached to a torso and nothing else. His arms are covered with blood up to his elbows with splatters across his torso and head. The creatures in the background have reeled back in surprise as well as from the shockwave of his arrival.
Panel 4: Close-up. He looks back over his shoulder, a fleck of blood near his mouth and an otherwise emotionless face.
Panel 5: Close-up of Zoe again, shock mingling with fear now. Captions border panels 4 and 5, pointing back to respective speakers.
Ben: Are you hurt, Zoe?
Zoe: No— no, I’m-
Ben: Good.
Page 9
4 panels. 1 and 2 divide the top ¼ of the page, with panel 1 a quarter of the row. Panel 3 is the largest, with panel 4 taking the bottom third of the page.
Panel 1: Close-up of Ben again, turning back towards the creature, hint of a smile on his face.
Ben: Excuse me one moment.
Panel 2: Looking over his shoulder, with him on the left, towards the creatures. He has both arms out in front of him like a conductor, hands relaxed. The creatures have been raised into the air with little uniformity, just lifted like rag dolls.
Panel 3: Ben in the same position, left side of the panel. He has closed his hands tightly into fists, teeth showing through his grin now. He is not exerting himself, just enjoying the effort. The creatures are being crushed, compacted, blood erupting from orifices, limbs jagged, torsos crushed in. It’s messy, and they’re obviously all being killed.
Panel 4: Viewed from behind him, Ben is walking through the corpses back towards the bridge. The group is in the foreground, frozen, unsure of what to do.
Ben: Come with me. I will bring you to the gate and send you through. After I’ve done this, I’ll—
Page 10
6 panels. Panel one is a small close-up in the top left corner of the page. Panel 2 is the top half of the page, panel 1 lying over it. The bottom half of the page is broken up thusly: Panel 5 and 6 split the page in half width-wise, with panels 3 and 4 small-ish and in the top left of the bottom half, leaving panel 5 shorter than 6 and panel 6 something of a reverse “l” shape.
Panel 1: Close-up of his face. Ben has turned to look back at them, realizing that they’re not following him. It is a condescending surprise, as though a parent just realized his three-year-old has stopped to pester a stranger.
Panel 2: Looking back at the group now, over his shoulder. The group is huddled together. Those who had been knocked down are getting up, being helped up, etc. One of them is helping Zoe get up, specifically.
Guy: What the hell did you just do? How did you—
Panel 3: Close-up of Zoe, with a few of the group in the background. Her confusion is still mingled with fear. Captions again lie along the boundary between panels 3 and 4, pointing to respective parties.
Panel 4: Ben again, close-up. He looks vaguely frustrated, but more impatient than angry.
Zoe: What happened to you? We thought you… that you—
Ben: You have questions. This is, of course, to be expected.
Zoe: How did you sur-
Ben: I did not say I would answer them.
Panel 5: Looking over her shoulder now, one or two of the group on either side of them, looking towards him. Ben is still looking impatient, an air of menace about him.
Ben: He is inclined to disagree, but you are not so pretty that the questions do not get tedious, and we do not have time for them. You will follow me to the gate. I will send you home—
Panel 6: Ben is talking to himself now, looking up into the air, our view zooming in somewhat, cutting them out of the shot except for the shaded torso we can see on the edge of the panel and under panel 4.
Ben: No, there is no time for this. I will explain along-
Page 11
6 panels. Top row is a narrow band and split into 1 + 2, with 1 slightly longer than 2. Rest of the page is split into four panels. Panels 3 and 5 are larger and take up essentially 2/3 the width of the page, same length. Panels 4 and 6 are narrow and make up the right-hand 3rd of the page, with 4 taller than 6.
Panel 1: Closer in on Ben looking from their perspective. He is looking down, as if at something on the ground between him and the group. His face is somewhat darker, that air of menace again.
Ben: You are somewhat demanding
Panel 2: Over his shoulder, looking towards the group. Their reaction is still confusion and fear, though somewhat settled. They’re still reacting to what’s just happened, not to what he’s saying.
Ben: …for a man in your position.
Panel 3: The group again in the foreground, looking towards him. Zoe has stepped forward, pleading.
Zoe: Ben, we’re scared. I’m terrified. Those things have been chasing us for days, Sam went into the forest and I’m pretty sure he’s dead, and then we saw you… We just need to know what we’re going through.
Panel 4: Close-up of Ben, staring at her. Menace turning to anger on his face. He’s staring, but not listening.
Panel 5: From the side. Ben is standing a ways apart, staring at them. He is poised but his posture and body language is relaxed, as opposed to his face, which is tense and angry. One of the group has stepped up alongside Zoe, as though to support her or defend her.
Ben: I will lead them to safety, but I will do so by my schedule. If we fall behind I run the riskof missing several opportunities. And if I do not reach my seven…
Panel 6: Mid-shot of the group. Zoe still looking concerned, afraid. One or two other are starting to take a more defensive posture, as if waiting for him to attack.
Ben: I will take from yours.
Page 12
7 panels. Panel 1 is ¼ page wide, 1/3 page long. Panel 2 is remaining ¾ of page wide, but ¼ page long. Panel 7 is the bottom 3rd of the page. Panel 3 is the left-hand side of the middle of the page, a backwards “L” around panels 1 and 2. Panels 4-6 divide the right-hand side of this middle portion into 3 rows.
Panel 1: Ben pointing at the group now. A mid-shot showing his full body, head to toe. His anger is cooling, and he is trying to regain his composure.
Ben: I have made no attempt to harm you and am promising to bring you home. I will do so to the best of my ability and to the extent of my patience.
Panel 2: From behind him (on the right in the foreground) looking at them. His arms are spread, palms up, laying his offer up for them to consider.
Ben: If you would like to go home, then follow me. I am offering you that choice.
Panel 3: Ben is walking away again, towards the bridge. The group hasn’t moved much. They’re looking at each other now, confusion, fear, mixed emotions, etc. She is looking after him, sheer confusion now.
Zoe: Ben, what—
Panel 4: View from the side, slightly in front. Zoe in the foreground and to the right, friend immediately beyond her and on the left of the panel. One of the group has placed a hand on her shoulder now to interrupt her. She has started to turn towards friend but is still looking at Ben.
Friend: Zoe, no. I don’t…
Zoe: What?
Friend: I don’t think that’s Ben. Not really.
Zoe: How is that not Ben?
Panel 5: Looking at the group now, she is looking at the friend, friend is watching Ben, as if looking for something specific.
Friend: Did you see what he just did? Ben wasn’t that strong. And he threatened us, Zoe. Ben wouldn’t-
Zoe: We don’t know what he was saying.
Friend: Yes, we do. He threatened us. And Ben would never have done that.
Panel 6: Another of the group has stepped up alongside them.
Him: So what do we do?
Zoe: What else can we do? In the end, he’s right: he clearly knows where he’s going, and he saved us once. Without him we don’t stand much of a chance.
Panel 7: Them in the background, him in the foreground, walking with purpose, his face calm and confident. A few of the group have started walking after him. Zoe and the friend are still standing, reluctant to move.
Friend: That doesn’t sound like much of a choice.
