HENCH
A Graphic Novel
Written By: John Pruner
Log Line
Russ Little, an angry young man with a grudge against Mr. Superior, Sapphire City's most beloved superhero, discovers an opportunity to exact his revenge when he becomes a henchman to the newest supervillain in town.
Sapphire City
A Metropolis slowly becoming a Gotham
Synopsis
Living in Sapphire City can be rough, just ask Russ Little. Orphaned and homeless at 13 because of the "Tartarus Disaster", Russ and his sister Aviana found themselves surviving on the streets until one day Russ happened
Orphaned and homeless in the aftermath of the "Tartarus Disaster", young Russ Little grew up surviving on the streets of Sapphire City, home to more metahumans than any other city on Earth. Fostering blame and hatred towards Mr. Superior, the superhero whose actions drastically changed Russ's life and took no responsibility for it, Russ and his sister Aviana grew up rough on the streets with the "wants" while the "want nots" of Sapphire City continued to overlook the the growing economic and cultural divide of the city. Young Russ's luck changed one day when after a series of events he became a part of a mafia family.
Russell Little
is a henchman living in Sapphire City… etc.
Major Themes
Framed as a revenge story, HENCH is about interrupting generational trauma by taking responsibility for one's own actions, seeking atonement, and the messiness of forgiveness.
Mr. Superior
What if Superman was a wife-beating misanthrope who got his powers by accident?
Intended Audience/Demographic
Sophisticated male and female comics readers between the ages of 20 to 45: Millenials, X-ennials, and Gen Z, raised on the likes of Watchmen and Akira who like subverting genres, complex relationships, and flawed anti-heroes seeking some kind of redemption. Readers who would dig The Breakfast Club meets The Boys.
The Outline
HENCH's story is told over 11 issue-length chapters:
Ch. 1: The Problem
ACT I -
Russ, Peter and Sweets are looking for blackmail material against the Takehashi clan when they are discovered by a rent-a-cop. There's a scuffle when a shot is fired and Mr. Superior shows up to investigate.
Mr. Superior is, at first glance, your typical comic book superhero: spandex, jack boots and a cape flapping in the breeze.
Superior makes a quick example of Sweets while Peter turns tail to run. Inexplicably, Russ stands his ground and comes out swinging against the metahuman who can easily take him down. It's at this moment that the classic set up of superhero beating up the bad guys is turned on it's head and the reader realizes that the protagonist of this story is the criminal and not the guy in the cape. After a brief, one-sided scuffle, Superior punches Russ into a flashback-
ACT II:
MIDPOINT (REVERSAL)
They have the same confrontation as in the original intro and Russ get's knocked out into a flashback where we're introduced to Aviana and him stealing from the mobster again. This time he steals a briefcase with money and a thumb drive inside as well as the cell phone. (Need to introduce Russ's notebook of metahuman dossiers early on here)
ACT III:
CLIMAX
Then we meet Scoop, Brick, and Pete. Scoop makes Russ an offer he can't refuse.
Russ is defeated and dropped off at jail by Superior