When you guys read a comic book* or create your own, what do you feel the FIRST Issue needs to accomplish? What is absolutely key for the first issue to do?

* Assume it's a 24 page standard size comic book.

i.e. How much character development, setting, bad guys, etc etc needs to happen? How should it end? What should the reader learn? What shouldn't they learn? Cliffhangers a good idea? etc etc...

I'm curious what the average web comic reader thinks so I can apply this data to my future projects.

Thanks in advance... DD rules.

~Jerome~

In simplest terms; it needs to make the reader buy the next issue.

But to go into it a bit more... the first issue is often used to establish the "world" of the comic. Not necessarily the main character, though s/he can be introduced, the first issue often grounds the story in some way. A good way to do this is to start with something "exciting" happening that showcases what the world of the comic is like (be it the real world with a focus on a specific group, a fantasy world, or a science fiction tale). This doesn't necessarily have to be a "fight", but it should be something that readers will see and want to see the results of. Twenty four pages is also plenty of time to introduce a few characters, but some mystery should be left about them to keep readers interested. Oftentimes it's helpful to show the "tip of the iceburg" of some kind of overarching plot, even if individual issues can more or less stand alone. A premise of some kind should be either established or be building up by the end of the issue. Think of a pilot for a TV series; it may not have the drama and excitement of later episodes, but it "sets the stage" and helps to familiarize others with what they're getting into.

Getting the first page drawn. :P That is a challenge on it's own! The humor way can be pretty damn hard, especially since some people don't have a good sense of humor (and some people don't take jokes very well.) Starting the comic off with a good topic or a good idea. IS your comic serious? Is it humorous? Does it take wild turns or twists or is the comic calm adn down to earth. Think about the broad catergory your comic is and then chop it down to several little peieces until you have one tiny piece for the first page! RAAA!

>.>;

Uh, yeah. Establishing a good first page without overdoing it but catching the viewer's attention.

Yeah, the dynamic for webcomics and print comics is very different.

For a print comic, you basically use the first issue to establish your story, characters, and setting, but without making it seem as though that's what you're doing. You also have to establish the formula of the comic, which is the basic structure of each issue. If I were to do a print comic, I would forego any lengthy introductions and just present the story as if the reader has stepped into this world and then something happened.

The only difference is that the first major resolution of the story should occur before the end of the first issue. After that, you can slow the pace of the story down to give the reader more time to absorb the rest of the story.

For a webcomic, though, you don't really have "issues", so you kinda have to establish things more briefly on your first few pages. For example, I my story begin with the swift capture of a minor villain followed by a brief narration, and then followed by a more formal introduction of the supporting cast over the next few pages. In retrospect, I probably could have skipped the narration page, but that's water of the dam.

I do like to separate my chapters out into something akin to an issue, but they aren't structured the way I would probably structure a real comicbook.

I intend on making 24 page comic books. Though the primary place of publication is the web, I do intend on keeping the option of making them standard print comics.

Agree with Neil. Never make your 1st issue's introductions blatant. Nothing breaks the reader out of his suspension of disbelief more than realizing the author is talking to him or setting up a scene just for his (the reader's) benefit. It's practically an unintentional breach of the 4th wall. You don't see live-action movies ever doing this. Or at least, never blatantly.

An example of blatancy would be any opening scene of an Inuyasha movie...

"MIROKU, use your wind tunnel on that incarnation of NARAKU!"
"Right, SANGO, I'll do that now! How are you doing, KAGOME?"
"I'm fine! Where's SHIPPO and INUYASHA?"
Me: "STFU! I know who y'all are!!"

In the first scene of my (currently in production) story, no names are given. The only expositional narration is a poetic ramble which sets the mood but won't make sense until the tale is done. The scene seems like a random event even though all major characters are established. Only 1 name is given at the very end of the scene, and the reader doesn't even know if it's the correct name.

Aim for 22 pages, which is more the standard length. Then if the story runs long you have a 2-page buffer zone.

Mlai - What if I do what some people do? They have little name label bubble things on the splash page. I personally think it's kind of cheesy... but what do you think?

EDIT: I deleted most of this post because I explain alot of my plot in an upcoming comic and I'd just prefer it not to exist other than in my notes. =P thanks.

Actually I hate the little name bubbles - splash page device. It strikes too close to superhero comics for me, and I hate superhero comics in general (tho I do read some from time to time).

I try to envision my comics with the sensibilities of a live-action movie. For example, think of the movie Predator. When the black ops team was in the chopper en route to the enemy base for some wetworks, do you see a name flash above a team member whenever the camera roams to him? No. Because it would look stupid. So why would you do it for your comic? Because Marvel does it? That only means Marvel is stupid, not that you should follow suit.

However, there are movies/show which use a particular style so that such expositional type-on is ok. For example, in X-Files, whenever the pair goes somewhere, a computer font of the place and time pops onscreen. But that's ok because it's the show's stylistic device. You just have to use your judgement.

You could include a file of the team members (little passport photo with code name and specialty, etc.) being briefly read in the comic, as an in-story expositional device.

mlai
do you see a name flash above a team member whenever the camera roams to him?

I like how it works in Heroes. :)

Though they ARE trying to emulate superhero comics there, to an extent. ^_^

You could say that the superhero comics way is a stylistic device too, and that it's legitimate. It's just my personal distaste for superhero comics which would compel me to deviate as far from it as possible.

Reservoir Dogs did something stylistic as well in character introductions, IIRC. The camera freezes a frame, the name appears above the character, and a narrative ensues about that person in edgy lingo.

This is the most important thing for the end of an issue:

Always leave them wanting more.

Is it too much?

Write your script while imagining what each page would roughly look like. At the end count the pages and see if you have 22-24.

Hmm, if I could go back and restart my comic from scratch (which, by the way is totally NOT going to happen, or at least not any time soon) I would use some of the things I've learned to make the first issue a bit tighter. Still, I can tell you about how to introduce characters.

My favourite way to introduce a charater quickly and easily, is to have them doing or saying something which is the most typical thing for them to do and/or say when their first appearance is shown (the big 'unless' is if you plan to mislead the reader about a character on purpose, in which case, have them do or say something which puts across the image you want the reader to get of them). This is my absolute standard tactic, and if you read through my comic, practically everybody on their first appearance does or says something which is them in a nutshell.
In the same way, I think the first issue should be 'this is the series in a nutshell', which is where I feel the first chapter of FanDanGo fails, because it doesn't encapsulate things quite so well as I'd like. Setting the first storyarc as a manhunt in some woods was a mistake I came to regret, since though it sets up the plot a bit, it doesn't successfully say 'this is what this comic is all about'. Still, you live and learn...

Darth Mongoose
Hmm, if I could go back and restart my comic from scratch (which, by the way is totally NOT going to happen, or at least not any time soon) I would use some of the things I've learned to make the first issue a bit tighter. Still, I can tell you about how to introduce characters.

My favourite way to introduce a charater quickly and easily, is to have them doing or saying something which is the most typical thing for them to do and/or say when their first appearance is shown (the big 'unless' is if you plan to mislead the reader about a character on purpose, in which case, have them do or say something which puts across the image you want the reader to get of them). This is my absolute standard tactic, and if you read through my comic, practically everybody on their first appearance does or says something which is them in a nutshell.
In the same way, I think the first issue should be 'this is the series in a nutshell', which is where I feel the first chapter of FanDanGo fails, because it doesn't encapsulate things quite so well as I'd like. Setting the first storyarc as a manhunt in some woods was a mistake I came to regret, since though it sets up the plot a bit, it doesn't successfully say 'this is what this comic is all about'. Still, you live and learn...

Thanks for the honesty there. I think that's a good point about "characters in a nutshell". I think I'll go back over my script and see how I could execute your idea a bit better.

Thanks for that.

I think that may be too rigid of a character introduction. I think what DM is trying to do is to manufacture the most appropriate first impression that his character would present to the reader.

As we all know from interviews, 1st impressions are key. Same goes for fictional characters, I suppose. Except you have the luxury of presenting the perfect 1st impression that you want for the chara.

Just as you want your interviewer to know what you're about at first glance (motivated, sharp, courteous, well-dressed, etc.), you'd want the reader to know that your character has a purpose (whatever it is) in their first page appearance. The reader shouldn't be confused regarding your character, unless it's what you want.

I have to say, in reference to inkmonkey's comment that it has to establish the world of the comic rather than the main character... One rule of thumb with me is that in general, if a comic starts out with a complicated scenery piece (a castle, a mountain, etc etc) and a bunch of text about "The two people of this land have been at war for 300 years... blah blah blah" I generally stop reading.
The way to get people to continue reading is if you get them hooked to a particular character. So I'd have to say, establish an interesting, sympathetic character. For me in particular, my favorite part of Spider-Man was Tobey Maguire in school/at home. I always think personal lives are interesting. ^^
so yeah, characters!!!!!!!! Oh, and this is totally cliche, but end with a cliffhanger! (once again, my favorite kind of cliffhangers are things like someone confessing their love, or kissing, or getting into a fight... heh I'm such a girl... although I always love the "on the verge of death!" cliffhangers!!!)

oh yeah, just throwing this out there, I think that the most effective first page I've ever seen was the first page of Fullmetal Alchemist. (heh! I love fma!!) I had no idea who any of the characters were and yet I felt like crying! It wasn't too heavy on the eyes, it was depressing and bloody, and it summed up the entire theme of the series!
(it showed Ed and Al failing at transmuting their mother, and then it said something about learning about equivalent exchange.. the hard way.)

Your first issue is your first impresssion. Its a kind of make it or break it factor for new readers. Its essential that you intregue, hook, and reel in the reader quickly. Generally you want to establish the basic who, what, when, where, and why on a very basic level as quickly as possible.

the who is obviously the characters. You don't have to say their names tho to say who they are. Clothing, equipment, bodylanguage, body structure, hell their basic character design should scream something about who they are. Mercenary, military, high school teen, child, scientist, victim, etc. Name is secondary as long as the character is identifiable in their role. Its actually more intreguing often if you don't say their name. If you think of the beginning of most movies and often times novels, the protagonist is described first or shown in a situation that shows who they are before their name is learned. So the name isn't as important as the visual of what they are and represent to the story.

What are they doing? This again,should be pretty obvious pretty quickly established through compsotion of the scene. Ideally you want to either pick up with a bit of action. in the middle of a crisis is pretty good. Or perhaps in the immediate aftermath. Action is good because it engages the reader fairly quickly. Its exciting and intreguing. It makes people go "WTF? Whats going on here?" And thus they keep reading.

When are they. Modern day? An ancient wood? A futuristic city? A postapocayptic nightmare? This is usually best established in few to no words through visuals in the scenes already being presented for the who and what.

Where are they in the enviroment? In the sea? over land? in a tiny cell with rebels pointing guns at them? Again, composition of the scenes and scenery will help establish this at the same time as the above.

And then of course, the most important question, why the hell are they there? This is the question you drag out a bit in your introduction, this is the carrot on the end of the stick and probably one of the harder ones to master in terms of pace. You have to give the reader the answer to a why, but you definately don't want to give them all the answers at once, just enough to satisfy and ask another question.

Many people try to establish this through text, which if its a story, thats fine, but your visuals in a comic should say more than your words. Ideally you want to keep the words to a minimum to show of maximum art. A picture is worth 1000 words and you can convey a whole lot more with a good picture than trying to explain it. So you really do have to think about what is the really important information that the reader needs to know? Now you took down your synopsis, so I can't see it anymore, but from what I remember, the key information I would peg for the opening issue:

Who - a team of special operatives
What's going on? - They're in the middle of a shitstorm
When are they - Modern Day
Where are they - Can't remember, whereever they were fighting their way out.
Why - They just got had and their mission is boned.

I would probably write the first issue of them dealing with getting out of the situation they are in. The battle would be pretty exciting I think and would give a lot of chance to establish the remaining team as characters and the enemy they are fighting. I'd have them get out by the end of the issue to satisfy the 'fulfillment' of a compelete story, but I'd either slowly build up through the dialogue the characters figuring out they were betrayed, or save the full betrayal to the end to leave the readers on a cliffhanger as the now badguy member of the team gets away and leaves the others stranded. That way readers are invested in the team before it happens and then when the betrayal happens at the end they feel it more personally and deeply than if they were just told about it.

Its really tempting to try to put a lot of info into a first issue, but the key is 'give them only what they absolutely need to know'. Draw it out, draw the reader along. Just give them enough to leave them salivating and coming back to the plate for another helping. Never quite satisfying them completely but giving them enough to feel invested and interested.

Kristen Gudsnuk
"The two people of this land have been at war for 300 years... blah blah blah" I generally stop reading.

I find this funny and ironic (in a good way though! )
Why? Well....

Misfit Assassins
...takes place in a futuristic, dystopian world, about 300 years from present day. These three hundred years were filled with political turmoil...
...American society is dominated by two polarized political parties...

Heh. No, I'm not trying to be mean, I'm just pointing out an interesting similarity. =P

First issues are the most difficult issues to make and I understand that when I made my first issues for my two comics. However, both comics has different plot and storylines.

I must say my first issue, Billy Learns To Rock, is pure shit in my own words. What you need to do is create the enviroment your characters are in. Introduce your main protagonist and how does he/she do on average basis and try to twist it from here and onwards.

There are so many ways to establish the first issue. My second comic's first issue begins in a big city, Seattle, and a girl on top of one of a huge building telling you a brief about her past before we can go onwards to understand what will happen next.

First issues are like the launch pad for your comic, you need to find out how to launch it so people can follow its process. Create interesting characters which readers would love to follow him/her. You need to reveal things slowly and slowly to make people interested.

You reveal something in the story but not all of it. The ways to end a first issue with a good way... try cliff hanging or ending it in a way indicating that there will be more to come.