The Infinity City: Why write one comic when you can write two?

Actually I might just focus on this one. We'll see.

Anyway, this is an idea I've been kicking around for a while. Figured I might as well start writing it.
Basically, the Infinite City is just that: a city that goes on seemingly forever, and holds all sorts of Fantasy Kitchen Sink type stuff. Vague, I know. Work with me. The City is split into countless sections (called districts by the inhabitants) that all differ greatly in architecture, inhabitents, atmosphere, etc. The story will be written in Hellboy style mini series of 2-5 issues with a rotating cast of characters. Really this whole thing is a way to explore various genres and types of storytelling. The first two issue arc is a noir mystery called THE DETECTIVE AND THE KNIFE. Enjoy.

PART ONE:

PAGE ONE:
Panel one: The panel is completely back, except for the head and shoulders of a man that are being illuminated by a cigarette he's lighting. He's wearing a cheap tuxedo, and his brown hair is slicked back. This is THE SPIRIT OF THE CITY, the narrator of these stories.
TSOTC: You want to hear a story? Alright then.

PAGE TWO:
Panel one: We're looking at an alley way from an above angle. It's a shitty place, there's garbage by the sides, a homeless man lying drunk, and two dogs fighting over a bone. A man in a grey coat and fedora is walking down it, smoking a cigarette, with his back to us. At the end of the alley is a wall with a door on it.
TSOTC (v.o): This one was told to me a long time ago, by a man whose name I can't recall. It's a bloody story with an unhappy end. My favorite kind of story.

Panel two: Mid shot of the man, still with his back to the camera, as he knocks on the door. There's one of those slidey panels on the door that lets someone inside look out, currently closed.
MAN: Nick, open up. It's Mitchell.
NICK (from inside door): Fuck off Mitch.
MITCHELL: Come on Nick, I just want to talk to a few people.

Panel three: The panel on the door has slid open, and Nick is peeking out, though we can only see his eyes.
NICK: No, fuck off. Every time you come 'round someone ends up half dead and I get stuck paying their hospital bills.
MITCHELL: Nick, that's not fair. I'm just doing my job.

Panel four: The panel has slid closed again.
NICK: Go away Mitch. You're unwanted.

Panel five: Mitchell is exasperated, and leans one hand on the door:
MITCH: Nick, if you don't let me in right fucking now I'm going to break down this door and come in anyway.

Panel six: Beat

Panel seve: Same as before
Sound Effect: Click
MITCH: That's more like it.

edited 18th Jan '12 10:16:39 AM by rumetzen

Will we be seeing the districts interact with each other? Or is this just an excuse to genre shift again and again?

edited 18th Jan '12 2:33:28 AM by fillerdude

There will be interaction between districts, but in every story.

The spirit of the city? I like the sound of it!

How do the districts balance with each other?

If I understand correctly, the districts will interact, but the stories themselves are stand-alone. Am I correct?

I was about to ask that too. Though I do have an idea of what it'd be like, considering I have a couple of stories similar to this.

I really like the premise of an anthropomorphic personification of a city telling tales about aspects of what goes on within it/them/him. Sounds like you've been OD-ing on Gaiman... (Which is not a bad thing. At all.)

When you mean the districts interacting, is this reflected in the SOTC itself, as well? Or is that the punchline?

edited 18th Jan '12 9:28:04 AM by Euodiachloris

PAGE THREE:

Panel one: Looking at the door from inside the bar as Nick opens it and Mitchell walks in. Nick is a small, fearful looking man. We can see Mitch's face now. He's a tough looking, tall man with a square chin and a look in his eyes that says he's not to be fucked with.
MITCH: Smart.
NICK: Please don't kill anyone.

Panel two: Mitchell has walked over to a table, where three middle aged men are playing poker and smoking cigars.
MITCH: Don't worry, this is purely a social visit.
MITCH (Cont): Hey boys, how's the game going?
MAN ONE: It was going just fine til you came along.

Panel three: Mitchell moves behind the man, glaring down at him.
MITCHELL: Come on Harvey, don't be like that. Aren't we friends?
MAN ONE/HARVEY: My ass we are.
MITCHELL: Darn. And here I was hoping you could do me a favor.

Panel four: HARVEY throws some chips into the pot. Mitchell is pulling the cigarette out of his mouth.
HARVEY: I ain't doing you shit.
MAN TWO: Harvey...
MITCHELL: No, that's okay, I don't mind...

Panel five: Mitchell grabs Harvey by the throat with the elbow of one arm and pulls him up, holding close to Harvey's eye. Mitchell has a look of crazy glee on his face. Everyone else at the table reacts in surprise
MITCHELL: I think I can persuade him otherwise. Come on Harvey, feel like losing an eye tonight?

This story and the previous story seem to have a lot in common, atmospherically. Was that intentional, or do you just like writing stories like that?

Thanks, fixed.

I just like Film Noir. I'm going to try other stuff after this story though. Maybe Cosmic Horror.

Consider me interested!

The main issue with this that I see is that the city could very easily lack an identity. Which would be a huge problem if the setting is supposed to sell the story.

If you look at fictional cities/settings that audiences really connect with (Gotham, Mega City One, Sigil from Planescape, etc.) they tend to have a very strong personality, a simple gimmick and often a well-defined look.

I think a project like this would need a central character or maybe a macguffin to tie everything together into a cohesive whole while also allowing for a wide variety of stories.

Edited by Woosmo on Aug 29th 2023 at 12:14:55 PM