The Standard

I enjoy this scene, as it’s where Zena Zarthos is properly introduced into the story.  One thing I was conscious of while writing the story was that it is very male-driven, with an apparent lack of compelling female characters.  However, in the grand scheme of things, Zena Zarthos is probably the second most important character in THE STANDARD, behind only Gilbert Graham himself.  It’s just that much of her development comes later in the series.  So, I wanted to make the most of this particular early appearance by establishing her as a memorable presence.

We’ll get into Zena’s personality in a bit more detail in tomorrow’s page, but for now, let’s just admire that lovely establishing shot from Jonathan Rector.  I love both his layout of the office and the view of the skyline.  Significantly, it’s not just a view of a city skyline, it’s a view looking down at a city skyline, establishing that Zena Zarthos stands at the highest peak of Sky City, looking down over all.