Thread "Story Idea: The Meta" in forum "HA Stories"

Posted at 12:12PM, Dec. 17, 2014

This idea is a bit silly but it could be a lot of fun.
HA are facing a being from beyond the page who is a reality-shaper with the ability to change the genre of the world around them.
So, for example, the story could start off in the style of a Raymond Chandler novel with grainy look and appropriate dialogue captions as our crew of hard-bitten gumshoes pursue this nefarious foe (I vote Mr Imp for the Femme Fatale). Over the course of the story it could pass through being a kids cartoon (with appropriate art change), soap opera, action thriller, romance , supernatural thriller, reality TV, Mediaeval Fantasy, Magical girl anime etc. with all tropes in full effect. (Probably a different genre every few pages on average though a few transitions would be quick for the disruption value).
Our heroes would be aware of the shifts and genres (and captions?) to a limited degree. They might for example be able to go "Wait, did we just have a training montage?". They'd also be able to take action within the scope of the genre and utilising a genre's tropes to their benefit, all the while in pursuit of the mysterious "Meta".
Once it's all resolved, I imagine our poor heroes would have to wonder if they're still trapped in some sort of genre without realising it. :O

Posted at 6:12AM, Dec. 18, 2014

I love it!

Posted at 5:12AM, Dec. 19, 2014

I like it too. I really wanna see everyone in all the different styles :D

Posted at 10:12AM, Dec. 19, 2014

Hahaha, this'll be awesome! Kind of reminds me of the scene from Wes Craven's "Shocker", if any of you have seen it. The main baddy, this serial killer who was electroctuted and then gained the power to travel through electronics gets in a fight with the good guy, some high school kid and they fall into the TV and fall in and out of all these shows just beating the crap out've eachother,lol. It was pretty great. So i'm all for this.

Posted at 1:12AM, Dec. 22, 2014

This would be awesome. I don't think the villain should actually be "beyond the page"* but someone actually on the page. Either way, I can already imagine the visuals would be great. I'd love to see this issue happen!
* = If were to write a comic with a villain from "beyond the page" we could really make it wacky by having our heroes climb out of panels or escape panels being erased etc.

Posted at 2:12AM, Dec. 22, 2014

As I figure it he (or she?) is from beyond the page but is in the HUniverse for now. I wasn't thinking a disembodied voice or anything - we want someone they can actually be trying to track down through the genres.

And yeah, inter-panel wackiness seems highly appropriate. :)

Posted at 6:12AM, Dec. 22, 2014

Ah, I see. I definitely want to see this episode happen, though. It could really push the artists. I personally would like them to go into some kind of gaming world…I'd love to be able to draw something like that (whether I could pull it off is another story XD)
The panel-thing is really getting me excited…does it fit this story, though, or is it better suited elsewhere. But definitely watching the heroes climb out of their own panels would be something really awesome to see.

Posted at 2:12PM, Dec. 22, 2014

Why "though"? Is there still a point of contention?

I think it would work quite well as a progression - the heroes pass through different genres trying to locate/catch up with the Meta, and as they get close, reality as they know it starts to fall apart and you can have panel hijinks.

Dr Destiny might not be a bad person to have on board for this one - I suspect he has some familiarity with multiple dimensions.

And yes! Sprite comics for t3h w1n! OMGZOR LoL!!