Double Cross Scene Compilation - CH2 Pgs 11-15

Hi, everyone!

Time for another scene compilation with "DVD-style" commentary, which I'll be posting weekly until I start getting the pages from Gabriel and Vero for Fallen Chapter Two in November.

In terms of personal updates, I'm still working on that climax for my urban fantasy novel. I'm making good progress, but it's a very important scene so I'm taking my time to try to really nail the pacing. And when I've needed a break from that intense focus, I've been reviewing stock image sites for potential models for my hero. Most covers in this genre are "photo-manipulation" so my designer is going to need actual images of a real person shot in a studio setting. My hero is non-white which can make things challenging—there is certainly less out there with POC on these sites—but it's not as bad as when I needed to do this a few years ago. At least this time, there are some different body types.

Once I've narrowed it down to a few contenders, I might share the best images here with a poll so you can let me know which model you find the most "clickable." Even though as the writer I would love to choose someone who just looks like my guy—and in comics I've been spoiled in that way—a cover needs to sell the book, so an exact match isn't the point. It's really about whether who is on your cover has the necessary charisma to get people to check the book out. So, if you're up for it, your help in making that decision will be invaluable.

Anyway! In this scene comp, we get to meet the woman who made Teen Spooky into who he is today, and that gives Flyboy some feelings.

Check out what happens under the fold!

These pages were first published way back in December 2019 through January 2020. If you want to read the previous scene compilations (and, even better, read the whole first chapter all at once), you can find them on the TYP:DC Scene Compilation Collection page. 

My DVD-style commentary is below the comic pages. And the pages themselves are full-resolution here on Patreon, so feel free to zoom-in, especially on that double-page spread!

Let's dive in!

         He really does...

This Spooky really is a teenager

I started establishing this in the previous scene, but this Spooky's reaction to flying with Mitch is obviously quite different than what we saw in Chapter One. Adult Spooky wouldn't ever grab anyone without asking their permission first (unless they were evil, of course.) But Teen Spooky is so overcome, he can't help himself. Consent is still important to him, so he immediately apologizes when he senses Flyboy's not into it. But it turns out that Mitch was just surprised and his embrace of Spooky in the following panel is meant to show how he's accepting that his relationship with this version of Spooky is different.

Wherever that may lead...

The opening scene of Chapter One wasn't just for fun

Something I always try to keep in mind with my writing is what's sometimes called "the economy of pages"—meaning, for every scene, you try to accomplish multiple things at once. In the opening scene, Kanya had what at the time was meant to feel like a throwaway line about her relationship with the person she stole the magic shard from. ("We go way back..") It was meant to be a bit of character fun, but it was also giving Flyboy the information he needs to move forward once he winds up here in the past.

This is something I always have enjoyed seeing in other stories. My favorite example was in the movie Aliens where Ripley proves herself in front of the space marines by showing that she knows how to use a loader. In a lesser film, that would have been the whole point of the scene—it was totally a fun moment in itself that moved the plot forward. But in an excellent film like Aliens, it is also crucial set up for an even more awesome scene later.

This bit with Kanya's dialogue doesn't have anywhere near that level of import, but it is the kind of thing I am constantly thinking about as I'm writing the early scenes. And why it's so important that I know where I'm going with the story right from the start.

We get to meet Cassidy for the first time

By the time I published these pages, Teen Spooky's assistant was already well-established in our world, both in Chapter One and (originally) in the first two Patron-only short stories I wrote. But we'd never seen her in the comic pages. This was my chance to introduce her.

And she's a character—in every sense of that word. I put a lot of thought into what kind of adult woman would decide to be a Girl Friday to a 15-year-old wizard/monster fighter. She'd need to be fearless, unfazed by strangeness, resilient, resourceful, and—in a hopefully endearing way—a little kooky.

She's also a key to Spooky's origin story. Adult Spooky leans hard into the paranormal private eye pose—trench coat and all—and I wanted to show where he got that from. (It certainly wasn't Amanda!) It was vintage-loving Cassidy who both helped him find his purpose, but also helped the lost boy with no memories form his own unique identity.

Despite what Amanda says later, Cassidy never pushed this lifestyle on Spooky. But the movies she introduced him to, the way she set up the office and interacted with him, were tremendously inspirational and influential. 15-year-old Spooky had a burning desire to save the world, and ExSec was always going to hold him back. Cassidy never would, and that's why he became who he is today.

And Flyboy meets her, too, and freaks out a bit

Of course, in the future, Cassidy isn't around and it's heavily implied that something bad happened to her. Whatever happened is something Mitch is aware of, so this is the first time where he is confronted with a time travel dilemma. He might be able to save this woman, but only by changing the future. It's a tough spot for a superhero like Mitch to be in—and it won't be the only time.

Odds and Ends

There are a few other minor details I remember about this scene.

I recall spending more than a few minutes coming up with a plausible (but fake) name for a Northern California city and winding up with "Eucarista." There was a very specific real life city that name was meant to evoke—someplace large enough for a mob presence but not San Francisco—but I honestly can't remember what it was at this point. Any guesses?

I had Adam add that piece of printer paper to the door to Teen Spooky's office to show that the space has been recently leased—Teen Spooky is still very new at this and has had no time to have a real name stenciled yet. (Or, perhaps, no money since Cassidy establishes that they are behind on rent...)

We get a little hint that Teen Spooky is just starting to get some fame. But only in very small places like a college newspaper.

We have a little nod to the fact that Flyboy comes from money by the fact that he knows who the "Van Dumas" family is.

And finally, I hang a lamp on Spooky's work-in-progress "hidey spell" which I knew I'd need to reference later. It's what he uses to hide Ambrosia from Shades after he rescues her and ultimately means he can't track her himself. It's also the reason Shades can't just attack the office, which keeps it a safe space for quieter moments. (Mostly safe, anyway. There is that statue...)

Let me know what you think!

Anyway, those were the things I was thinking about when I was writing this scene. I hope you enjoyed revisiting it along with my own memories.

Please let me know your own thoughts below. It's your feedback that makes it fun for me to create these, so please jump in and share!

And thank you, as always, for making this comic possible. Sharing these scenes with you helps remind me of how much I love creating this story. And it's only possible because of your support.

Y'all totally rock. I'll post the next set of pages next Tuesday! I hope to see you there! :D