Comic Script: Blind Date

They said it was okay to post here, so here's my most perfect script (to date): “Blind Date” Page 1: There are four panels on this page, lined up like a square. The credits should be dispersed throughout the panels, like in a movie. Panel 1: We open on Diana and a military woman walking down a hall. The anonymous woman is gesturing with her hands, while Diana is watching her with a perplexed look on her face as if to say, ‘really?’ Woman: I mean, how is it even possible that a woman like you doesn’t have a hundred boyfriends? You could snag a man like Bruce Wayne with just a glance! I just don’t understand it! Diana: How do you know I don’t have a hundred boyfriends? You think I could afford my apartment on my salary? Panel 2: This is image from behind their heads, showcasing a glass-walled lobby that lets in lots of sunlight and is populated with various people going about their business. There should be a TV set in the far corner. Woman: Well, that would require evidence of a social life, evidence not writ in habious corpus. Woman: I mean, what the Hell? What do you do all day, work? You think if you did that you’d get promoted! Diana: What is this, are we still in highschool? Are byos the principal problem in your life? Woman: I am a human being, and human beings need other human beings. Diana: What about Wonder Woman? She doesn’t have boyfriends, at least none I know of… Panel 3: A wide-eyed man is front and center in this frame, the glow from an off-screen TV painted on his shocked face. He girls are walking up behind him, looking at each other and oblivious. Woman: Well, Wonder Woman isn’t human; she doesn’t count. Diana: She’s not? What is a robot or something? Woman: I thought she was from space or Heaven or the like. Human-shaped, but not human-born, right? Diana: I don’t think that’s right… Woman: It doesn’t matter: If she knows what’s good for her, she’d shack up with Superman. Panel 4: Close up of the two girls, Diana in front of the anonymous woman, twisting her head toward the TV, slightly surprised, while the other woman hasn’t seemed to notice her re-focus. Woman: He’s the only man worth— Joker: (off-panel, fuzzy balloon) …I sure hope Wonder Woman sees this, or these reporters died for nothing! Diana: I know that voice! Page 2: This page again has four panels, with a large one taking up the first half of the page, and three medium panels beneath it. Panel 1:This shows the electric image on the TV, wavelines passing through it and slightly distorting the image. The TV shows the Joker, sunken eyes sitting atop his endless grin, a dead hand gripping his own, mutually grasping a microphone held to his ruby lips. The arm trails off-screen, and a sizable building is in the background, decorated with palm trees and parking lots, ever some people walking around, oblivious to the mad man just a few yards from them. He has a purple overcoat atop his purple suit. Joker: I’m sure you’ll see it because I’m asking you on a date! I’ve always had trouble with this sort of thing, and this was the only way I knew I could handle it. Show up alone at Bendalini’s on 85th and broad at 8:00 sharp tonight. Joker: I’m not too afraid of rejection, you see, because I’ve got bombs planted all over the city, ready to end those trifling things people call lives with a flick of my wrist. Panel 2: The Joker has now jumped in front of the camera, grabbing it and shaking it about, while twisting his face into a look of joyful grimace. Joker: What’s that? You don’t believe me? I’m an old bag of wind that’s too washed up to do anything? You really don’t think I’d do it? Panel 3: Same angle, but the camera is more steady and he’s retracted now, pulling his features into a look of utter sadness. Joker: Maybe you’re right; maybe this whole idea had been an exercise in futility… Panel 4: Close-up on the Joker’s hand circled around a detonator, his gloved thumb pressing down on the big red button. Joker: (trailing off-panel) Maybe life just isn’t worth living... Page 3: This has three panels on it, one large one that takes (again) half the page, and two beneath it. Panel 1: He has turned the camera back toward the building,, which is erupting from the bottom, fire shooting sky-high, sending cars into the air, outlines of skeletons on the ground, bodies trailing smoke from out the windows. Any remaining facet of the super-structure of the building is cracked, crumbling and falling apart. All the trees are burning, and smoke is leaking into the sky. SFX: BOOOOOOOOM! Panel 2: Close up of the Joker, his head turned to the camera, the long point of his chin buried into the collar of his coat, pure gleeful menace in his eyes. Joker: Don’t be late. Panel 3: Nothing but the dying light of the camera shutting off, a profile of Saturn radiating its arms against an endless background. No dialogue. Page 4: The page has three panels, set up like a “T” Panel 1: Full body shot of Diana, stunned and wide-eyed, staring at the screen. The woman she was speaking with and anyone else in the room seem oblivious to her plight, conercerned to much with themselves to notice the panicked woman standing in front of them. She seems to be holding tightly to some files she was carrying. Various dialogue balloons are floating around like insects, annoying her. Woman: See that? The only date she can get is with an acid-scarred murderer! Man: Ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod! Someone else: You think she’ll go through with it? Random person: Why Bendalini’s? That place is terrible! One more person: Think he’s got this place wired too? Reporter: (off-panel) We’ll be running this message all day in the hopes Wonder Woman will see it. Panel 2: The image has moved closer, focusing on her, still stunned, still worried, her companions still wrapped up in themselves. Woman: All those looks-wasted on a madman! Am I right, Diana? Man: Ohmygod! Ohmygod! Someone else’s friend: Of course she’ll go through with it! She has too! Random person’s friend: Yeah, but he spends most of his time wrapped up in straight jackets. I hear asylum food is terrible! One more person: Naw man, I wouldn’t worry about it too much…let’s just hurry home. Reporter: Wonder Woman, please, for all of us: We need you. Woman: Diana? Panel 3: Close up of Wonder Woman, fixing some earings into her ears as she looks down. We’re in her room now, maybe with her bed in the background, the walls decorated with some kind of poster. Batman: (Fuzzy balloon, trailing off panel) Diana? You haven’t spoken. Diana: What? Oh, sorry Bruce. What were you saying? Page 5: 8 panels on this page, put up like a 3x3 grid with one large panel on the end. Panel 1:From Behind Wonder Woman’s shoulder, showing enough of her head to indicate she’s looking in a mirror. We can see she has her costume on, and now she’s looking down at her make-up table to select a brush. There’s a cell-phone citting on the table, set to speaker-phone. Batman: (on phone) I’ve told you how dangerous he is; I’ve told you how many times he’s had me on the ground. Diana: Yeah Bruce, but what else can I do? If he’s as dangerous as you say, he really will have those bombs planted. I can’t very well stand him up, can I? Panel 2: Profile shot of her upper torso, still looking into the mirror, the brush caressing her cheek exposed to the camera. Batman: (on phone) No, but it just seems like you’re whoring yourself out. Diana: My word! Batman: Have you given any thought to the situation of him asking to sleep with you tonight? Would you go through with it? Diana: Oh, he wouldn’t satisfy me Bruce…you should know that. Panel 3:Angle shot looking down at her face, now brushing the other cheek, her face inflamed by rouge. Batman: (On phone) I’m serious dammit! What if he wants you to kill somebody, or kill him? Diana: He’d just let my murder him? Batman: He’s insane Diana. Sometimes I wonder if he’d even notice… Panel 4: Looking into the mirror, framing Diana with her head pressed against her fist and her eyes closed in frustration. There is a backward poster in the background, confirming the view is from the mirror. Diana: God, Bruce, I know okay! I’m scared….scared that I’ll slip up, scared that he’ll kill somebody…scared that it’ll be all my fault. Batman: Okay, okay… Panel 5: Profile shot, opposite of the last one, Diana blacked out even against the bath of lights on her. All except her little halo is dark, but the area around her is in living color as she presses her head into her hands with that great crawling out the back. Diana: I’m not sure I can pull it off, and if I fail… Diana:… Batman: Calm down, will you? I’m not sorry, but you’ll do fine. Panel 6: Shot of Wonder Woman, similar to the mirror, but with the poster right-ways in this, for the image is not reflected. She has her fists clenched on the table, face angled down and readied in contemplation. Wonder Woman: I’m ready. I can handle this. I can handle him. Batman: I hope so. Stay in there and stay calm. Remember, he’s just a lunatic— Panel 7: Same image as before, though now Wonder Woman has a smile on her full lips. Batman:--face him like a man. Panel 8: In the Batmobile, looking up at the Dark Knight, armored hand on the shifter in the fore-ground, glazed white eyes staring straight ahead. Batman: I’ll keep in touch.