Superhero genre was a huge part of my childhood. There was no day without watching some Batman show or reading comics. I was so absorbed in those series that I could recite any line, from any episode and at exact accurate timestamp. I think saying that I wouldn't be the same person as I am now without "Batman: Beyond" is not so far from the truth.

But even though I love DC's universe with my full heart, there was always something I wished was made differently. Some characters' traits, plots, villains, settings - all of those were just little nuances, but in general I felt like there was still so much unused potential.

That's how I started thinking about "doing it better". Doing it even more... dark. First sketches were drawn and a few crumpled sheets of paper further my main character was slowly coming to life. His name - Hank Bukowski. But he just goes by Hank. Or... Mayfly. He is a recovering alcoholic, who in a moment of weakness, suffers a relapse. In his young years Hank was an illegal street wrestler, but those times are over. One day he lost everything - money, friends, his family. He lost himself in gallons of alcohol and suddenly realised, that he came in possesion of the unique superpower - time-travelling. That's when he decided to start his life again and give it a meaning.

But a superhero wouldn't be himself without his nemesis. The most dangerous man in the world, a mastermind, someone who can go inside other man's mind and use his inner demons to destroy him from the inside. A true master of chaos. Meet... the Unraveler. He's the leader of the biggest group of criminals that some time ago ruled this city. Unfortunately, thanks to Hank's help, all of them are currently locked up in Metro City Asylum. But those days are coming to an end. The Unraveler is planning his revange and wants to examine Hank's ability, which was the only thing able to stop his perfect plans and illusion shows.

The criminals crew is still getting bigger. Right now the most interesting ones are definitely gangster Sammy the Fish, Bloody Mary and Krupp, being more bulky version of Iron Man. Each of them has its own backstory and iconic skills, which... I can't tell you about right now, because that's too much for just one post.

There is also someone (or should I say... SOMETHING?) drastically more powerful, than any of the characters can imagine. A living incarnation of pure evil and darkness. The true bad omen and destroyer of worlds. Can Hank manage to save the world from the greatest enemy ever seen, or will he lost himself on the rollecoaster of demons and fears?

There's still so much I want to talk about and I promise to keep you informed about my new ideas! All of what you just read will become a video game called "Hank: Drowning On Dry Land". This will be something between a metroidvania, an adventure game and a puzzle solving experience with comic aesthetics. Gameplay will also be enriched with many time-travelling skills and horror elements! You'll also have to avoid your past iterations, as every time jump will basically make a copy of yourself in the same timeline, putting it at risk of collapsing.

I think I can say that none of the fans of series such as Batman, Disco Elisium, Watchmen or even Sexy Brutale should be disappointed. I'm still working on this epic opening animation inspired by an intro from Batman: Beyond series with an original rock song and I definitely can see the light at the end of this long road.

If you'd like to see my job and support me on this journey, I'll leave the link to the Steam page of the game below, where you can wishlist it. If you're here just for my concepts and you think they are cool - leave an upvote or a comment, your opinion means a whole world to me! Let's get through this journey together and make something cool :)

Hank: Drowning On Dry Land
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1937880/Hank_Drowning_On_Dry_Land/?utm_source=gamedevnet