Shadow’s Depths Page 11

Transcript

Shadow’s Depths page 11 of the Dystopia webcomic continues beneath the Spill as Jasper explains what a Link can do and Colonel Frazier has to decide whether he is willing to experience it.

In the first panel, Frazier stands amid broken concrete and rubble with his handgun raised in one hand and his other hand held up defensively. Bradson faces him from the lower left. Increasingly agitated, Frazier demands, “What the hell is he talking about? What is a ‘Link’?” Bradson replies, “Sir, you have to understand. Not all networks are electronic. There’s more than that going on here.”

In the second panel, Jasper stands behind and beside Modrena. Jasper is tall and pale green, with red eyes, tendrils radiating naturally from around his eyes, and large bat-like wings folded behind him. Modrena stands calmly in the foreground, her light-blue skin contrasting with Jasper’s pale green. Her long head tendrils float and curl with noticeably more movement. Jasper tells Frazier, “It’s quite simple, Colonel. Just allow Modrena to make contact with you and you’ll see exactly what I’m talking about. Quite literally.”

The large middle panel combines the confrontation between Frazier and Bradson. Frazier recoils from the idea, his posture defensive as he says, “Absolutely not! We’re here under duress already! That doesn’t mean I’m going to be talked into everything Command has warned against for years now!” Bradson moves close and urgently argues that Jasper and the others are their only route out. He asks whether Frazier would rather enter the unknown completely blind or with some idea of what they are getting into.

The next narrow panel is an extreme close-up of Frazier’s eye beneath the brim of his cap as he considers Bradson’s argument. Beside it, another close-up shows more of Frazier’s face. His expression has shifted from outright refusal toward reluctant resignation as he asks, “What does it entail?”

In the final panel, Modrena fills the foreground in profile. Her large dark eyes are focused and her long tendrils float around her face. Jasper stands behind her, partially obscured by his folded wings. He explains that Frazier only needs to allow Modrena’s “cortexia” to come into contact with him, adding that it can be as simple as a finger touch. Jasper tells him to relax and warns that the experience may be jarring at first, but promises to be there to explain.
 

Comics

Chapter 04: Shadow’s Depths – Page 11
Posted on October 12, 2026 by ALFA

From Script to Finished Page


This week in Dystopia: Shadow’s Depths webcomic, Frazier is asked to do something every bit as uncomfortable as the situation around him: trust what he doesn’t understand. Jasper says Modrena can show the soldiers what words alone cannot. Frazier refuses. Bradson pushes back. And after several panels of argument, the page slows down long enough for Frazier to consider the reality of his situation. “What does it entail?”

This week’s Patreon essay takes a different look behind the page by comparing Jackwraith’s original script for Page 11 with the finished artwork. ALFA walks through what stayed close to the script, what changed during the development of the page.

Readers interested in extended creator commentary, collaboration, page design, and the process of turning a comic script into a finished page can find the full article on Patreon.
→ Read ALFA’s essay on Patreon

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