James Brighton Society, Chapter 6: Pages 1-2
Page 1, 5 Panels- Alley, Hart Senate Office Building, Washington D.C.
Panel 1-2: A two-part set of panels that focuses on the Detective's face in the same setting and layout that we left her in near the end of the previous issue. It starts in Panel 1 with her absorbing the story for a few long moments, trying to wrap her mind around what she's heard. In Panel 2, a second later, Tasha finally comes up with the words to react what had just happened.
CAPTION [Panel 1]: Alley Hart Senate Office Building 5 Long, Long Minutes Later DET. RANDOLPH [to Grem, Panel 2]: You've...never really explained why you became immortal. GREM [to Det. Randolph, Panel 2]: That's 'cause it's a long story in its own right. The gist of it though- I saw too much death in my young life, and I rejected it flatly. There was too much good and beauty in this world not to savor it...and bloody fight for it! DET. RANDOLPH [Panel 2, Bubble 2]: Admirable. How does it look on the outside as the years go on? Do you just get really gray, or stay youthful like Peter Pan? GREM [scoffing laughter, to Det. Randolph; Panel 2]: Don't rightly know. So far, (thank sweet Hera) I've stayed youthful with these lovely locks. Best guess is that's probably what'll happen here. DET. RANDOLPH [Panel 2, Bubble 3]: What about pain? How does that work?
Panel 3: Cut back to Grem, who is now in a full standing position in front of Ms. Randolph. He's picked up his trusty messenger bag and has it flung over the same arm where the wound was at the end of Chapter 5. His face though still displays a touch of wooziness and nausea as the poison whooshes up like torrential seas.
GREM [Cont.]: Oh, I still feel the pain every bloody time, from every blade and hard hook and chunk of wood that's dug in my back. An annoying drawback, but one tha... GREM [Bubble 2]: That isa...good trade-off for the you....
Panel 4-5: A two-part set of panels that moves to the same setting and layout as the previous panel. In Panel 4, the immortal Irishman's train of thought gets distracted by the need to puke to the right, unleashing a stream of red-brown liquid which splashes as it hits the ground. In the next panel, he leans back toward Tasha's direction with a sickly (yet better than earlier) smile as he speaks.
GREM [Panel 4]: WARRHGHHH! GREM [smiling, to Det. Randolph; Panel 5]: Oooo...I think I just tasted a grilled cheese. Or maybe Tartiflette.
Page 2, 5 Panels- Alley, Hart Senate Office Building, Washington D.C.
Panel 1-2: A two-part set of panels that starts out with Det. Randolph looking on at Grem, knowing that part the inventor had mentioned at the end of the first page. She takes a single step forward ready to help, which we see in Panel 2 as Tasha helps steady him up during another vomiting episode.
DET. RANDOLPH [knowing, to Grem; Panel 1]: The one from the mecha shooter in Briggs' office? GREM [Off-Panel, Panel 1]: Aye...that's him. DET. RANDOLPH [Panel 1, Bubble 2]: You get anything else while you were--? GREM [Cont., Panel 2]: HUHHHHHRGHH! DET. RANDOLPH [looking out in front of her as she speaks, Panel 2]: We can talk more at a place that won't be crawling with a contingent of my colleagues.
Panel 3: Close-up on Ms. Randolph's face a few moments later as the two of them move to the right with some semblance of speed to him. She's glancing over to her right where Grem is (albeit off-panel here), reaching for something that is also off-panel at the moment. You can see the glow of the sun shining on her face, reflecting from the windows.
DET. RANDOLPH [Cont., to Grem]: So, how do you work this thing? Do you just reach in and grab it, or do I need to picture it first?
Panel 4: Cut to a shot of Grem alongside her, straightening himself up once more to address the good Detective properly. He's regained once more a sense of healthy balance, along with a little more of his regular youthful color. The background behind him has the same rapidly changing style that we saw in the previous panel as well as the same glow of sun on his face.
GREM [nods, to Det. Randolph]: Bit of both, aye, Detective. A little tip, focus on what ya need. And try not to...let your mind wander when you're in there. Ya might accidentally pull out something that won't be helpful to ya. GREM [Cont., Bubble 2]: Take it from personal experience...picked chards of wood from my thigh for a week after I pulled that ham sandwich during a barroom brawl.
Panel 5: Back to Tasha in the same setting and layout that we saw in Panel 3. She nods with a decent amount of acknowledgment and apprehension to the piece of advice. Her hand already well inside the bag as she speaks, rummaging through its endless contents for what she needs at that moment.
DET. RANDOLPH: Good to know...