Shadow’s Depths Page 2

Transcript

A Dystopia comic page shows Bradson and Frazier trapped beneath the Spill in a collapsed underground space lit by a green glow. In the first panel, Frazier is shown from the chest up in his green military uniform and cap. He looks worried and asks whether there is a recovery protocol under the Spill and whether anyone will try to dig them out.

The second panel is a close view of Bradson adjusting his vision gear. He explains that even if rescue is possible, anyone lost out here is considered lost. He says no one who has been as close to “those things” as they have has ever made it back, and he doubts anyone would change the “shoot on sight” directive just because Frazier is a full bird.

In the third panel, Frazier reacts with disbelief as Bradson gets the night vision overlay working, casting a bright green glow across the space. Frazier repeats, “Shoot on sight?!” and asks what Bradson is talking about.

The fourth panel pulls back to show Bradson and Frazier kneeling among rubble, broken concrete, and twisted debris. Bradson explains that they will be assumed infected and shot like anything else moving on the Spill. In the fifth panel, Frazier coughs and angrily insists that the idea is insane, saying they are part of the Force and that there has to be a rescue procedure.

The final panel shows Bradson turning sharply toward Frazier and pushing back. He says there does not have to be anything, reminding Frazier that the Force is voluntary, that they took the risk and will pay the price, and that the virus carried by the creatures spreads easily, especially through the Net. He ends by saying that everyone is plugged in.
 

Comics

Chapter 04: Shadow’s Depths – Page 02
Posted on August 10, 2026 by ALFA

Trying a Different Rhythm

Chapter Four of Dystopia: Shadow’s Depths continues with Bradson and Frazier trapped beneath the Spill, where the idea of rescue quickly becomes more complicated than Frazier expected.

On the page, the tension comes from two soldiers realizing that protocol, rank, and survival may not be pointing in the same direction. Bradson understands the danger of being lost under the Spill. Frazier is still trying to make sense of what that means.

This week’s Patreon essay steps behind the page to look at the pace of production for Shadow’s Depths. ALFA talks about completing the finished layouts and pencils for the first dozen pages, then trying a different workflow: inking the full group first before returning to color them. It’s a short look at experimentation, rhythm, and the process of finding out how the artwork wants to be made.

Readers interested in extended creator commentary, worldbuilding context, and visual storytelling discussions can find the full article on Patreon.

→ Read ALFA’s essay on Patreon

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