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Panel One: Comic Book Scripts By Top Writers (Panel One Scripts by Top Comics Writers Tp
Contains annotations, plots, interviews, and scripts by many of comics' hottest writers, including Kurt Busiek, Neil Gaiman, Greg Rucka, Kevin Smith, Jeff Smith, Marv Wolfman, and more.
200 pages, Paperback
First published March 8, 2002
3 people are currently reading
179 people want to read
About the author
Kurt Busiek
1,958 books621 followersKurt Busiek is an American comic book writer notable for his work on the Marvels limited series, his own title Astro City, and his four-year run on Avengers.
Busiek did not read comics as a youngster, as his parents disapproved of them. He began to read them regularly around the age of 14, when he picked up a copy of Daredevil #120. This was the first part of a continuity-heavy four-part story arc; Busiek was drawn to the copious history and cross-connections with other series. Throughout high school and college, he and future writer Scott McCloud practiced making comics. During this time, Busiek also had many letters published in comic book letter columns, and originated the theory that the Phoenix was a separate being who had impersonated Jean Grey, and that therefore Grey had not died—a premise which made its way from freelancer to freelancer, and which was eventually used in the comics.
During the last semester of his senior year, Busiek submitted some sample scripts to editor Dick Giordano at DC Comics. None of them sold, but they did get him invitations to pitch other material to DC editors, which led to his first professional work, a back-up story in Green Lantern #162 (Mar. 1983).
Busiek has worked on a number of different titles in his career, including Arrowsmith, The Avengers, Icon, Iron Man, The Liberty Project, Ninjak, The Power Company, Red Tornado, Shockrockets, Superman: Secret Identity, Thunderbolts, Untold Tales of Spider-Man, JLA, and the award-winning Marvels and the Homage Comics title Kurt Busiek's Astro City.
In 1997, Busiek began a stint as writer of Avengers alongside artist George Pérez. Pérez departed from the series in 2000, but Busiek continued as writer for two more years, collaborating with artists Alan Davis, Kieron Dwyer and others. Busiek's tenure culminated with the "Kang Dynasty" storyline. In 2003, Busiek re-teamed with Perez to create the JLA/Avengers limited series.
In 2003, Busiek began a new Conan series for Dark Horse Comics, which he wrote for four years.
In December 2005 Busiek signed a two-year exclusive contract with DC Comics. During DC's Infinite Crisis event, he teamed with Geoff Johns on a "One Year Later" eight-part story arc (called Up, Up and Away) that encompassed both Superman titles. In addition, he began writing the DC title Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis from issues 40-49. Busiek was the writer of Superman for two years, before followed by James Robinson starting from Superman #677. Busiek wrote a 52-issue weekly DC miniseries called Trinity, starring Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. Each issue (except for issue #1) featured a 12-page main story by Busiek, with art by Mark Bagley, and a ten-page backup story co-written by Busiek and Fabian Nicieza, with art from various artists, including Tom Derenick, Mike Norton and Scott McDaniel.
Busiek's work has won him numerous awards in the comics industry, including the Harvey Award for Best Writer in 1998 and the Eisner Award for Best Writer in 1999. In 1994, with Marvels, he won Best Finite Series/Limited Series Eisner Award and the Best Continuing or Limited Series Harvey Award; as well as the Harvey Award for Best Single Issue or Story (for Marvels #4) in 1995. In 1996, with Astro City, Busiek won both the Eisner and Harvey awards for Best New Series. He won the Best Single Issue/Single Story Eisner three years in a row from 1996–1998, as well as in 2004. Busiek won the Best Continuing Series Eisner Award in 1997–1998, as well as the Best Serialized Story award in 1998. In addition, Astro City was awarded the 1996 Best Single Issue or Story Harvey Award, and the 1998 Harvey Award for Best Continuing or Limited Series.
Busiek was given the 1998 and 1999 Comics Buyer's Guide Awards for Favorite Writer, with additional nominations in 1997 and every year from 2000 to 2004. He has also received numerous Squiddy Awards, having been selected as favorite writer four years in a row from 1995 to 1998,
Busiek did not read comics as a youngster, as his parents disapproved of them. He began to read them regularly around the age of 14, when he picked up a copy of Daredevil #120. This was the first part of a continuity-heavy four-part story arc; Busiek was drawn to the copious history and cross-connections with other series. Throughout high school and college, he and future writer Scott McCloud practiced making comics. During this time, Busiek also had many letters published in comic book letter columns, and originated the theory that the Phoenix was a separate being who had impersonated Jean Grey, and that therefore Grey had not died—a premise which made its way from freelancer to freelancer, and which was eventually used in the comics.
During the last semester of his senior year, Busiek submitted some sample scripts to editor Dick Giordano at DC Comics. None of them sold, but they did get him invitations to pitch other material to DC editors, which led to his first professional work, a back-up story in Green Lantern #162 (Mar. 1983).
Busiek has worked on a number of different titles in his career, including Arrowsmith, The Avengers, Icon, Iron Man, The Liberty Project, Ninjak, The Power Company, Red Tornado, Shockrockets, Superman: Secret Identity, Thunderbolts, Untold Tales of Spider-Man, JLA, and the award-winning Marvels and the Homage Comics title Kurt Busiek's Astro City.
In 1997, Busiek began a stint as writer of Avengers alongside artist George Pérez. Pérez departed from the series in 2000, but Busiek continued as writer for two more years, collaborating with artists Alan Davis, Kieron Dwyer and others. Busiek's tenure culminated with the "Kang Dynasty" storyline. In 2003, Busiek re-teamed with Perez to create the JLA/Avengers limited series.
In 2003, Busiek began a new Conan series for Dark Horse Comics, which he wrote for four years.
In December 2005 Busiek signed a two-year exclusive contract with DC Comics. During DC's Infinite Crisis event, he teamed with Geoff Johns on a "One Year Later" eight-part story arc (called Up, Up and Away) that encompassed both Superman titles. In addition, he began writing the DC title Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis from issues 40-49. Busiek was the writer of Superman for two years, before followed by James Robinson starting from Superman #677. Busiek wrote a 52-issue weekly DC miniseries called Trinity, starring Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. Each issue (except for issue #1) featured a 12-page main story by Busiek, with art by Mark Bagley, and a ten-page backup story co-written by Busiek and Fabian Nicieza, with art from various artists, including Tom Derenick, Mike Norton and Scott McDaniel.
Busiek's work has won him numerous awards in the comics industry, including the Harvey Award for Best Writer in 1998 and the Eisner Award for Best Writer in 1999. In 1994, with Marvels, he won Best Finite Series/Limited Series Eisner Award and the Best Continuing or Limited Series Harvey Award; as well as the Harvey Award for Best Single Issue or Story (for Marvels #4) in 1995. In 1996, with Astro City, Busiek won both the Eisner and Harvey awards for Best New Series. He won the Best Single Issue/Single Story Eisner three years in a row from 1996–1998, as well as in 2004. Busiek won the Best Continuing Series Eisner Award in 1997–1998, as well as the Best Serialized Story award in 1998. In addition, Astro City was awarded the 1996 Best Single Issue or Story Harvey Award, and the 1998 Harvey Award for Best Continuing or Limited Series.
Busiek was given the 1998 and 1999 Comics Buyer's Guide Awards for Favorite Writer, with additional nominations in 1997 and every year from 2000 to 2004. He has also received numerous Squiddy Awards, having been selected as favorite writer four years in a row from 1995 to 1998,
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 22, 2020
It’s cool to see how different writers format their scripts. And I have to say I was a bit impressed with myself that I did a pretty decent job on my first comics script recently.
One thing I took away was what Kirt Busiek said he learned from Frank Miller.
"…I had an unpublished script of his, and I’d noted how his panel descriptions almost always focused first and foremost on the one story moment that was most important to the panel, and filled in any extra details - settings, background, mood, whatever - afterward. Instead of describing the picture he envisioned, he was describing what the reader should see first, describing the moment, and it made the script cleaner, tighter and easer to follow. So I’ve tried to do that ever since, and it made my scripts that much better, that much more about story than about description."
One thing I took away was what Kirt Busiek said he learned from Frank Miller.
"…I had an unpublished script of his, and I’d noted how his panel descriptions almost always focused first and foremost on the one story moment that was most important to the panel, and filled in any extra details - settings, background, mood, whatever - afterward. Instead of describing the picture he envisioned, he was describing what the reader should see first, describing the moment, and it made the script cleaner, tighter and easer to follow. So I’ve tried to do that ever since, and it made my scripts that much better, that much more about story than about description."
May 1, 2009
Nine very different approaches do a great job of answering the vexing question, "How do you write a comic book script?" In fact, I wish I'd stumbled across this book a few years ago when I was struggling to write my graphic novel script. It would have stopped my stalling by several hours. However, it has given me ideas on how to tweak my script format the next time I write a graphic novel script.
Now I need to get my hands on Panel Two.
Now I need to get my hands on Panel Two.
August 5, 2021
glad for the examples of different formats for the same end product of making a comic or graphic novel. but without the visuals some of it is soooo boring.
December 23, 2020
Nice book that shows the different types of script format used for books.
April 20, 2022
Panel One was a great resource for building my confidence in entering the graphic novel market.
May 22, 2025
All the scripts were awesome. Some really great creators and whether your a writer or a comic reader, should be enjoyable.
January 3, 2013
Panel One Comic Book Scripts by Top Writers is a collection of comics scripts; I see its usefulness to aspiring comic script writers--to see how various styles of professional comics scripting--, comics artists--to experience how writers may interact with them--, and comic book readers--to learn about how comics are made.
The editor Nat Gertler (why is this book listed in Goodreads under Pat Gertler?!) includes for this collection a number of interesting elements: plot-based and full scripts, textual and graphical presentation, formatted and un-formatted layouts. The authors range from the very well-known (Neil Gaiman) to the relative unknown (the editor himself). The script proposed by the author is followed by the drawn piece, so that the translation of a script into graphics can be more easily followed. Accompanying the scripts there are also (very) short pieces of text, written mostly by the editor but also occasionally by the script author.
I would have enjoyed this book much more if it would have included more of the graphical depictions, even if only one page or even one panel (why could licenses not be procured for this?). A more descriptive analysis of the styles presented here would have also been useful and improved the value of the collection.
Overall, interesting but not that much in addition to general web sites dedicated to script-collection, such as the Comic Book Script Archive (includes Neil Gaiman's Sandman #24, and personal authors' collections, such as Dwayne McDuffie.
The editor Nat Gertler (why is this book listed in Goodreads under Pat Gertler?!) includes for this collection a number of interesting elements: plot-based and full scripts, textual and graphical presentation, formatted and un-formatted layouts. The authors range from the very well-known (Neil Gaiman) to the relative unknown (the editor himself). The script proposed by the author is followed by the drawn piece, so that the translation of a script into graphics can be more easily followed. Accompanying the scripts there are also (very) short pieces of text, written mostly by the editor but also occasionally by the script author.
I would have enjoyed this book much more if it would have included more of the graphical depictions, even if only one page or even one panel (why could licenses not be procured for this?). A more descriptive analysis of the styles presented here would have also been useful and improved the value of the collection.
Overall, interesting but not that much in addition to general web sites dedicated to script-collection, such as the Comic Book Script Archive (includes Neil Gaiman's Sandman #24, and personal authors' collections, such as Dwayne McDuffie.
April 7, 2013
Great for understanding there is no standard format or formula to writing the comic book script. Everyone from Neil Gaiman and Kurt Busiek to Jeff Smith and Kevin Smith put their work on display.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews