Crisis Weekly #11

PAGE ONE

Panel 1

In some ways we’re picking back up from Crisis Weekly #5 in that we are once again following Eduardo Dorado into the office of the Mexican president at Los Pinos.  Over his shoulder we can see that the Caballero has once again been watching old video footage, this time from Crisis Weekly itself, Jack Ryder’s show from way back in Crisis Weekly #1, in which Guy Gardner is refusing an interview (Page Three, Panel 8; whether or not Jack’s dialogue from that panel is also piped in can be decided by someone else).  Unlike the first panel of the series, the Caballero is watching on a tablet rather than his phone.  Eduardo is holding a thick file in his hand.

CAPTION: Los Pinos

EDUARDO DORADO: Mister President…

Panel 2

Eduardo is holding the file in front of him now.  The Caballero has turned to acknowledge him.

EDUARDO DORADO: I now have all the intel I need.  All your crimes are documented.

EDUARDO DORADO: I am here to formally request your resignation from the office of the president, Caballero.

Panel 3

Caballero has turned back to his tablet.

CABALLERO: I have already signaled for my guards, Dorado.

Panel 4

Eduardo is reacting in surprise as he is now surrounded by the aforementioned guards, some of whom are already changing into Man-Bats.

CABALLERO: You were always one step behind.  Useful.

TITLE: “In the Blood”

WRITER: Tony Laplume
 

PAGE TWO

Panel 1

Eduardo is whipping off his sport coat to reveal his magic cape underneath.

EDUARDO DORADO: So be it.

Panels 2-8

This is an intricate series of panels more or less in the style of Scott McDaniel wherein multiple appearances of the same characters are occurring simultaneously to indicate the rapidity of the action.  Eduardo, in full El Dorado mode, is disappearing and reappearing to battle dozens of Man-Bats, so that most instances of his figure are in the act of materializing in front of a Man-Bat, while some can be of his full body to indicate that he spends some time fighting them, too.  To be clear, there is not a single appearance of Eduardo in each of the six panels, but that he seems to be everywhere, as many appearances as can be fitted in.

Panel 9

The one thing Eduardo did not count on was the Caballero engaging in this fight, and this turns out to be an apparently fatal mistake, as he materializes directly in front of him, and the Caballero is waiting with a pistol, which he has pointed directly at Eduardo’s head.

CABALLERO: You lose, Dorado.

 

PAGE THREE

Panel 1 (splash)

The Caballero has fired his pistol at Eduardo, shooting him in the head, point blank range…
 

PAGE FOUR

Panel 1

Also in Crisis Weekly #5 we had seen Eduardo at the Mexican border helping immigrants.  Well, we’re back there, too, witnessing another mass of them crossing the wasteland.  This is an aerial shot from a distance.

CAPTION: The Mexican Border

CAPTION: After the Creeper fiasco (that’s what everyone else kept calling it, not me), I took a break from the Crisis Compact.

Panel 2

We’re pulling in a little.  From here we can begin to distinguish the migrants a little.  One of them stands out.  He’s a teenager, dressed better than the others, although he’s made a poor attempt to blend in.

CAPTION: Liger made one too many drunken passes at me, maybe. 

Panel 3

Pulling in closer, so that we’re clearly looking at the teenager directly.

CAPTION: I know them mean well, but still.

CAPTION: There are better uses of my time.  They were only getting in the way.  They helped me become a “superhero.”  Now maybe I can become a better one.

Panel 4

Bats have begun to swarm, and we see Man-Bats in the sky in the distance.  The teenager looks around in alarm.

CAPTION: This, by the way, is the son of the Mexican president, the Caballero.  His name is Ezrah.  Don’t judge him by the sins of his father.

 

PAGE FIVE

Panel 1

Bulletproof has dived in front of Ezrah, shielding him from bats and the advancing Man-Bats.  Clearly it was our old friend Rachel Rogerson providing caption commentary last page.

BULLETPROOF: Look out!

Panel 2

The bats have really started to blanket Bulletproof and Ezrah, so that we can barely see them.

Panel 3

The bats have dissipated, but now Bulletproof and Ezrah have Man-Bats to contend with!  After Crisis Weekly, you’ll never want to see Man-Bats again!  Bulletproof is doing her best to shield Ezrah.

BULLETPROOF: Stay close.

Panel 4

Bulletproof has begun battling the Man-Bats.

BULLETPROOF: I’m sort of new to this, Ezrah, but I should be able to protect you.

Panel 5

Ezrah has entered the fight!  He lets loose a martial arts kick at one of the Man-Bats.  Bulletproof looks at him in surprise.

Panel 6

Ezrah and Bulletproof continue to fight Man-Bats.

EZRAH: Thanks, but I can take care of myself in a scrap, too.

PAGE SIX

Panel 1

Bulletproof and Ezrah are now surrounded by US border patrol agents.  There is one Man-Bat still around, but it is entirely passive.  There is also a mass of migrants just behind them, with other agents among them.

EZRAH: The one perk of being the son of a psychopath like the Caballero is the immunity it brings, when that psychopath got himself elected Mexican president.

Panel 2

The border agents are now serving as an escort for Ezrah’s group.  They have dubious expressions on their face.

EZRAH: Immunity for me, and for my close personal friends.

EZRAH: Right, fellas?

Panel 3

Close-up of Ezrah and Bulletproof as the group continues onward.

RACHEL ROGERSON: Wow.  I have no idea what’s going on right now.

Panel 4

Ezrah and Bulletproof continue to talk.

EZRAH: Earlier today, Mexico’s best chance at redemption just failed.  My father thwarted El Dorado’s efforts to arrest him.  I had no choice but to escape.

 

PAGE SEVEN

Panel 1

Bulletproof is gesturing toward the Man-Bat hovering above them.

RACHEL ROGERSON: Yeah, but what about him?

Panel 2

The Man-Bat has touched down to the ground next to Ezrah.

EZRAH: Manny?

EZRAH: You don’t have to worry about him.  Not a White Martian!  Not a Caballero thug!

EZRAH: Manny’s my friend.

Panel 3

Now it’s Bulletproof’s turn to sport a dubious expression.

BULLETPROOF: Friend?

EZRAH: My father experimented on a lot of subjects before he perfected his Man-Bat formula.  Most of them died.  The ones that didn’t couldn’t revert back to human form, and most of them were severely brain damaged.

Panel 4

Manny is smiling.

EZRAH: Anyway, he’s my friend.  I couldn’t save all of them.  He helped me accomplish anything at all.  End of story.

 

PAGE EIGHT

Panel 1

The border agents look on in dismay as the bulk of the migrants disperse as the group reaches civilization in America.  Ezrah looks entirely pleased with himself.

EZRAH: Much gratitude, my friends!

Panel 2

Bulletproof is staring at Ezrah.

Panel 3

Bulletproof and Ezrah walk through town talking.

RACHEL ROGERSON: I went to Mexico to rescue you, you know.

EZRAH: And thanks for that, too!

RACHEL ROGERSON: You’re welcome.

Panel 4

They continue to walk.

EZRAH: Might’ve rescued El Dorado, you know.  Would’ve been better for everyone.

Panel 5

They continue to walk.

RACHEL ROGERSON: I don’t know about that.

Panel 6

They continue to walk.

RACHEL ROGERSON: My name’s Rachel, by the way.

EZRAH: I know.  You’re sort of famous, “Bulletproof.”

RACHEL ROGERSON: You’re really obnoxious, Ezrah.

EZRAH: I know.

RACHEL ROGERSON: Dorado isn’t dead.  He meant to be captured.

EZRAH: I know that, too.

RACHEL ROGERSON: I hate you.

EZRAH: I know that, too!