Batman Vox Humana Issue #1.5 Page 4
Page 4
The start of Joker’s first story. The art for the Joker’s stories should be completely different from the rest of the series. It should be heavily impressionistic and vivid in its colors. Also, the panels should be somehow broken, or no panel lines at all, with each scene blending into the other.
Location: Non-descript
Joker: You know, I’m a smiling kind of person.
Joker: Some people naturally scowl,…
Joker: And others always look sad,…
Joker: While others work oh-so-hard on that stern, authoritarian demeanor…
Perhaps use a picture of Batman for the authoritarian demeanor caption
Joker: But smile, and the world smiles with you.
Batman Vox Humana Issue #1.5 Page 3
Page 3
Joker (mocking): Batzarro stop crime! Batzarro stop crime!
Panel of Batzarro looking hurt.
Joker: Are you sad, backwards man? Are you sad?
Batzarro: Batzarro not sad. Batzarro happy.
Joker: You’re right. Silly me. If you’re happy and you know it…
Joker claps his hands twice.
Joker: You like stories? I like stories? No…wait…You hate stories? I hate stories? I won’t tell you a story, backwards man.
Batman Vox Humana Issue #1.5 Page 2
Page 2
Singing creeps it’s way into Batzarro’s cell.
Joker (singing): Hello, hello, hello…What a wonderful word, hello!
Batzarro perks up.
Batzarro: Goodbye!
Joker (singing): Hello, hello, hello…You can hear it wherever you go!
Scene: The Joker is holding onto the bars in the window of his cell, pushing his face through the bars. His eyes are wide and glittering. There is a yellow tint in their sclera. His hair is wild and un-kept. He smiles a gleeful, manic smile. His teeth are neat and his smile is wide.
Joker (singing): A stranger in a strange world can’t be nearer, But when you hear the hello song it’s dearer…
Joker: Or is it goodbye?
Batzarro (starting to smile): Goodbye!
Joker: Oh, you say goodbye, and I say hello! Hello! Hello! Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Batzarro (his crying starting to stop due to the distraction): Batzarro stop crime!
Batman Vox Humana Issue #1.5 Page 1
Page 1
Location: Arkham Asylum
Scene: Same as the last panel of Part 1.
Next Panel: From the front of Joker, Batman is in the background looking in the cell. Joker starts to laugh.
Next Panel: Batman leaves, and Joker is laughing uncontrollably.
Scene: Batzarro is crying in his cell.
Batzarro (sobbing): Batzarro stop crime!
What the Fuck?
So a customer of mine asked what the hell inspired me to write this thing.
Truth be told, it was my coworker, Zano. Zano asked me to write a Batzarro story for him to illustrate, so I wrote this story. I didn’t include a bunch of instructions because I trusted Zano’s creativity to make something awesome.
He never got around to it, but I still keep writing. There are a bunch more issues coming up.
So that is why there are not more instructions for artists.
And for those who are wondering why I have titled this story arc Vox Humana, well, you will just have to wait to find out.
Done with the First Issue
One of my friends, after reading this script, looked at me in horror and said to me, “You can’t do that to Batman! That is not Batman!”.
It amazed me how hurt he looked. He had been a Batman fan for as far back as he could remember and this script did not make him happy.
He was wrong though, I could do this Batman. I can do whatever I like, because this isn’t for DC, this is for me and is about what I want. Mind you, this is not necessarily the events I would like DC to have happen, but it is the characters as I understand them or would like them to be.
I would like a Batman who is a human being, and 52 presented a unique opportunity for that. Often times it has been portrayed that Bruce Wayne is an act and Batman is who this character is. Still, even if that were true that Batman was just playing the role of Bruce Wayne, any actor will tell you that a role develops a character and personality of its own, hence Jack Nicholson taking the time to talk to Heath Ledger about the emotional toll of playing the Joker.
And who is Bruce Wayne? Bruce Wayne is an asshole. A drinking, womanizing, and playful asshole.
But why hang out with Batzarro? Because Batzarro wants nothing from Bruce Wayne. Anyone else would either be looking for money or for Bruce to do something for them. Bruce Wayne is a man trapped by his own inheritance, for his inheritance makes any and all of his relationships suspect, and Batzarro is so clear in his wants and needs that their is no place for duplicity on his part.
Batzarro also has a desire, though, and that is to be Batman, and the closest he can get to being Batman is to hang out with him.
But what about Alfred? Hasn’t he wanted Bruce Wayne to stop being Batman since forever? Well, once Alfred sees that the Bruce Wayne act is no longer and act, but who Bruce Wayne is, he doesn’t like him much, either. Alfred wants a balance between the persona that is Bruce Wayne and the persona that is Batman, as both men are extremes.
But how does this relate to Batman being human? Human beings make mistakes. Some may argue that Batman does not, but he does, he just doesn’t when it comes to fighting crime. Batman/Bruce has screwed up so many relationships, mostly by simply not paying attention, and now is no different, it just has harsher consequences when it comes to Batzarro.
Of course, I am sure Keith Giffen will complain about this, but why the Joker? Why the hell did the Joker have to tie into this? As my friend had mentioned to me at one time, the Joker and Batman need each other. I don’t believe that. I believe the Joker feels a need for Batman, not vice versa. Since Batman was gone, Joker had to find some way to prompt him to come back.
DC and copyright
t was brought to my attention by a customer of mine that many comic authors won’t read writing submissions. This makes sense to me, because if an author used some material from a submission, whether intentional or not, the person who showed them their script could try to hold them liable. It is unfortunate, but true.
So, let me say now that if any comic author, artist, or creator wishes to use any idea, phrase, original character, or anything else from my fan fiction here, feel free to do so. I would appreciate it if you acknowledged that you have read this blog, but I will not be upset if you don’t. I put this up publicly for everyone to read, so screw it.
Also, what about DC? I don’t own any of these characters that I am writing and encouraging others to draw. Well, I think this falls under fair use. I know there is a ton of fan fiction out there, and if DC does not prosecute all of those people who write it, I do not think they will go after me.
Besides, if they do ask me to stop writing, then that means that they have read my stuff here.
Batman Vox Humana Issue #1 Page 15
Page 15
Location: Arkham Asylum
Scene: Batzarro is in a cell, curled up, rocking back and forth, and crying, with Batman in the background looking in. Batman leaves cell and goes to Joker’s cell. Batman looks in the cell window (which is in the cell door) at the Joker. The Joker is not facing Batman.
Batman: You got Cornelius out, didn’t you?
Joker: You forgot us. You forgot me…and when you have loved someone as long as I have, you can pretty much guess what they are going to do.
Batman Vox Humana Issue #1 Page 14
Page 14 (you know the drill)
Batman launches at Batzarro. Batman is trying to beat down Batzarro. Batzarro is just trying to stop Batman from hitting him. The fight should be ridiculously long and use lots of improvised weapons (like Jackie Chan and including the dead child’s body). The fight ends with Batzarro on the teacher’s desk, face terribly bloodied.
Batzarro’s eyes are watering and tears are running down his face.
Batzarro (blubbering): But…butt…unlike Batman, Batzarro stop crime…
Batman stops hitting Batzarro, horrified realization is etched across his face.
Batman Vox Humana Issue #1 Page 13
Page 13
Batman ties up Stirk and goes back to the classroom where the child was. Batzarro is there. Batzarro is holding the child’s body in one hand and the bone saw in the other. The child’s heart is on the ground.
Batzarro: Batzarro stop crime!
