Dead Butlers, Page 3

PAGE THREE

Panel 1

At last we see Jerome himself. I don’t like the bald Alfred. This is not a bald Alfred. This is the gray-haired Alfred we tend to see in the movies, so he probably looks a bit like Michael Caine. He is standing behind the young Sonny (this is two pages later but of course Sonny can be distinguished from a young Hemingway because he has the signature bang curls of the young Dick Grayson), seated at an actor’s mirror.

CAPTION: When I first came to live at Hemingway Manor, Jerome took me under his wing.

Panel 2

Jerome standing in the wings of a school auditorium stage as Sonny stands in front of an audience.

CAPTION: His favorite thing to tell me, in the early days, was, “Sonny, life’s a stage. We all play our part.”

Panel 3

Sonny in the wings of the stage being embraced by Jerome.

CAPTION: “Sometimes it’s easy to understand our role.”

Panel 4

Jerome handing Sonny a very different kind of costume, Soul’s (as described previously).

CAPTION: “And sometimes it isn’t.”

Panel 5

Jerome admiring Sonny in another mirror, looking at himself dressed as Soul for the first time.

CAPTION: “But the thing is to play it to the best of our ability.”

Panel 6

Jerome watching as Soul walks off with the Ferryman.

CAPTION: “We won’t always be in control.”

Panel 7

Jerome reading a newspaper proclaiming the first public appearance of Ferryman’s sidekick Soul (SENSATIONAL FIND OF THE CRIMEFIGHTING CENTURY!).

CAPTION: “Sometimes we are merely the audience. That’s important to remember.”

Panel 8

An excited Sonny running up to Jerome after a night running around as Soul.

CAPTION: “We are not always the star.”

Panel 9

Jerome handing Sonny, in the same moment, a script book, indicating Sonny still has to memorize lines for the next production.

CAPTION: “But that’s okay.”