JUNE 2010

AMERICAN JUSTICE COMICS #444

"THE OUTLAW RETURNS!"

Page 1.

Panel 1:
CLOSE: Foreground; The Masked head of the OUTLAW, wearing a "wharf-rat" hat. Background; shadow.

Caption: I am an outlaw.

Panel 2:
CLOSE: Foreground; Colt Single Action Army Six Shooter, in the OUTLAW's gloved hand, pointed at viewer.

Caption: My actions are illegal.

Panel 3:
WIDE: Foreground; In profile, the OUTLAW stands pointing the Colt Single Action Army down at a cringing MAN in his sixties,wearing a business suit. Mid-ground; Overturned desk and office chairs, paper, files and potted plants strewn about, a general mess, the kind that happens after a particularly violent donnybrook. Background; A large BLACK MAN wearing parachute pants and a white "wife-beater" t-shirt lays face down amidst the rubble of a shattered door. Behind him half a door hangs on it's hinges.

Caption: I do not do this for words like "right" or "wrong".

Page 2.

Panel 1:
Foreground; LEFT; In CLOSE, rear of OUTLAW's head and hat. Mid-ground; broken glass, strewn papers on the floor. Background; RIGHT; Overturned desk, A WOMAN with a torn business skirt and shirt huddles next to the desk. She is attempting to hold her torn shirt together across her breast.

Caption: I do not do this to protect the weak.

Panel 2:
CLOSE: The OUTLAW's gloved finger on the trigger of the Colt Single Action Army.

Caption: I do this because it is what I was born to do.

Panel 3:
EXTREME CLOSE: The masked "eyes" of the OUTLAW.

Caption: I do this for myself.

Page 3.

Panel 1:
FULL: The MAN in business suit, cowering amidst the debris of the office, his back is against a wall. The wall has water stains dripping down to floor. A puddle of water and a shattered potted plant at the MAN's feet.

Caption: This man is a rapist.

Panel 2:
(PHOTO REPLICA) FULL: The MAN driving fancy sports car. Large BLACK MAN sits next to him all bodyguard. MAN is on a cell phone, appears pleased.

Panel 3:
(PHOTO REPLICA) WIDE (Angle down from 30' up): MAN; on cell phone, carrying briefcase into high rise office building. BLACK MAN follows, still all bodyguard. Pedestrians mill about on sidewalk.

Panel 4:
(PHOTO REPLICA) WIDE: Foreground; Barred gates, Two Pedestrians walking LEFT. Mid-ground; Front of posh restaurant, brick-face, Italian, large window. BLACK MAN body-guarding it outside near window, open jacket reveals shoulder holster. Background; through window, MAN sits smiling across table at attractive WOMAN eating spaghetti.

Caption (stretches across Panel 2,3,4): I've watched him for three months.

Panel 5:
FULL: Standing behind a JANITORIAL CLEANING WAGON, dressed in a JANITOR JUMPSUIT, the OUTLAW, facing viewer, taking picture with a 35mm camera.

Caption: Tonight he showed his true self.

Panel 6:
(PHOTO REPLICA/BLURRY) FULL: Foreground; The MAN tearing at WOMAN's clothes. WOMAN resisting. BLACK MAN holds WOMAN by the arms. Background; Door to posh office, potted plants on either side.

Page 4.

Panel 1:
CLOSE: MAN in business suit, crying, hands held up, toward viewer, in defense.

MAN: Please don't.

Caption: He starts talking, thinking it will help him.

Panel 2:
MID: OUTLAW pointing Colt Single Action Army at viewer.

Caption: Thinking it will stay my hand.

Panel 3:
MID: MAN still crying, hands in pleading prayer.

MAN: I didn't mean any harm.

Panel 4:
CLOSE: WOMAN, dress torn, trying to hold her blouse together, tearful and angry.

Caption: He doesn't understand.

Panel 5;
CLOSE: MAN, hands down, looks up at viewer remorseful.

MAN: I can't stop myself.

Panel 6:
(PHOTO REPLICA/BLURRY (same as pg.3,pnl. 6)) CLOSE: MAN ripping WOMAN's blouse. WOMAN's breast exposed.

Caption: He is weak.

Page 5. (Entire page rendered in 1970's style, reminiscent of George Tuska)

Panel 1:
FULL: MAN in business suit, younger thirties, side-burned, 70's wide tie, ripping clothes off a young BLACK WOMAN (looking all PAM GRIER).

Caption: I tell him what he did to my mother.

Panel 2:
WIDE: Foreground; BLACK WOMAN, torn clothes, head shoved into dirty mattress, angry, teeth grit. Mid-ground; MAN thrusting at her from behind. Looks pleased. Back ground; Walls of a wooden shack, Two "hillbilly" white men stand looking on laughing.

Caption: She never told me about him while she lived.

Panel 3:
CLOSE: BLACK WOMAN's face, ANGRY!

Caption: I found her journals later.

Panel 4:
CLOSE: Same as previous panel, though a solitary tear falls down her cheek.

Caption: At first I hated her for keeping this...

Panel 5:
CLOSE: MAN's face, vicious and happy.

Caption: I came to understand her reasons.

Page 6.

Panel 1:
CLOSE: MAN (sixty), pleading, in tears.

Caption: I'm going to shoot this man down.

Panel 2:
CLOSE: Colt Single Action Army Six-Shooter in OUTLAW's gloved hand.

Caption: With these.

Panel 3:
Foreground;LEFT; WESTERN OUTLAW, rear shot, firing toward background. Mid-ground; CENTER; smoke billows from WESTERN OUTLAW's Colt Action Army Six-shooters. Three severed fingers fly through the air. Background; Two duded up western cowpokes, one gut shot and cringing, the other holding up a hand in defense, three of his fingers are blown off, the hand is bloody.

Caption: These guns have killed many rapists.

Panel 4:
CLOSE: Waist of WESTERN OUTLAW, hands crossed at belt buckle, gun holsters hang at hips, duster open and back.

Caption: They are the weapons of the Outlaw.

Panel 5:
The MODERN OUTLAW pointing barrel of his Colt Single Action Army at viewer. (EXTREME CLOSE on barrel in Foreground, foreshorten rest.)

Caption: I am the Outlaw.

Panel 6-8:
CLOSE: Head to MID shots of 1950's, ,'60's, '70's and '90's OUTLAWS firing guns.

Caption (stretches across all panels): Many hands have held these weapons over the years. Many stories have been told about them.

Page 7.

Panel 1:
WIDE: Foreground; HISPANIC MAN in "showbiz" style 1950's cowboy getup, embroidered and fringy, opening the lid of a dusty ancient looking treasure chest. Rays of light pour from the chest and illuminate the surprised face of the HISPANIC MAN. Back ground; Cave walls covered in undecipherable runic script.

Caption: Some say the guns are magical.

Panel 2:
Foreground; GRIM 90's OUTLAW, bandaged hands and face, bullet riddled t-shirt, camo BDU pants, guns blazing fire and smoke,leaping forward. Background; Pair of DEMONIC EYES float in the shadowy black.

Caption: Other's tell that a demon has claim over them.

Panel 3:
(B&W PEN & INK ILLUSTRATION, circa style: 1938): FULL: 1930's OUTLAW; tall, gangly, dark overcoat, "wharf-rat" hat pulled low, black scarf over nose and mouth. Holsters buckled out side of coat. Brandishing pair of Colt Single Action Army Six Shooters.

Caption: This is the truth.

Panel 4:
FULL: Two COLT SINGLE ACTION ARMY SIX-SHOOTERS, slightly weathered.

Caption: They've merely been taken up by determined people.

Page 8.

Panel 1:
CLOSE: Foreground; Hand; middle, ring and pinky finger missing, bloody stumps remain, held up toward viewer in "defensive" gesture. Background; Smoke.

Caption: They do not always hit their mark.

Panel 2:
CLOSE: OUTLAW's masked face inches form MAN's. Colt Single Action Army pressed into MAN's face. MAN, eyes shut, face turned toward viewer, pathetically crying.

Caption: But at this range I wont have to worry about that.

Panel 3-6 (one large image split into 4 panels, caption in each panel):
OUTLAW stands LEFT, pointing his gun at MAN, cowering bottom RIGHT. Strewn papers, broken pottery ground around and between. Background; Shadow.

Caption 1: This is more than revenge.

Caption 2: This is more than justice.

Caption 3: This is fate.

Caption 4: this is the fate of a rapist.

Page 9.

Panel 1:
CLOSE: OUTLAW's masked face.

Caption: I am the Outlaw.

Panel 2:
FULL: SILHOUETTE; OUTLAW jumping between buildings.

Caption: My actions are illegal.

Panel 3:
WIDE: Foreground; WOMAN and two POLICE OFFICERS standing, WOMAN draped in blanket, sipping from steaming cup. POLICE OFFICERS writing in pad, scratching head. Background; Fire-truck and police cars, flashing lights, uniformed men rush about.

Caption: The Law does not have all the answers.

Panel 4:
FULL: Smashed office door and potted plants, criss-crossed with CAUTION-CRIME SCENE-POLICE tape. The shattered glass of the door reads:

EVLIN,
PRATE LAW

Caption: Somethings a person must answer for themselves.

Panel 5:
WIDE: Smashed office; overturned desk, papers strewn about, large BLACK MAN face down amid debris. MAN, sitting in shadow, legs visible.

Caption: This man raped my mother.

Panel 6:
CLOSE: MAN, torso and shoulders, blood spattered shirt and tie.

Caption: This rapist is my father.

Panel 7:
CLOSE: Foreground; MAN, head lolled to LEFT, right eye missing, bloody shot wound, top of head also missing, blood covers face. Background; Shadowy wall immediately behind, blood and small chunks of brain and skull slide down wall.

Caption: My father is dead.

END.