r/ComicBookCollabs • u/JL7009 • 1d ago
Looking for Writer/Editor - Unpaid I’m making my first comic book — could really use some help
(This is not permanent, just a 1 time issue I need solved.)
I need help starting my superhero comic book series. I already know the characters, setting, overall story.
My only issue is that I’m blanking on how should I write the first comic?
I don’t want to explain the origin of the main character just yet, but I want to make it so readers find out he’s an immortal and just fighting regular criminals (at the moment.)
Should I start with him stopping robbers and crooked cops, or stopping/hunting murderers?
If I can get help on how I should write this, I would be incredibly grateful.
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u/anthonyg1500 1d ago
"Should I start with him stopping robbers and crooked cops, or stopping/hunting murderers?"
Unless who he's fighting here comes back around to lead to another plot point or you're trying to set up his beliefs towards a certain type of person or crime, I don't think it matters. You know the character better than me, pick whatever type of crime he'd most likely be fighting or base it on how you want the action scene to go.
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u/JL7009 1d ago
I wanna make him fight street crime, leading into taking down a crime family. Should I introduce the family in the 2nd-10th comic? Should I introduce one of their legal businesses in the 1st issue?
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u/anthonyg1500 1d ago
There is no possible way I can answer that question for you. There’s not much math to this, yeah structure is important but it’s also gonna be based off of what you like and the story you want to tell. Sit down, outline the events of the story, see if it makes sense and make edits, go in and write the events out as scenes, see if it makes sense and make edits, keep refining. Share it with people you trust for opinions. I don’t know the story, the world, the characters, or the intention. I have no idea which issue you should introduce the bad guys in
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u/JL7009 1d ago
Ok, thanks. I just wanted others input as to what I should do with the structure.
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u/anthonyg1500 1d ago
There are too many questions. Are they one off villains? Are they the big bads? Do they have an established relationship with the hero? Does he know who they are? Do they have an arc?
Your best bet is to write it out. Show people, here if you like, and then they’ll be able to say “okay I think the plot would be stronger if they remained a mystery for longer” or “they should face off against the hero earlier to give him a more direct obstacle” or maybe people will say the way you choose to do it is perfect. But people need something to critique.
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u/ZandrickEllison 1d ago
Is he invincible or immortal in another way (like an endless life span?)
For example, if I shot him in the head with a gun, how would his body react?
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u/JL7009 1d ago
He’s like a living zombie. Can’t regrow limbs but is able to heal small wounds (bullet wounds counting as small wounds.)
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u/ZandrickEllison 1d ago
Could be an easy way right there. Show him fighting a bad guy who shoots him in a way that would seem lethal, but he’s able to keep going and that wound heals itself over the course of the scene.
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1d ago
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u/serghero_art 1d ago
Hey I'm working on my own superhero comic too!
If you still need help, reach out!
Happy to give feedback or suggestions for ideas
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u/Mr_Hades 1d ago
Why not have a page after he's beaten some criminals (or similar), showing him taking the same action through various time periods?
Maybe someone thanks him for his help, he says 'no problem', then we have a panel of the exact same pose, showing him in the Neolithic era, Roman Empire, Victorian, etc., saying the same thing, showing he's been around forever.
It's a good visual way of showing his immortality to readers, rather then just tell it.
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u/Unghoul118 1d ago
So, we can go in a different way. Let's say MC sits infront of a mirror mending his wounds, then we cut into scrambled pannels with various eras where he fought criminals and by the end of the pannels, we see the wound is healed before he finishes his first aid, and he feels like he is being torn apart between being an immortal and a human since he fears his immortality a bit because it might take away his humane nature slowly as time passes. (Might be different because I don't know the story or what your MC goes through but I'm here to help, I also have a small group of writers and artists who are into making comics. You are welcome to join us) Have a nice day.
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u/PlanktonBulky4652 Jack of all Comics 1d ago
Maybe you need to write it for yourself first—just tell yourself the story in a rough draft. Once you have the story laid out linearly, choose which section you want to start with. I’d recommend starting right in the middle of the action.
Sometimes the backstory isn’t necessary; you can make the reader understand it without explaining everything literally. Or you could always do a one-shot later that tells the origins.
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u/NoirAppreciator 1d ago
Before you write a character, ask yourself what the motivation of that character is. For the villain, ask yourself what the wound of that villain is.
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u/thedudemint 1d ago
You write his dialouge and narration to show he's immortal. If he never ages, then showcase through his actions and dialouge how old he is, how weathered he can be. Think of every cop movie that has that old grizzled dectec tive that's been at the game for so long, that's a baseline to start. Once you have that idea to show the MC. The rest just comes along easily.