Double Cross Scene Compilation - CH1 Pgs 15-26

Hey, y'all!

It's been a little while since I posted the last one of these. The first compilation post got a ton of response, but the last one only got a few comments. If you do like these scene compilations, please be sure to comment below. If there is strong interest, I'll do more of them, and more frequently.

And if you want to read the previous ones, you can find them on the TYP:DC Scene Compilation Collection page.

Anyway, onwards with the next scene! My DVD-style commentary is below the comic pages!

(The comics pages are full-resolution here on Patreon so feel free to zoom-in!)

OK! So, for me, this scene is actually when the comic really starts to get cooking. In the previous pages, we started with a brief action scene, got new readers caught up, and had a bit of microtension, but now things are getting real, real fast. We've set the table and it's time for the story to truly begin.

I don't always enjoy looking back at my own work, but I'll admit that I was smiling as I re-read this.

Here are some of the thoughts I had while I was writing the script for this scene and working with Adam and Vero on creating the pages:

This scene is all about building tension

Starting with a eerie church then creeping through a graveyard to find vulnerable kids in the clutches of an old enemy—here is where the tone of the story changes and things start to get serious. So much of writing involves the manipulation of tension -- building it, sustaining it, giving your audience periodic relief so they don't get numb to it (or pass out from exhaustion!)

My goal with each chapter is to slowly ratchet up that tension in a way that makes it impossible for the reader not to want to turn the page. And that applies on the scene level, too. We start off with our heroes on edge but still assuming this is something easily handled. (Or hopefully not handled at all, in the case of Cory!) By the end, they realize that all of them are in great danger—and totally on their own.

There was still a little housekeeping, though

Knowing what was coming, there were also a few things I needed to set up, especially for new readers.

That Spooky had been here before and had lost his memory. (And that it wasn't the first set of memories he lost.) That ExSec is terrified of magic and helpless against it. And for those who haven't read the Patreon-only short stories, who Cassidy was. Those things become important later.

(I also get to re-introduce the YP Communicator. That might just be important later, too... ;) )

We get to see how Adult Spooky reacts when faced with a serious threat

And that's something we can contrast with Flyboy's reaction in the moment and, later, with how Teen Spooky handles things.

Spooky has told Flyboy he learned some hard lessons in his teen years, and here is where we can see the fruit of that. Despite being just as emotionally provoked by the plight of the kids as Flyboy (frankly, even more so!), he doesn't just react. He holds back until he can get more information. He wants to have a plan in place before they act.

This is the Spooky who has served as a mentor to the younger members of The Young Protectors team. This is the Spooky who has paid terrible prices in the past for his impulsiveness. And, in this case, he is right to wait, because

We get to see the new, improved Platinum Priestess

The Coda of Engaging the Enemy told us what happened to The Annihilator, but at this point in The Young Protectors, we haven't heard what happened to The Platinum Priestess.

Now we know. She's still out there, and as dangerous as ever.

And with our heroes reacting to her appearance, I also get the chance to foreshadow that she and Spooky Jones, as the only two sane magic users on opposite sides of good and evil, share a lot of history. That becomes important later, too.

I get to throw Cory into the frying pan

Cory is scared of his power. Scared he's just going to cause more trouble. And just plain scared.

So, of course, that makes him the most fun character in the whole chapter! :D

When writing this, it was important for me to make it seem believable that he would agree to join the fight. Spooky might want a plan before he faces his arch-enemy, but our young wizard is still a risk-taker. And he believes in the potential of everyone. Flyboy, on the other hand, sees Cory as Cory sees himself—weak, incompetent, an innocent to be protected, and most certainly not a hero.

Their contrasting reactions give Cory the chance to decide for himself: does he run away and do nothing while his friend is in danger? Or does he trust his idol, Spooky, who says they need him?

It's a defining moment for him. And he chooses to step into it, which will have huge repercussions.

Most importantly, I finally get to show two dudes kissing!

Yes, the vibe of The Young Protectors is that it's meant to be an engaging superhero story, but I always want to show the power of two guys loving each other. That's a huge reason I became a writer.

One of the things I regret about the way I've set up my TYP stories so far is that romance is often on the back-burner (or, in the case of Kyle and The Annihilator, essentially a feint.) I come up with these stories years ahead of time before I publish their endings, so in some ways I'm locked into the genre I start with. And that's been mostly "heroic action-adventure." I'll always write action stories—I love it too much to stop—but going forward, I'd like to focus a lot more on romance. (Hopefully with Fallen, I'll get to do just that!)

But in the meantime, I'm going to lean into gay romance every chance I get. So, even though we've established that Flyboy and Cory are taking a break in their nascent love story, when things get intense in this action story, it's time to show what they really feel. And regardless of whether they are meant to be with each other or not, those feelings are real.

Even if it was just a few panels, it was a treat for me to be able to include that here.

What do you think?

So! That's the next scene of TYP: Double Cross! What do you think? What were your reactions to it? And how does it feel to read it in this format, all the pages together?

Please take a moment to let me know in the comments below, and I'll look into creating the next one!