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David Avallone's Writer's Commentary on Bettie Page #4 – A James Bond Crossover?

Published Mon, 13 May 2019 10:30:20 -0500

David Avallone's has a Writer's Commentary on Bettie Page #4, on sale now from Dynamite Entertainment. David writes: SO MANY SPOILERS. Beware. This is for the folks who've read the comic. Go read it and come back. Are you back? Wasn't that so much fun? Okay. In we go.

Covers:

More wonderful covers. John Royle continues his fairy tale theme, and this time we get Little Mermaid Bettie. Delightful. He captures her so well. David Williams continues his circus theme, with Lion Timer Bettie. The lions haven't got a chance. Julius Ohta seems to be nodding towards this issue's Bond-inspired title, with Bettie in front of her own Royal Crest. The photo cover echoes Williams', with another whip-wielding Bettie, but the animals she's controlling here might be Homo Sapiens. And then Scott Chantler, with a delightful "did I dress properly for high tea?" cover, complete with Union Jack. All wonderful.

Page 1 & 2:

As I've said before… the primary inspiration for this series was discovering Bettie and Elizabeth were about the same age, and wanting them to have adventures together. Following the events of last issue… we find them above the Thames, in a stolen Bell 47 helicopter… confronted by a Flying Saucer. Possibly flown by the conspirators of Lord Harling, who faked an "alien abduction" of the Queen – using this saucer – to scare the British government into funding his anti-alien defense ministry. The code phrase "Umbrella" is what Harling was thinking of calling his organization. "Umbrella Dreadnaught" is the saucer, "Umbrella Leader" is Harling. The Queen's reference to Harling's "Oxford Tenor" and Byrne's "Edinburgh Bass" show you she's keen to English dialects and their points of origin. Byrne being from Edinburgh might tell you what famous secret agent he's based on.

Pages 3 & 4:

The chase begins! Julius Ohta's art in this sequence really delivers the excitement and emotion to make it thrilling. He's aided beautifully by Ellie Wright's evocative color (London at twilight) and Taylor Esposito's great lettering work. As always, Julius' character work, when Elizabeth and Bettie exchange a moment of sisterhood in spite of the danger on the bottom of page four, is exquisite.

Pages 5, 6 & 7:

The chase continues into the countryside! On page five… I love it when Elizabeth stands up for herself as Queen. Top of page six… "blimey" is a pretty common expression from the period, an abbreviation of "God blind me!"

Pages 8 & 9:
They crash near the ancient Roman ruins of Verulamium. When I originally planned this, I wanted to use Stonehenge (because… Stonehenge) but my commitment to a certain degree of reality got the better of me. At top speed, Stonehenge is a solid hour from London. No way that copter could keep from getting shot down for that long. Verulamium is much closer. Julius captures it very much as it still looks today. Next time I'm in England, I can't wait to go visit. Google Street view is invaluable for seeing every angle of a place like this on the ground.

Page 10:
These two again! "Mad as a March hare" is another fairly common British expression: common enough that Lewis Carroll makes the March Hare a character at the Mad Hatter's tea party. Byrne, ever the proud Scotsman, enjoys reminding the effete Englishman Harling that Scotland was never conquered by the Romans.

Page 11:
In panel 2, Julius really nails the likeness of the British actor who inspired Harling: a favorite in my childhood. Bettie goes for the old "use the flare gun as a weapon" trick that never fails. Julius set this up well on page nine, when you see Bettie stuffing it in her pocket. Which brings up something kind of funny, to me. This is a comic book about one of the most glamorous and beautiful women who has ever lived, and who was particularly famous for her fashion choices and her figure. And I've had her in drab British fatigues – or "Battle Dress" as they call it — for 2 ½ issues. I'm SO SORRY. But that's how the story worked out.

Pages 12 & 13:
There might be some who think this is a cheap way to save Elizabeth and Bettie… the arrival of McKnight and Lyssa to save the day. I think it works, because we knew we were out there, and of course they'd be looking for Bettie. I also set up previously that the UFOs leak radiation, and McKnight knew how to track it. A funny little Easter egg of sorts: the space-suited bad guys have Sterling Mark III machine pistols. Which had recently been invented in 1952… but were also the basis of the Stormtrooper blasters in Star Wars. These spacetroopers are 25 years ahead of the curve. McKnight, of course, has a reliable old Colt .45 1911A semi-automatic, as would any self-respecting government agent and veteran in 1952. Lyssa, on the other hand, doesn't need a gun to kick a double-oh agent's ass. She's just that good.

Page 14:
Surprise! A second UFO… or "oooh foe" as the British pronounce it. And the return of the grey alien Bettie clocked in the face at the end of issue one. His eye is still jacked, poor guy.

Pages 15 & 16:
The alien version of the fake spacesuits we've seen is appropriately cooler, thanks to Julius. Queen Elizabeth the Second slapping Harling is one of my favorite panels ever. His "I say!" on the next page is pure Terry-Thomas. Further down, Bettie and McKnight talk about the events of Bettie Page #8, volume one, and it's just as crazy as it sounds. It's why Bettie started this series with a dream about Gene Kelly.

Page 17:
The return of the Tunguska Star. Found at the site of the Tunguska Event, studied by the Russians, smuggled to the West, returned to the aliens… and now? Back to Bettie. So she can be ready for an "unfolding crisis." What unfolding crisis? JUST THE CRISIS ON INFINITE BETTIES, THAT'S ALL. Seriously, though, watch for BETTIE PAGE UNBOUND in after the final issue of this run (the next one) and all will be revealed.

Page 18:
Fortnum & Masons is the most luxurious and amazing department store I've ever been in. (My memory may be colored by last visiting there as an eight year old… but still. It's amazing.) If I were being sent back to outer space, never to return to England, I might want to have a shopping trip there with the Queen and Prince Phillip.

Pages 19:
I love this page. I love Bettie's "snooty" face in the first panel, her bow to the Queen. And her exchange with the Queen makes me tear up a little bit. Yeah. I know I wrote it. For me, this is the heart of this comic. The personalities of these two extraordinary real-life women, who I really hope I've done justice to. And the shopping aliens in the last panel add a much-needed gag to keep the comic from being TOO sentimental.

Page 20:
Julius is a guy who will just draw Waterloo Station and not complain about it. I love that about him. Next time? Loch Ness. And if you've been reading this comic, I think you can predict the next "famous entity" Bettie might run into in issue five… but I bet you'll still be surprised how it works out.

While I've still got you, I just want to add a special thanks to Kevin Ketner, my editor at Dynamite, whose hard work and diligence makes all this happen. You're the best, Kevin. (I know all the best Kevins, in fact.) Tune in next month, for LOCK AND KEY!

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