tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47966631994240421602024-03-24T14:53:06.979-07:00Atoll ComicsA Darwinian Comic Book Nightmare-HellscapeMichael Broundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667478150021514341noreply@blogger.comBlogger626125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796663199424042160.post-60729444184894241792016-08-24T09:41:00.000-07:002016-08-24T09:56:59.714-07:00Deep Sequencing Black Magick Colours and Letters<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Or a look at the use of colour and a lesson in lettering from Black Magick Vol. 1</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">by Greg Rucka, Nicola Scott, Chiara Arena, and Jodi Wynne; Image Comics</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Black Magick is a supernatural detective noir story from Greg Rucka, Nicola Scott, Chiara Arena, and Jodi Wynne. In it, Rowan Black, is a Portsmouth police detective and secretly a real life witch. The comic opens with Black, being called away from a ritual with her coven when a hostage taker requests her by name. Black confronts the madman to find he is magically controlled and that some sort of powerful enemy is hunting witches. It's a well constructed, atmospheric read that uses a muted take on the supernatural and a sense of mundane realism to construct a compelling story world. Black Magick Vol. 1 is a promising introduction more than a standalone story, but is worth a look for the quality of the artwork and for getting in on the story to come. Hopefully, there will be more soon.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Black Magick is also worth talking about because of how it uses spot colouring to signify magic and because it contains a pretty cool little lesson in lettering. I'll try and explore both below.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There will, as always, be <b>*SPOILERS*</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Black Magick is another comic that uses colour as a visual signifier of magic and the supernatural. I've written about this <a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/11/deep-sequencing-colourful-magic.html">before in Dr. Strange and Phonogram</a>, but I think it's worth briefly touching on how colour is used in Black Magick. Unlike the aforementioned comics, which use bright, eye popping colours on sparse black-and-white compositions to represent the mystical world only Dr. Strange sees or to show the magical, pop-music fuelled battle between self-loathing Phonomancers, Black Magick uses colour to subtly layer magical elements and artifacts into its world. The comic, while largely black and white is sumptuously shaded to create a textured, realistic world that has a kind of noir seriousness. Against this greyscale palette, the muted, judicious bursts of colour stand out as visual oddities, violations of the baseline comic world. Basically, a visual metaphor for magic. At the same time the subtly of the application of colour makes this magic feel humble and well grounded. It's a choice that sets the magic of Black Magick up as a supernatural but serious in an otherwise realistic world. It's a judicious and effective choice.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The other thing about Black Magick that I think is worth unpacking is lettering. Specifically I want to look at a really, great example of lettering as storytelling guide and contrast that with a place where lettering breaks down where the same trick would have been useful. Mostly, because it's a great lesson in lettering. But before I throw I delve into that, I would like to just take a second to point out that the lettering in Black Magic is largely invisible, which is to say, quite good. It is clear to read, doesn't infringe unnecessarily with the underlying artwork, and occasionally helps steer the reader through the page. It does it's job seamlessly. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I really like the lettering in the middle section of this page. The cool feature of the lettering here is that one of the speech balloons is positioned so that it overlaps the panel gutter and breaks into the preceding panel. This means that this chunk of lettering is the first thing the reader encounters in this panel as they carriage return into the panel along a nice clear path of speech balloons. This allows the reader to instantly parse an unorthodox reading order of speech balloons in the panel without any ambiguity. It also... there is this thing in visual storytelling, mainly film, called the 180 rule. The 180 rule posits that it the perspective of a scene shouldn't flip between cuts. Or put another way, characters on the left side of the screen or panel should typically stay on the left and characters on the right should keep to the right. The idea being that rotating the perspective is a little confusing and requires the reader or viewer to expend mental energy keeping track of characters instead of just absorbing the story. (There are obvious caveats and limitations to this,<a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2016/01/pondering-about-pretty-deadly-7.html"> like in Pretty Deadly</a> where the perspective is spun to create a sense of chaos and confusion.) Anyway, what's cool about the lettering here is that the attention carrying speech bubble helps execute a 180 perspective change that is absolutely seamless to read. It's carried off so well that unless a reader is a nutbar like me, they probably just breezed right through this page. Which is pretty excellent storytelling.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Okay, if you are still with me on this deep dive into lettering, Black Magick also has an example where the same lettering trick isn't used and where storytelling breaks down slightly. In the above page the transition from the large central panel (which has great lettering BTW) into the lower panels creates a moment of ambiguity. It isn't immediately clear if the reader should treat the speech bubbles from left-to-right as per the normal sequence, or if they are meant to read the first panel they encounter on the carriage return entering the panel like in the above sequence. It's a moment where the reader has to spend time figuring out the correct reading order instead of just absorbing the story, which is not optimal. The correct order is to read the panels in reverse order, going right-to-left, and I think this could have been made instantly clearer by having the speech bubble break into the preceding panel like above. If this was done the correct speech bubble would gain instant visual primacy and inform the reader on the right order. Which all goes to show how just how finicky a craft lettering must be to get right.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So there you have it, a great little lesson on the power of lettering using a great example and a missed opportunity in Black Magick Vol. 1</span></div>
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Michael Broundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667478150021514341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796663199424042160.post-81913256100659106952016-08-17T08:00:00.002-07:002016-08-17T08:00:25.282-07:00Deep Sequencing: Unshuttering Shutter<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Or a look at the use of style motifs in Shutter: Volume 4</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">by Joe Keatinge, Leila Del Duca, Owen Gieni, John Workman; Image Comics</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Shutter is a comic I'm always looking forward to reading the next trade of. Its a solidly engrossing story built around the collision between Saturday-Morning-Cartoon fantasy adventure and a mature approach to consequences. It's also a comic filled with a delightfully mad mashup of well, everything: anthropomorphic animals, steampunk robots, magic, mad science. It's imagination unleashed and super fun to see. Shutter is also proving to be a comic that does some really smart and compelling things with storytelling. And since that is the reason for this blog, I'm going to take a closer look at a couple of my favourite aspects of the comic. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There will be <b>*SPOILERS*</b> for Shutter Vol. 1-4.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of the chapters that make up Shutter Volume 2 is split into three parallel backstories. This comic tells the origin stories of Chris Kristopher Jr, The Leopard, and Kalliyan, three secret siblings of Shutter's protagonist. The comic presents all three backstories at once, splitting each page into three panels with one devoted to each character. The comic also colour codes each of these panels, blue for Chris, yellow for The Leopard, and magenta for Kalliyan. This makes the division between stories super obvious to the reader and also gives each story it's own visual character and distinct feeling. It's an effective solution to a clarity problem and basically allows the for the simultaneous presentation of each story. Which is really important because the magic of this chapter is how the three stories play off each other. While a reader could basically read each tiered third as its own miniature comic, the real pizzaz of this part of the comic is seeing the parallels and differences between each character's circumstances. This allows for some really beautiful moments of common humanity and some pretty powerful and sharp differences, especially given what the reader already knows about each character. It's a pretty remarkable comic in its construction and experience. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The other thing about this volume of Shutter that I quite enjoyed was its use of <a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/03/uncaging-bitch-planet-3.html">stylized flashbacks</a>. I've been interested for a while in how comics sometimes use different, retro styles to distinguish between contemporary and flashback sections of the comic. Shutter is interesting because rather than just use a generic 'old comic' approach to its flashbacks, it uses art and comics styles that riff on particular art style and eras. This functions to provide narrative information (contemporary/flashback) but also grounds these flashbacks in a kind of loose timeline. The story about young Chris Khristopher Sr. falling in love borrows a Eurocomic/Herge style that, along with fashion choices, sets the comic in the 1930s or 40s. The flashbacks of Kate Khristopher and her romance with Huckleberry use a kind of zine comic style that feels like the 1980s or 90s. The flashback introduction of Zohra, a past mentor to Chris Khristopher Sr., uses bright popart stylings that tie the flashback to the 1970s or early 80s. Finally, there is a brief flashback sequence of one of the magic ratguys from the comic that uses pure, sepia-toned dot colours and a cartoony style to evoke old timey comics. This choice is less about evoking an era, but more about playing off the contrast between the Saturday-Morning-Cartoon-nostalgia of Shutter's world with the realistic violence and drama that permeates the comic. All of these choices work to provide story clarity but add an extra level of context that helps make Shutter feel more like a real world with a distinct history. It's good stuff. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Previously:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/07/deep-sequencing-openings-are-always.html">Shutter: Cold Open</a></span></div>
<br />Michael Broundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667478150021514341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796663199424042160.post-12611613740828071812016-08-10T08:00:00.000-07:002016-08-15T15:20:34.387-07:00Deep Sequencing: Talking About Talking<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Or a look at the interaction of speech and sound in Black Widow #5, Island: Habitat, and Cerebus: High Society</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">by Chris Samnee, Mark Waid, Matt Wilson, and Joe Caramagna; Simon Roy; and Dave Sim, respectively.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgna50XSoC311Oy1K5DzCxFz340_MQOdmcoLZ7PyXs-wWPrDkbh-DHU5F5x9-aLhlhbu6KahzP3MwH7E84ISDPl_nvQibyhanodx4fQPslt03z-OTVJ7_DAfXDy0_WFwVboOjBRbGM_XhkR/s1600/2016-07-24+12.20.45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgna50XSoC311Oy1K5DzCxFz340_MQOdmcoLZ7PyXs-wWPrDkbh-DHU5F5x9-aLhlhbu6KahzP3MwH7E84ISDPl_nvQibyhanodx4fQPslt03z-OTVJ7_DAfXDy0_WFwVboOjBRbGM_XhkR/s200/2016-07-24+12.20.45.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Ku2T4D9239Pix_yebXhnPt4C3dBIBSlpU7MorHfIz9oZh8qpJbF39QtNk2lZ8-_rMRxeEZ0LEDuA1rKJiUXnO0OdfBkleflqbE_oFTVRkoID8n7APL_kIuhbulaDXgjW74-CacxXb_6c/s1600/2016-07-23+22.19.43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Ku2T4D9239Pix_yebXhnPt4C3dBIBSlpU7MorHfIz9oZh8qpJbF39QtNk2lZ8-_rMRxeEZ0LEDuA1rKJiUXnO0OdfBkleflqbE_oFTVRkoID8n7APL_kIuhbulaDXgjW74-CacxXb_6c/s200/2016-07-23+22.19.43.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHumyey3UOu6Y8jweqAbpYJRs6zubNJ4NZ89THK4P8nbly9IomOgPicwrGEJydrzhoHA6g8Nw7UCwjOYwBatRBfeq8hOqpQrUt9DnZMPdIxZU1Q0QQFNKSrnzcjaim3EkMuT2YsW1a-Y-8/s1600/2016-07-24+12.19.24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHumyey3UOu6Y8jweqAbpYJRs6zubNJ4NZ89THK4P8nbly9IomOgPicwrGEJydrzhoHA6g8Nw7UCwjOYwBatRBfeq8hOqpQrUt9DnZMPdIxZU1Q0QQFNKSrnzcjaim3EkMuT2YsW1a-Y-8/s200/2016-07-24+12.19.24.jpg" width="150" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I've been thinking about word balloons lately. Specifically how they represent sound, and how sound is experienced by an audience. Listening to speech is an active process by an audience, they have to like, actually listen. I've been keeping my eye out for comics that play with this fact to create some interesting comics moments. And I have some examples for you!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There will be <b>*SPOILERS*</b> for Black Widow 5, Cerebus: High Society, and Island: Habitat.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCl9pm7gvY53GxDvpBhgaaioAS4g5ftJtB_Gxk95RpfVW-kBrQnO_DMSg4A1kXi4vTWpC6Jh4QYdRuNfSKaJ1Txtfm1RJEH7VGxOKxh0UsZWK2zC7hWKYqSADaoehCqgscsG5UMdW1gYFC/s1600/2016-07-24+12.19.53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCl9pm7gvY53GxDvpBhgaaioAS4g5ftJtB_Gxk95RpfVW-kBrQnO_DMSg4A1kXi4vTWpC6Jh4QYdRuNfSKaJ1Txtfm1RJEH7VGxOKxh0UsZWK2zC7hWKYqSADaoehCqgscsG5UMdW1gYFC/s400/2016-07-24+12.19.53.jpg" width="257" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZNsW6vzZNlHTXEX9X1miadCG8eH7gI7XJt2FViigUJQaQWClEg9E0Q1jXASsYOaL5mASe0ZiusElPAJI3h0cIaNEnUCnLQO7EPjiVpuB1ZJdaGX9hyBzjOe3i7WbStwuX5agZ1XuPfuq3/s1600/2016-07-24+12.19.59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZNsW6vzZNlHTXEX9X1miadCG8eH7gI7XJt2FViigUJQaQWClEg9E0Q1jXASsYOaL5mASe0ZiusElPAJI3h0cIaNEnUCnLQO7EPjiVpuB1ZJdaGX9hyBzjOe3i7WbStwuX5agZ1XuPfuq3/s400/2016-07-24+12.19.59.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The first example is from Black Widow #5. In this case the third panel in the bottom row has a cut off repeat of the speech bubble from the second panel. It is recognizably the same bubble of text, but it isn't actually fully legible in the panel. On the one hand, this little snippet of half seen text acts as a time stamp and makes sure the reader recognizes that panels 2 and 3 happen simultaneously. But, I think it's more than that. I think the fact the text is cutoff makes it... out of focus. It's like sound that is happening but not actually being listened to. I think is meant to show that the guy with the gun to his head isn't paying attention to what is being said and is instead thinking about something else. Which given the his following words and actions, makes me believe that this character is centring himself for what is about to happen in this panel. If you buy into this theory, the way this speech bubble is used here is very smart.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The next example is from Habitat, a comic that I originally read as part of the Island anthology. This comic portrays a damaged spaceship where the crew and interior has gone feral. So like, instead of a futuristic crew there are people wearing loin clothes and throwing spears organized into tribes based on their ancestors (I think) section specialization (security, engineering, etc). It's a comic that works because it creates a fully realized tactile world of human desperation in a huge, thoughtfully constructed world of wilderness and technology. I think this example of how speech is used is a great example of the kind of suspension of disbelief that makes this comic effective. In the above scene, one of the feral crewmen boards a battlemech type thing and is sealed in a cockpit. Outside the cockpit, overlaid by the green of the cockpit's glass is another feral crewman barking orders. This choice conveys the separation between in the cockpit and out, but it also really sells a sense of realism: there is muffled, tertiary sound. Which is a fascinating choice. Many comics make an effort to streamline narrative information and to use the readers focus. This is unrealistic, since in real life out of context people, events, and noises are always happening. So creating out of focus sound like this helps build a sense of a busy, populated world. And the use of glass here to create clarity and separation in this example is cleverly simple solution to making this work. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I think my favourite example of the interaction between speech narration and an audience is this one from Cerebus: High Society. In this example a man is giving a speech to a crowd announcing who the next Prime Minister would be, but as soon as the crowd hears Cerebus' name announced they go bananas and sound of their celebration drowns out the rest of the speech. This is represented visually by the jubilant crowd's silhouette actually overlapping and blocking out the speech bubble. Which is just a wonderful graphical approach to this: it captures the emotion and action of the crowd and creates a clear, visual symbol of an audience over powering a speaker. It is a moment of very accomplished comics.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Michael Broundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667478150021514341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796663199424042160.post-14749549480018961312016-08-03T08:00:00.000-07:002016-08-03T08:00:05.631-07:00Deep Sequencing: Spider Bastards<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Or a look at the use of girds in Spider-Woman #9 and Southern Bastards Vol. 3</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">by Dennis Hopeless, Javier Rodriguez, Alvaro Lopez, and Travis Lanham; as well as Jason Aaron, Jason Latour, Chris Brunner, and Jared K Fletcher, respectively.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwIbG1tZUy7gAwSioVU6vQV7jjrpj-IuLkF5sXwcdpqHE8IWvX0c1Ai74G7TzOU0RuaP5JdBr_xLCvD2tWsXU89usFVgd18RsxlJtF0xtIi8ASh6gWdqaaAIjzuJ6QeMkPy6HtxYyd4qgB/s1600/2016-07-20+21.08.46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwIbG1tZUy7gAwSioVU6vQV7jjrpj-IuLkF5sXwcdpqHE8IWvX0c1Ai74G7TzOU0RuaP5JdBr_xLCvD2tWsXU89usFVgd18RsxlJtF0xtIi8ASh6gWdqaaAIjzuJ6QeMkPy6HtxYyd4qgB/s320/2016-07-20+21.08.46.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwlsP4psdOb-hscZobk_vBUzw9djRBhlzsxi918Pa5rs0C60tslyD1YgSQSvcH0LW5AGy2jGP-Q79hRQdMTWLbJTQ-xVnIFIkOgNwKlCD_U5KJ9WAjbKfZmWQgrt-FnjvQs9FxFJBBCZIx/s1600/2016-07-20+21.09.14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwlsP4psdOb-hscZobk_vBUzw9djRBhlzsxi918Pa5rs0C60tslyD1YgSQSvcH0LW5AGy2jGP-Q79hRQdMTWLbJTQ-xVnIFIkOgNwKlCD_U5KJ9WAjbKfZmWQgrt-FnjvQs9FxFJBBCZIx/s320/2016-07-20+21.09.14.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the most basic units in comics storytelling is a grid: a regular collection of panels put into rows. It is sequential art distilled down to its essence, a series of sequential pictures that depict a story through time. Regular girds <a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2016/07/uncaging-bitch-planet-8.html">can be pretty interesting</a> because of how they create a rigid, confining story space. But these comics, Spider-Woman and Southern Bastards both use artwork that use and subvert panel grids to create interesting and innovative comics. And I'd like to explore some cool examples.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There will be <b>*SPOILERS*</b> below for Spider-Woman #9 and Southern Bastards Vol. 3</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This page incorporates a grid and uses it in some very interesting ways. The foundation of this page is a six panel grid depicting a single image of a man on his knees being menaced. Because the six panel grid is here, the comic can violate the grid to generate extra emphasis. The first panel of the page, where the man is struck in the face with a gun butt, takes advantage of this and usurps the first panel in the gird, is RED!, and is enlarged so it overlaps the gutters. This makes the panel explode off the page in a burst of violence. Then the reader moves into the six panel grid with its single large image. This is important because it stretches the moment, making the main image feel like it takes six-comic-time units instead of one. The gridification of this image is also important because it splits the central of the page into a top and lower half. This means that when the reader encounters the text and character in the heart of the page, the kneeling man is constrained in the bottom middle panel below the horizontal divide. This makes him feel trapped, powerless, and cowed. It's a really smart use of the constricting aspects of a grid. Finally the final read panel, the red panel in the centre right, is jammed over the gird in a way that breaks the pattern. This makes this panel feel unexpected, impactful, and cruel as the depicted gut shot. This is a fantastic page. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm also pretty impressed how this page uses its grid elements. While this page is not as strictly a regular panel grid, it does have four grid like panels in the bottom left corner. Here a henchman, partially responsible for beating the kid in the bed into a comma is trying to talk out his guilt. What I love here is how as the guy talks and talks and talks and trails off into inanity the lowest panels of the grid get cut off by the bottom of the page. It's the panels trailing off visually as the character trails off in the story. Which is great stuff.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxn1YGZIYDdNYNybhcBenP4C9gLTByn_Il-XzZBKhCYVJ8lG8imvAHpfNXpvHYs3XBcoSWzA4j5JKLH9Jjr9bIKLuF5jZI0yUBPKdzbFLyJ-qUF5CEQWTIX-6GbFzmj7fL5HMCzCOiCQxc/s1600/2016-07-20+21.08.54-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxn1YGZIYDdNYNybhcBenP4C9gLTByn_Il-XzZBKhCYVJ8lG8imvAHpfNXpvHYs3XBcoSWzA4j5JKLH9Jjr9bIKLuF5jZI0yUBPKdzbFLyJ-qUF5CEQWTIX-6GbFzmj7fL5HMCzCOiCQxc/s640/2016-07-20+21.08.54-7.jpg" width="451" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This page here also uses a grid in a spectacularly complicated way. Superficially this page is a regular twenty panel grid, where the story is played out in a linear, simple way. But this page is anything but simple or linear! Instead this page is more like a series of interlocking linear comic strips that are layered onto a grid to weave together three interlocking narratives. The top row of panels show Spider-Woman kicking a Wendigo out of a window. This top row carries around the corner and down the page showing a comic strip of the Wendigo falling, startling a Mountie, and fleeing into the beautiful Canadian wilderness. Meanwhile the first panel in the top row also leads smoothly into the second row of panels which present a slightly out of kilter replay of the top row of panels with a narrative focus on Spider-Woman. This creates a sense of chaos and flurry of activity over these first few moments, but also helps split the Wendigo and Spider-Woman narratives. Much of the third row of panels focuses on Spider-Woman seeing the Wendigo escape. The left corner of the page subverts the grid, and has two overlaid panels that show the startled Mountie and skier as Spider-Woman appears and steels their weapon and skis. Put all together the page shows a chaotic fight, the Wendigo escape, Spider-Woman pursue, and bystanders react in a way that shows simultaneous action in an easy reading way. This is a pretty incredible page. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Previously:</span></div>
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<a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2016/06/sussing-spider-woman-8.html"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Spider-Woman #8: storytelling roundup</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 23.1px;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2016/02/sussing-spider-woman-3.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;">Spider-Woman #3: page motifs and meta-transit</a></span><span style="line-height: 23.1px;"><br style="line-height: 23.1px;" /><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/12/sussing-spider-woman-1-again.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;">Spider-Woman #1 (again): crowd scene</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 23.1px;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/09/sussing-spider-woman-10.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Spider-Woman #10: page turns and tangents</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 23.1px;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/08/sussing-spider-woman-9.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Spider-Woman #9: page turns and splash pages</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #2a221a; line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="line-height: 23.1px;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/06/sussing-spider-woman-8.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;">Spider-Woman #8: turning down the background</a></span></span><br style="line-height: 23.1px;" /><span style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="line-height: 23.1px;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/05/sussing-spider-woman-7.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;">Spider-Woman #7: the brilliance of the inset panel</a></span></span><br style="line-height: 23.1px;" /><span style="line-height: 23.1px;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/04/sussing-spider-woman-6.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;">Spider-Woman #6: Guided chaos and multiple reading paths</a><br style="line-height: 23.1px;" /><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/04/sussing-spider-woman-5.html" style="color: #6699cc; line-height: 23.1px; text-decoration: none;">Spider-Woman #5: Character Design and composition</a></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/10/deep-sequencing-red-runnin-rebs.html">Southern Bastards Use of Red</a><br style="background-color: white; color: #2a221a; line-height: 20.79px;" /><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/03/deep-sequencing-southern-bastard-faces.html" style="background-color: white; color: #6699cc; line-height: 20.79px; text-decoration: none;">Southern Bastard Faces</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #2a221a; line-height: 20.79px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2a221a; line-height: 20.79px;"></span><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/03/so-i-read-southern-bastards-here-was-man.html" style="background-color: white; color: #6699cc; line-height: 20.79px; text-decoration: none;">Southern Bastards Vol. 1</a><br style="background-color: white; color: #2a221a; line-height: 20.79px;" /><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/09/so-i-read-southern-bastards-gridiron.html" style="background-color: white; color: #6699cc; line-height: 20.79px; text-decoration: none;">Southern Bastards Vol. 2</a></span></div>
Michael Broundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667478150021514341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796663199424042160.post-38104840912116019822016-07-27T08:00:00.000-07:002016-07-27T22:16:58.387-07:00Deep Sequencing: Oggling Ody-C Vol. 2<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Or a roundup of my favourite artwork and storytelling from Ody-C Vol. 2</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">by Matt Fraction, Christian Ward, and Chris Eliopoulos; Image Comics</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib-uC2O38LFLJXfyhKamaOLBkLC_HujkTmbXI8A5eB5_c7Lw9PI0d0Ohk_ErCXBPTZPt-CG3nWWeGuHX2kSV0q0Y6Ev2M5SRxiSSYlVj9cFg3-oyT_VvtSFMWODkOLD5y7q9st-yS23TkJ/s1600/2016-07-02+15.27.36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib-uC2O38LFLJXfyhKamaOLBkLC_HujkTmbXI8A5eB5_c7Lw9PI0d0Ohk_ErCXBPTZPt-CG3nWWeGuHX2kSV0q0Y6Ev2M5SRxiSSYlVj9cFg3-oyT_VvtSFMWODkOLD5y7q9st-yS23TkJ/s320/2016-07-02+15.27.36.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ody-C continues to be a kind of perplexing comics experience for me. It's clearly a comic, it uses the interaction of words and pictures to tell a story, but in a somewhat different mode than I'm used to coming from a mostly American, genre comics background. Ody-C, to me, skirts this fine line between a traditional comic that uses illustration to convey events and a lyrical/prose story accompanied and supported by illustration. When you add in the psychedelic, inventive artwork and the surreal, lyrical translation of the narration, Ody-C is a challenging and wonderfully unreal comic. It's definitely worth a look, if only to see something unexpected.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ody-C is also, I think, interesting from the standpoint of execution. Team Ody-C commits some really innovative feats of comics storytelling that are lurid and instructive and, if you are a comics wonk, worth the price of admission. I feel that this is particularly true in the second volume, Sons of The Wolf, which, in my opinion, really shows the creative team growing into their collaboration and the story. If you were not swept away by the first Ody-C chapter/trade, a second look might be in order.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(Conversely, it's possible that I liked Vol. 2 more because I had a better idea of what I was in for and had tempered my expectations accordingly. Is it growth of the creators or the training of the reader, or both?)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This post is going to examine some of my favourite storytelling from Ody-C Volume 2.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There will be <b>*SPOILERS*</b> for Ody-C: Sons of the Wolf below.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx1AR_3ZaLCYP8QFWcYN1bpAHixYjh3NzK4GE_xIUCBJzuPzhUxzQsAC9CDdOEl7qjOoYEtngNIfNXkfZfA0FNNxnrwbspaR1kdtfiJTMTfkp-1efoPXWpsySA9AyeG2PzNjwpe7yBaDWZ/s1600/2016-07-02+15.29.09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx1AR_3ZaLCYP8QFWcYN1bpAHixYjh3NzK4GE_xIUCBJzuPzhUxzQsAC9CDdOEl7qjOoYEtngNIfNXkfZfA0FNNxnrwbspaR1kdtfiJTMTfkp-1efoPXWpsySA9AyeG2PzNjwpe7yBaDWZ/s400/2016-07-02+15.29.09.jpg" width="252" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Qu1_LKg2A3WQKXk2LxtDs5TUtr1sy1QWOMG-z59Lplkj43mmoopoO_fnIzVWoeZBOO1fUCbzpc2VESVhrOdNN5ePaPmpe9umvYEHYxJjSJnAzExEsVWnVDlNzotRwswT2NwmDZZIsXgs/s1600/2016-07-02+15.28.53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Qu1_LKg2A3WQKXk2LxtDs5TUtr1sy1QWOMG-z59Lplkj43mmoopoO_fnIzVWoeZBOO1fUCbzpc2VESVhrOdNN5ePaPmpe9umvYEHYxJjSJnAzExEsVWnVDlNzotRwswT2NwmDZZIsXgs/s400/2016-07-02+15.28.53.jpg" width="252" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The thing that so impresses me about Ody-C is the way the page is molded to the needs of the storytelling. The above examples, taken from a part of the comic that features a story read in a book, are one of the more simple, yet effective examples of this. In this part of the comic the panel shapes and layouts have been given shapes that evoke paper pages in an old, hardcover book. It's a choice that clearly delineates which part of the comic are occurring within the story-within-the-story which enhances clarity. It's also a choice that creates a motif, which gives this section an interesting visual flavour making this segment feel unique and special. This is all fairly straightforward, but is a nice, simple example of how Team Ody-C uses innovative flourishes to make a better reading experience.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicgiVNdkB0R1b3ehU2EhF_SrooRSvTxLHTDBwvl-h_nqBov4ZiPjXj1m2YU3kQCRSvEjAZ4bcC0LHURlQULpZOq_WO4DP23zKmMX9UzQLXxaZp1byQdcBEGFAVnEjoc6iFt5vDKvT4V_JT/s1600/2016-07-02+15.28.27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicgiVNdkB0R1b3ehU2EhF_SrooRSvTxLHTDBwvl-h_nqBov4ZiPjXj1m2YU3kQCRSvEjAZ4bcC0LHURlQULpZOq_WO4DP23zKmMX9UzQLXxaZp1byQdcBEGFAVnEjoc6iFt5vDKvT4V_JT/s400/2016-07-02+15.28.27.jpg" width="250" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcuv40WPMtgf7IBRTJXG0j9klMZo9Wx_L0pR3HepIEDUeHIPZZQV4kB1GDJxQrANdJXRPfsgkX_MxOd3B30XUc0wUwUdPiKWmRFbR4o9c3bARUb8LI5gMKRWvdJEz9o8uZc3mBw_tqZeZu/s1600/2016-07-02+15.31.00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcuv40WPMtgf7IBRTJXG0j9klMZo9Wx_L0pR3HepIEDUeHIPZZQV4kB1GDJxQrANdJXRPfsgkX_MxOd3B30XUc0wUwUdPiKWmRFbR4o9c3bARUb8LI5gMKRWvdJEz9o8uZc3mBw_tqZeZu/s400/2016-07-02+15.31.00.jpg" width="246" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here are some other noteworthy examples of the use of flourishes to construct awesome, evocative moments. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the page on the left Ene the Conquerer is warned about Proteus, the leviathan monster who destroys all who try and leave the world she is trapped on. This monster has tremendous power, apparently over space and time, and this is conveyed in the structure of the page. The space panels around the monster warp, and when the leviathan attacks, it breaks the layout of the page itself. This choice instantly conveys what a fearsome, insurmountable challenge Proteus is. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The right page shows Ene, who is trying to hunt Proteus on a kind of bone-strewn, charnel world, being overtaken by the animated/levitated bones that surround her. The conceit of the page has the bones of the world as white outlines, which blend seamlessly into the gutters of the comic. The page is also noteworthy in that it uses a 16 panel grid, one of the rare occasions the comic uses such a traditional approach. This is important because it means that the reader instantly understands how the page is supposed to work, and allows the bone-conceit to play out as the primary feature in violation of the underlying grid. The page is great in that it shows Ene and her company swallowed up the white of the bones and page, and, because of how Ene progresses across the grid, creates the sense of her being dragged down, down, down. It is a highly evocative page of comics that uses a cool idea coupled with a simple, clear layout to powerful effect. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0bVERzSQd-Wmrfk-nEkdpZ90kW4z6yqzSNM6pXiz7S63hEyu01bmygHGeQpOhd24XBjxHhurtCG2DhCxsJhiXUneq53UMFVcT8ip6TGxD4ffUctLUd86YLFyB8Go4MPr-Yf4PCOBj2UgI/s1600/2016-07-02+15.29.47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0bVERzSQd-Wmrfk-nEkdpZ90kW4z6yqzSNM6pXiz7S63hEyu01bmygHGeQpOhd24XBjxHhurtCG2DhCxsJhiXUneq53UMFVcT8ip6TGxD4ffUctLUd86YLFyB8Go4MPr-Yf4PCOBj2UgI/s640/2016-07-02+15.29.47.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another striking, highly dramatic sequence in Ody-C Vol. 2 is this double page spread. The story playing out here as the Sons of the Wolf, jilted by their respective husband and wife who have taken one another as lovers, slaughter there way through an orgy in a garden. This sequence is a visceral, emotional, page of madness and carnage that is brilliantly executed. The spread once again uses a simple grid layout so that the reader can easily navigate the page. This is very much a choice made to limit distractions and to allow the engines of the page to show through as clearly as possible. One of these engines is the juxtaposition of violence and beauty, tranquility and slaughter. The high panel count allows the comic to jump from severed body part to flower to act of horrific violence to plant, all the while milking the dissonance between these two extremes for dramatic effect. At the same time, the comic uses the visual similarity between a flowers bloom and a burst of blood, the garden and the violence to alternately taint the purity of the beauty and to show the aesthetics of the slaughter. It is a discombobulating and uncomfortable bit of comics. The other engine that drives this page is the use of colour. While most of Ody-C has this complex, nuanced, painted style filled with layered and complicated colours, this sequence uses flat colours in a tightly constrained palette making it visually distinct. The chosen colours, blue, green, and red are simple and stark and when juxtaposed and repeated are lurid and attention grabbing. This makes this sequence feel important and crazy and helps make every image land with maximum impact on the reader. This is a very effective span of comics and one uses a simple layout and dramatic colours to convey a truly horrific moment of insanity.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPo-rtq_LA76PkjGt6LfFM-8UNng8im0z9zHlfsu3LA3_Gh2oDymQ5QtSbXIAvB5TlPu_-Cz-4xN2L2I4IJszfRuqillZiSdM650-iym-6v4phnk8aW-sR66TJDZ12FcMMl6D1iQ38sFca/s1600/2016-07-02+15.28.03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="526" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPo-rtq_LA76PkjGt6LfFM-8UNng8im0z9zHlfsu3LA3_Gh2oDymQ5QtSbXIAvB5TlPu_-Cz-4xN2L2I4IJszfRuqillZiSdM650-iym-6v4phnk8aW-sR66TJDZ12FcMMl6D1iQ38sFca/s640/2016-07-02+15.28.03.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I think this final, two part example is my favourite storytelling from Ody-C Vol. 2. In the comic the Sons of the Wolf, although twin brothers, are raised separately and unaware of each other. As the story goes their drive, strength, and unnatural charisma leads them to become rulers and amass armies and go to war with each other. This is told and conveyed in part on this beautiful double page spread. I love how this page uses symmetry of design and colour motifs (blue for one brother, red for the other), to show how the Sons of the Wolf are opposed to one another but evenly matched. I also really appreciate that the swirling design manages to create a sense of conflict. Part of this is that the swirl creates paths for the brothers to march along, creating a sense of progression towards a central climatic conflict. I also like that it creates a tense, unbalanced feeling layout that despite its symmetry, feels like it could tear itself apart. It is, at a glance, a layout that conveys two equally matched foes coming to battle. And that is amazing comics. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQc5OyJrqgCf-20tGkF0o00BilSe02-ff7le-wOsIKCx3EzTa8zCWlOJVivp7tNxMr_vhb6-Qp_ZnYrV6gGpIBuvSOWbkkpi0EkXCqQtFoGn6pqTxMA87gFJPb96ZuMw-RKscg4fr2fEzt/s1600/2016-07-02+15.28.11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQc5OyJrqgCf-20tGkF0o00BilSe02-ff7le-wOsIKCx3EzTa8zCWlOJVivp7tNxMr_vhb6-Qp_ZnYrV6gGpIBuvSOWbkkpi0EkXCqQtFoGn6pqTxMA87gFJPb96ZuMw-RKscg4fr2fEzt/s400/2016-07-02+15.28.11.jpg" width="245" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdx_MLOsQhA1U-uQl3ouBnzMsvlPGorJH1WLvo5WaPRh16907BzIgPzRQXGsxK1HtlROg4yWI2ipETChIuAxD8-EjtwyhTSqB2smpX4GOtAR4c799MfP-vY17W9syXn-AxVpwEO4TAEuXY/s1600/2016-07-02+15.28.11-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdx_MLOsQhA1U-uQl3ouBnzMsvlPGorJH1WLvo5WaPRh16907BzIgPzRQXGsxK1HtlROg4yWI2ipETChIuAxD8-EjtwyhTSqB2smpX4GOtAR4c799MfP-vY17W9syXn-AxVpwEO4TAEuXY/s400/2016-07-02+15.28.11-1.jpg" width="245" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This sequence is closed by this page which shows the brothers fighting, discovering their identities, and reconciling to form an empire building alliance. It is a great page. For one the page uses long, apposed motion of the sword swings break through the plane of symmetry created in the previous spread, to violate the balance of the page to show the brothers coming together. This page is also smart in how it uses the arrow created by the crossing blades and moon(/sun?) backlight circle to emphasize the hugging brothers on the bottom of the page. This makes this feel like the most significant moment on the page. I also love how the brothers hugging become this balance point for the rest of the page, a kind of foundation for a layout that feels more secure than what came before. The story transitions from symmetrical, unbalanced layout to a page that crosses over and finds a new, more steady state of rest. It is a very great segment of storytelling.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is just a random sampling of the moments I found most interesting or useful to talk about as a comics wonk. Ody-C is filled with these kinds of bold storytelling choices that are worth checking out as well as moments that, while maybe less technically involved, are just glorious pictures to look at. If the artwork in a comic is important to you, Ody-C: Sons of the Wolf is a comic you should read.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Previously:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/11/deep-sequencing-odd-y-layouts.html">Layouts in Ody-C Vol. 1</a></span></div>
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<a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2014/12/ogling-ody-c-1.html" style="color: #6699cc; line-height: 20.79px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Layouts in Ody-C #1</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/11/so-i-read-ody-c-off-to-far-ithica.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So I Read Ody-C Vol. 1</span></a></div>
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Michael Broundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667478150021514341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796663199424042160.post-64733600608280096412016-07-20T08:00:00.000-07:002016-07-20T12:03:02.048-07:00Uncaging Bitch Planet #8<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Or a look at panel grids as story motifs in Bitch Planet #8</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">by Kelly Sue DeConnick, Valentine De Landro, Cris Peter, and Clayton Cowles; Image Comics</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnBqAkn68ZMdYscdxUzjRqCb9W4_uk_nwRAgXNDx11tn0WFFg0D4cY43-wEuojAAx80rwZs7yURge_9cvKbxMK8o8EhtpR4jXqERF-XhNzsFqEnCnI2HlZguSQUrGQKZXs0U1VPy4juyKC/s1600/2016-06-24+12.32.59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnBqAkn68ZMdYscdxUzjRqCb9W4_uk_nwRAgXNDx11tn0WFFg0D4cY43-wEuojAAx80rwZs7yURge_9cvKbxMK8o8EhtpR4jXqERF-XhNzsFqEnCnI2HlZguSQUrGQKZXs0U1VPy4juyKC/s320/2016-06-24+12.32.59.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Bitch Planet is ostensibly a feminist take on exploitative women in prison movies. I say ostensibly, because despite some stylistic similarities to pulp film, this comic is doing some pretty complicated thematic heavy lifting. Most of the thematic substance of Bitch Planet has to do with intersectional feminism, an area I am eminently unqualified to essay about. So in lieu of that, I think it's worth looking at some of the structural/layout motifs used in the comic to convey narrative information.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There will be <b>*SPOILERS*</b> in this post.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh09Ezj6rnhQrm7TO-8nxh4LFrX0G-N3op5mFkQ4VSOBK8kBMWmlJDipfPVRb_59GsMz0MQg5BKY_mZ3WTQA8gVx4mVqi8GZ1OVsC7yXmkLeGs5a3_ht4h5NIiAChuR5E1-_JY_1IMVlqX1/s1600/2016-06-24+12.33.40.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh09Ezj6rnhQrm7TO-8nxh4LFrX0G-N3op5mFkQ4VSOBK8kBMWmlJDipfPVRb_59GsMz0MQg5BKY_mZ3WTQA8gVx4mVqi8GZ1OVsC7yXmkLeGs5a3_ht4h5NIiAChuR5E1-_JY_1IMVlqX1/s320/2016-06-24+12.33.40.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The above sequence is an example of a "normal" layout in Bitch Planet. It is clean, uses different sized panels, and provides a clear narrative space. The fact the panel size is varied creates a flexible storytelling where the panel number and relative size can be modulated to serve the events depicted and to customize the reading experience. Like in the above sequence, where the comic depicts a father cleverly determining that his beloved daughter, a noncompliant prisoner, has secretly died, this storytelling can be effectively used to create heart rending, brilliant comics. It's a very good business as usual.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM00k6Pm7I8siqJ_0kxhPSiICjlkClvOCsAEHuZPD2xou2AVTSZTjVXpQkN9oxPu80twUtlfis4cNaM-itDD8_hHYDrwX1HOZeFyZoJSFBvOlsRj3G15RTGIJRWLM9hOZaEoflzgno2Gpr/s1600/2016-06-24+12.33.06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM00k6Pm7I8siqJ_0kxhPSiICjlkClvOCsAEHuZPD2xou2AVTSZTjVXpQkN9oxPu80twUtlfis4cNaM-itDD8_hHYDrwX1HOZeFyZoJSFBvOlsRj3G15RTGIJRWLM9hOZaEoflzgno2Gpr/s400/2016-06-24+12.33.06.jpg" width="266" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYZF3-iMi9tEIIJcNzm1Yff7Hdrt3AfstGexyuNWnKX8ESHJ5GvrezFejN0U-Dyg4h4rSbjfHYfRAk8VmESS31I_jej2KCz0jOOXDT6I-FNKOubrj7OmanpYnUNsemG2YnsIsTiV9egrCE/s1600/2016-06-24+12.33.06-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYZF3-iMi9tEIIJcNzm1Yff7Hdrt3AfstGexyuNWnKX8ESHJ5GvrezFejN0U-Dyg4h4rSbjfHYfRAk8VmESS31I_jej2KCz0jOOXDT6I-FNKOubrj7OmanpYnUNsemG2YnsIsTiV9egrCE/s400/2016-06-24+12.33.06-1.jpg" width="266" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The first page of every issue of Bitch Planet has used this 12-panel grid layout. I've <a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2014/12/uncaging-bitch-planet-1.html">written about</a> this <a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/02/uncaging-bitch-planet-2.html">approach before</a>, but it bears repeating here in the context of BP #8. These pages, like the selection here, show women living in the "compliant" world, behaving within the patriarchal, garbage world of Earth. This approach ties layout to the motif of control that exists within the Earth of Bitch Planet since the 12-panel grid is a very rigid, orderly, and somewhat old fashioned storytelling approach. It is a comic style that bends the action depicted, the movement of the characters to a set layout, which is an approach that puts the system before the action/characters. It is a strong, visual metaphor for oppression. The white panel gutters of a 12-panel grid also forms a shape reminiscent of prison bars, making these pages look like the view through an idealized cell window. We are gazing into, or perhaps out of, a prison. This sequence, and it's counterparts in other issues of BP, provide a wonderful example of how layout and structure can create visual, thematic motifs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I bring all of this up again because Bitch Planet #8 uses another panel grid system as a stylistic motif. In this case the comic uses an 18 panel grid to create a unique visual identity and a sense of a unique storyspace. The basis of this grid is the 1-2-3 panel row which has actually been used and riffed on throughout the series. This three panel row, usually featuring the two guard/engineer/controller guys interspersed with surveillance video has been an ongoing visual motif that has been used <a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/05/uncaging-bitch-planet-4.html">to showcase the separation</a> between Noncompliant prisoners and their guards, the attitudes/plight of the guards, and the pervasive surveillance the NC's live under. Here this three panel motif is repeated over and over to create an 18 panel grid. The first 5 rows of panels in the grid are directly the 'usual' layout with one of the 'usual' controller-guys, which provides information to the reader that they are viewing a story sequence that takes place in the controller's location/distinct storyspace. The 16 panel grid carries through to remind the reader that the following events remain within the special controller-space. What is particularly interesting about this is that the actual illustrated spaces do not conform to the 16 panel grid, but rather the underlying artwork is overlaid with the grid and broken up. This is a pretty good sign that the grid here is more about a visual motif/sensation than about the direct storytelling of the actions. Which is pretty cool. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Beyond being a visual signifier of location (controller-land), this motif manages to capture the emotional sense of what it means to be one of the controller/guards. The 16-panels break the page into many small windows to see the action, like the bank of surveillance screens the controller-guys use to watch the prisoners. I also find that, particularly because of the way the panel gutters infringe on the underlying artwork, that these panels remind me of grating. It's as if the reader is peaking through an airvent or stormcover or, to geek out, Jeffry's tube gate to see a secret, mechanical space behind the comic. It really sets the world of the controllers up as a technical, but behind-the-scenes space and not part of the prison world or compliant world of Earth. It's evocative and a great use of layout as motif.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2a221a; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 23.1px;">Previously:</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #2a221a; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #2a221a; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px;"><span style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="line-height: 23.1px;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2014/12/uncaging-bitch-planet-1.html" style="color: #6699cc; line-height: 23.1px; text-decoration: none;">Uncaging Bitch Planet #1</a></span></span><br style="line-height: 23.1px;" /><span style="line-height: 23.1px;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/02/uncaging-bitch-planet-2.html" style="color: #6699cc; line-height: 23.1px; text-decoration: none;">Uncaging Bitch Planet #2</a></span><br style="line-height: 23.1px;" /><span style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="color: #6699cc;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/03/uncaging-bitch-planet-3.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;">Uncgaing Bitch Planet #3</a></span></span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #2a221a; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #2a221a; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/05/uncaging-bitch-planet-4.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;">Uncaging Bitch Planet #4</a></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #2a221a; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 23.1px;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/09/uncaging-bitch-planet-5.html">Uncaging Bitch Planet #5</a></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #2a221a; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="color: #6699cc;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2014/12/surviving-bitch-planet-1.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Surviving Bitch Planet #1</span></a></span></span></span><br />
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<br />Michael Broundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667478150021514341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796663199424042160.post-8428938596028454922016-07-13T08:00:00.000-07:002016-07-13T23:35:31.707-07:00Deep Sequencing: Nick Falling<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Or a look at action construction in Civil War II: Choosing Sides: Nick Fury pt. 1</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">by Declan Shavley, Jordie Bellaire, and Clayton Cowles; Marvel Comics</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A thing I am always curious about is how much of a particular comics storytelling approach is driven by the writer in their script and how much are choices made by the illustrator. It clearly differs from creator to creator and from project to project, but it's always fun to see artists I admire write and draw comics. So when I heard Declan Shavley was writing and illustrating a comic in the Civil War II: Choosing Sides anthology I picked the comic up despite not caring at all about Civil War II, being generally opposed to tie-ins on principle, and having very little interest in the other stories (although the one with demon excavator was pleasant enough if very, very silly.) And it's a pretty well executed comic with some flashy storytelling that I'd like to pick apart.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There will be *SPOILERS* below.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsNsDMHbtJb4oUPcOlNuRB2CgVvreqr2jlQrFdQ4__A8mRlbuis6JmzHivg-8DNESXX676oQU0FpB_7EZSV_uAwCAoUaAQaGNHel9oPq6nRAguEEVihSeV9AZpytmf6DDXvSsxXcuoGvFR/s1600/2016-06-24+12.35.36-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsNsDMHbtJb4oUPcOlNuRB2CgVvreqr2jlQrFdQ4__A8mRlbuis6JmzHivg-8DNESXX676oQU0FpB_7EZSV_uAwCAoUaAQaGNHel9oPq6nRAguEEVihSeV9AZpytmf6DDXvSsxXcuoGvFR/s400/2016-06-24+12.35.36-1.jpg" width="258" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilRrt1GEZ9U_7r4CfjAnQieQliFy-bj3J9paQM82nEzQw6KHlZzLbvIdi_1Tu8yFFpIVtW0t56g1flPPfcuLIib-EUOHExEMOd3bYb5nXAylqJ0hjJxV72MtJrdFhIliIHlV7Tu1fRu35P/s1600/2016-06-24+12.35.36-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilRrt1GEZ9U_7r4CfjAnQieQliFy-bj3J9paQM82nEzQw6KHlZzLbvIdi_1Tu8yFFpIVtW0t56g1flPPfcuLIib-EUOHExEMOd3bYb5nXAylqJ0hjJxV72MtJrdFhIliIHlV7Tu1fRu35P/s400/2016-06-24+12.35.36-2.jpg" width="258" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I really like how this fall sequence is constructed. The story of the scene is quite straightforward: Agent Fury jumps out of a flying transport taking an adversary with him, falls and lands on top of the adversary thus dispatching them. That said, the execution here, despite it's apparent simplicity involves many smart underlying choices. The first panel has the falling action start right from the top-left corner of the page, bringing the reader right into the fall. This maximizes the distance the fall can travel through the page and also gets the readers attention immediately. The action plays out along a very clear reading path that guides the readers eye cleanly down the fall, through the impact and into the dead adversary before following the motion of Fury crawling for his gun. This eye tracking is key to making the fall read and feel quick and kinetic. Another important aspect of the fall is how space is allotted. The distance between the first two images, the start of the fall and the first impact, is substantially larger than the distance between the second and final images. Since the reader is tracking through this sequence with a clean, quick pace this means that the final two images create the feeling of an abrupt stop. Put all together this creates a kinetic fall ending in a jarring, impactful stop. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another important aspect of this fall is a sense of height and the use of the blank background. I would argue that the first panel here has two key pieces of information to convey: that a fall is occurring and that it is from a significant height. The image of the fall satisfies this first storytelling requirement, and the huge white space satisfies the second. A large white space on the page feels very large, and having a large white space under the falling figures tells the reader the fall is happening from a great height. Including a background adds visual information that distracts from just conveying the idea of height. It's unnecessary visual noise that doesn't scream "there is a large space here" as clearly or dramatically as white space. So omitting the background, then, increases the efficiency and effectiveness of the storytelling in this panel. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I also quite like this sequence here and how it uses horizontal space to create a visually interesting gun battle. Again the secret to making this page work is providing cues to push and pull the reader through the storyspace in the best possible way. The reader enters the page somewhere in the top-left and is drawn to the first speech bubble right at the top of the page. This sets the first panel up as a vertical storyspace where the reader has to look down, in the motion of the repellers, to take in Fury and the lower speech caption. This sells the feeling of the adversaries dropping into the panel and also conveys that the vertical direction is important for the following sequence. This is enhanced by the way the platform in the first panel hangs over the following panels, which really cements that this conflict is happening suspended on the side of a cliff. The reader then moves into the next panel in a right-to-left carriage return where they encounter Fury, highlighted by the colour and his active pose, and then follow the direction of his kick across the panel to the guy knocked off the platform. This lends the kick a visceral sense of motion. The reader naturally wants to follow the arc of the kicked guy down, so they move into the third panel on the right side and immediately see a new adversary getting his head shot off. They move back to the left, see Fury whose arms create a guide line to steer the reader to the text box where they will notice the goons on the left. The reader moves down into the next panel, and if they are like me, they are immediately attracted to the speech balloon and the big black shape of Fury. The reader then moves left along the blast of the sonic-gun-thing and sees the two adversaries get blasted. The final panel is a simple left-to-right, but one where the colouring of Fury makes him the central, primary figure as he shoots the adversaries. It's a great, easy reading sequence that really constructs evocative, kinetic action.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">While we are talking about great gun battle sequences that utilize horizontal story space well, this sequence from Scarlet Witch #7 by James Robinson, Annie Wu, Muntsa Vicente, and Cory Petit, is also pretty great. This sequence does take advantage of eye guiding, in part by using shapes and actions like the above sequence, but it also relies heavily on sound effects to manage where readers look. The reader enters the page in the usual place where they immediately have the character, the Wu, positioned such that their arms pull the reader across the page towards the shot up goons. The yellow KRAK sound effects help pull the reader this way, and critically to this sequence, they work to keep the reader focused on the right side of the page as they move into the second panel. This is important because it deemphasizes the goon sneaking around the dumpster in the second panel so that the reader notices them peripherally. This makes the final panel where, with a THUNK to draw attention, the Wu belts the goon in the face surprising and impactful. (It's also great how this breaks the border of the panel for extra pain points.) The reader then moves along the outstretched arms of the Wu to the next KRAK and into the next page. It's another great gun battle that feels dynamic because of how it manages the readers focus.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Previously:</span><br />
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<a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2016/02/deep-sequencing-injection-volume-1.html"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Injection Volume 1</span></a><br />
<a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2014/07/monitoring-moon-knight-5.html"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Moon Knight #5</span></a><br />
<a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2014/04/monitoring-moon-knight-2.html"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Moon Knight #2</span></a><br />
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<a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2014/02/eye-on-hawkeye-16.html"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hawkeye #16</span></a><br />
<a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2016/02/staring-at-scarlet-witch-2.html"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Scarlet Witch #2</span></a>Michael Broundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667478150021514341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796663199424042160.post-119871195034111372016-07-06T08:00:00.000-07:002016-07-06T10:28:47.617-07:00Pondering About Pretty Deadly #10<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Or a look at contrast and story fulcrums</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">by Kelly Sue DeConnick, Emma Rios, Jordie Bellaire, and Clayton Cowles; Image Comics</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Pretty Deadly continues to be one of my very favourite comics both as a reader and a comics wonk. It is perplexing, challenging, and virtuosic. With the issue #10 the second chapter closes on an appropriately spectacular note. The fulcrum of the issue in particular I think is a really amazing feat of comics, and I really want to take a closer look at it. It's inherently spoilery though. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This post will contain <b>*SPOILERS* </b>for Pretty Deadly #10</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To me this is the fulcrum of the comic, the turning point between an unwinnable conflict and the epic conclusion of the comic. It is also a wonderfully constructed moment that brings nearly every component of the comic together to create a tipping point, a honed moment of contrast that the story teeters on before crashing into resolution. And I think the way the contrast here is constructed and used is really interesting. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The first page of the spread is a sequence of action and fire and blood. The page shows the armed combat between War and Ginny in a swirling open storyspace. The page flows along sweeping slashes of red capes and carnage and blood that trail across the page and drag the readers eyes through the violence quickly and precisely. It is idealized motion and a very quick page to experience. It is also a page of reds and hot smouldering greys, a page of fiery, passionate colours. It is a fantastic page that encapsulates everything I love about the portrayal of action in Pretty Deadly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The next page is almost the perfect opposite: it is still, and structured, and cool. The page shows Cyrus, the would be Reaper of Courage, taming the Reaper of Fear. The page is broken up into eight discrete panel-areas, including inset panels which provide structure to the page and slow the progression of the reader and expand the sense of time. It creates stillness. The way the clouds and mist hang in the air, enhances that sense of stillness, since they could only linger like this in the absence of motion. And the colour palette is calming too, blue-grey and icy. It is artful, and beautiful and haunting. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio5LzFunkKOmF1QPgBfBmFXNFAsNxsMXzfyUnR3QLc6V7Fck1phb_uJych-G2DHz4NUugKEvn51Gmye2ktcmvIQ0FtGslWTPkUL0MxqenUuu4ArFSJRSWj3Mr84C7vJteT0npuItDIjtiQ/s1600/2016-06-24+12.34.17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="516" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio5LzFunkKOmF1QPgBfBmFXNFAsNxsMXzfyUnR3QLc6V7Fck1phb_uJych-G2DHz4NUugKEvn51Gmye2ktcmvIQ0FtGslWTPkUL0MxqenUuu4ArFSJRSWj3Mr84C7vJteT0npuItDIjtiQ/s640/2016-06-24+12.34.17.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The way these two pages come together and interact though, is what is truly special. The fiery motion of the left page stands in distinct contrast to the cool, still page on the right. This puts both pages into sharp relief: the violence is brighter and the peace calmer for having the two moments in juxtaposition. It sets both pages as distinct and powerful, especially the right page since it is such a complete visual and structural departure from what's preceded it in the issue. It feels like a turning point built of opposites. At the same time, the pages feel balanced to me, as though even if they are opposite, they are somehow equal. That the combat and motion on the left are as important, as valid as the calm, and stillness of the right page. Which for me, signifies that an act of bravery, that calmly facing ones fear is just as strong, as powerful as actively fighting. To me, it's as if the two pages are balanced on a kind of narrative scale, and it's tipping this scale that is the climax of the comic. Which, to balance a story on such a keen edge, narratively and artistically, is a tremendous feat of story construction. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Pretty Deadly continues to be remarkable comics. </span></div>
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<a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2016/02/pondering-about-pretty-deadly-8.html"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Pretty Deadly #8: On colour</span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2016/01/pondering-about-pretty-deadly-7.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Pretty Deadly #7: On perspective</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/11/pondering-about-pretty-deadly-6.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Pretty Deadly #6: Layout stanza</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #6699cc;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2014/04/pondering-about-pretty-deadly-5.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Pretty Deadly #5: Pulling it off</span></a></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2014/02/pondering-about-pretty-deadly-4.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Pretty Deadly #4: Designing brutality </span></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2013/12/pondering-pretty-deadly-3.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Pretty Deadly #3: Yet more Holy Shit Moments</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 22.2222px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2013/12/pondering-about-pretty-deadly-2.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;">Pretty Deadly #2: Holy Shit Moments depicted with Holy Shit artwork</a><br style="line-height: 20px;" /><span style="line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2013/11/pondering-about-pretty-deadly-1-pt-2.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;">Pretty Deadly #1 pt. 2: The Song of Deathface Ginny</a></span><br style="line-height: 20px;" /><span style="line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2013/10/pondering-about-pretty-deadly-1.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;">Pretty Deadly #1 pt.1: Breaking Rules</a></span></span></span></div>
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<br />Michael Broundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667478150021514341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796663199424042160.post-64289587971881083742016-06-29T12:58:00.000-07:002016-06-29T12:58:05.445-07:00Waxing Philosophical: On Colourists<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Or an economic argument for giving credit to colourists (circa 2014)</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXsVdzEkTQY2Zu6IVPqPfYlie-OxPxORgfPDV3mjtkNdyLXlC1CSxmhvnIN3mH4J6rlgYLMR7u6MT6gENw66Zg-pfz16J1QYjyvIENwBHDV6yb0tEVMQFs2tvPB9KW0nABMrn7ghOrqy9X/s1600/colourist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXsVdzEkTQY2Zu6IVPqPfYlie-OxPxORgfPDV3mjtkNdyLXlC1CSxmhvnIN3mH4J6rlgYLMR7u6MT6gENw66Zg-pfz16J1QYjyvIENwBHDV6yb0tEVMQFs2tvPB9KW0nABMrn7ghOrqy9X/s1600/colourist.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Colourists are an integral part of comics. When colouring is done well, colouring works with the pencils and inks to enhance the artwork and contribute to the final look of a comic. When done exceptionally well colouring can add a sense of style or mood or atmosphere that can be a major storytelling component of the comic. Colouring can do things, add effects, that other components of comics can't. Colouring matters.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As such Colourists should absolutely be credited creators on every title. Their contribution to the final product is just to obvious and important to not give them the credit they deserve. It is absolutely the right thing to do.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sadly, we live in a world where morals often take a back seat to money and where many of the comics being published are made by corporations. Corporations, being economic group-entities that exist solely to create profit, are amoral sociopaths that, regardless of the good intentions of the people who work for them, only really care about what will make them money. But the thing is, I've done some maths, and I think there is economic value in crediting Colourists even for the largest most profit-focused publishing companies.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now, some readers are going to read Batman regardless of which creators get assigned to the title. But another group of readers care about the creators working on titles. Like, I know that a book written by Matt Fraction or Kelly Sue DeConnick are probably going to be books I enjoy or that a book drawn by David Aja or Jamie McKelvie is going to look amazing regardless of who is writing the scripts. Having these creators on titles, on the cover of titles, and advertised in press releases makes me more likely to pick up a title. From a corporate perspective, involving and advertising these creators is money well spent. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Even for less well known creators, the way writers and artists are advertised pays dividends. I learned that Ales Kot is a hell of a writer or that David Lopez is fantastic at making his characters just burst with life. I am now more likely to try comics by either of these creators after learning how talented they are. It is, essentially, an investment in the future.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So I thought to myself it would be interesting to actually do the maths on who colours my comics. To that end I went through all of the comics I've talked about so far in 2014 and plotted the colourists for my mainstream and creator-ownederish comics of the year. For the sake of focus, I just left out any black and white comics I read this year.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvgyDe44mTG7WGQVK6mUA8BI2HrJPby2xIfSQ6-qqsS0P0yGOFCHLmcBRVLSpD1uVoBaMFKCcvwmJ5Y7vLlMWJaG1iK4Q09bkRd7xzUShM_cMTGV0tDY6k422zScN6rfl9JUI4pRPKjF7r/s1600/colours.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvgyDe44mTG7WGQVK6mUA8BI2HrJPby2xIfSQ6-qqsS0P0yGOFCHLmcBRVLSpD1uVoBaMFKCcvwmJ5Y7vLlMWJaG1iK4Q09bkRd7xzUShM_cMTGV0tDY6k422zScN6rfl9JUI4pRPKjF7r/s1600/colours.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When I do this I get the above graphs for Mainstream comics (Left) and Creator-ownederish comics (Right). The black regions are comics that are coloured by the same artist doing the pencils. They are already credited and also usually work on one (or maybe a couple) comics at a time. The grey region are colourists who work on only a single title I am reading right now and whose names were largely unfamiliar to me when I started this process; they do not yet have a track record with me that I would actively read a comic because of their participation. The green region represents creators who I'm only reading one book by presently, but who have a track record with me personally such that their participation on a comic would make me more likely to try it. The other coloured regions are colourists who colour multiple books I am currently reading: Matt Wilson (Blue), Jordie Bellaire (Orange), Lee Loughridge (Red), Betty Breitwieser (Purple), Chris Chuckry (Dark Blue), and Dave Stewart (Dark Blue). To kind of put things in perspective the graph on the left has a total of 18 titles and the graph on the right has a total of 37 titles. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVAK2t269DltgP-Btu2H8czkTdtIqLvYfs-p9X2Nxanl_f6WeQFU3-OCgkeSk8cuReuuqfYDG4d9hP4SNBJQb3Wm2uddVstKY_5VEH1kKGh4mHBW-M22CYghE6QB3Iw0virm1stpy99Kxp/s1600/combined.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVAK2t269DltgP-Btu2H8czkTdtIqLvYfs-p9X2Nxanl_f6WeQFU3-OCgkeSk8cuReuuqfYDG4d9hP4SNBJQb3Wm2uddVstKY_5VEH1kKGh4mHBW-M22CYghE6QB3Iw0virm1stpy99Kxp/s1600/combined.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If I stick everything together on a single graph you get this. Aren't graphs fun! But for reals, look at how unevenly distributed the Colourists I read are. 6 Colourists work on about 1/3 of the comics I read this year and 2 of them account for more than 20% of them. Add in the colourists who are also creators I actively seek out and nearly half the comics I read are by Colourists who I actively seek out. And these numbers are even higher if you don't count comics coloured by pencilling artists. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At this point, and the maths back this up, I am actively seeking out series by my favourite colourists. For me, certain Colourists have such a track record for doing great work and for working on quality, exciting projects that they are serious draws for me as a reader. When I first tried that fantastic comic Zero, written by Ales Kot and drawn by a series of talented artists, it was the presence of Jordie Bellaire as series colourist that put it over the edge for me and convinced me to actually try the comic. I tried Nu52 Wonder Woman largely because the addition of Matt Wilson meant it was worth a longer look. (Modern edit: I literally tried Vision only because Bellaire was the colourist, and was delighted to find one of my favourite new comics.) Having a high profile colourists attached to a project is a great way to get me interested in it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And here is another reality: Colourists can work on more titles than other creators. Generally speaking, a penciller will work on one comic title at a time, while a writer might work on something like four titles at a time. Which means that if I am following these types of creators, that's what, at most four titles per creator. Colourists, by the nature of their work, tend to work on more comics at once, which means that if I am following a colourist, that is maybe up to 6 to 10 titles I'd be interested in trying at a time. This number is even larger when you factor in their past body of work. By raising the profile of Colourists and actively advertising their presence on books, there is a whole other angle to try and attract creator centric readers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And really, advertising and obviously crediting and advertising Colourists doesn't substantially change the cost of a comic. Colourists have already been paid, whether by a page rate or by a share of ownership in the project. They are a very real draw for some readers, and like writers and pencillers are value invested in the price of a comic. To not leverage this value by crediting and advertising the presence of a top talent colourist is not capitalizing on money spent making a comic. To not advertise and help build the profile of lesser known Colourists is to not invest in the future value of the Colourist. There is money to be made here!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And you know, it's also totally the right thing to do.</span>Michael Broundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667478150021514341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796663199424042160.post-70934330080975565362016-06-29T08:00:00.000-07:002016-06-29T18:26:22.164-07:00Interrogating Black Widow #4<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Or a look at some of my favourite storytelling in Black Widow #4</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">by Chris Samnee, Mark Waid, Matt Wilson, and Joe Caramagna; Marvel Comics</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju2SPYKNz5ISnkHGZXkHDH18njZAysJS45A7Pd9D4sC0GQe8023WDjbDDm0DjUE02dPjY3wS6cA_EG_pQpKWj5p6AZ7PaUQLtrkQpeh4UdiE0Y-FVp0xj9TQsL5nPRlt-XoiqKDiiH4NXt/s1600/2016-06-23+08.33.49.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju2SPYKNz5ISnkHGZXkHDH18njZAysJS45A7Pd9D4sC0GQe8023WDjbDDm0DjUE02dPjY3wS6cA_EG_pQpKWj5p6AZ7PaUQLtrkQpeh4UdiE0Y-FVp0xj9TQsL5nPRlt-XoiqKDiiH4NXt/s320/2016-06-23+08.33.49.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Black Widow remains a very exciting comic to analyze from a comics wonk perspective. With issue #4 the creative team delivers another instalment filled with skillful and interesting storytelling. Unlike previous issues where I could find a worthwhile throughline to frame an analysis, Black Widow #4 showcases a pretty varied mix of techniques. So, I guess in honour of this being issue #4, I'm going to discuss four sequences that I find fascinating. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There will be <b>*SPOILERS*</b> beyond this point.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5TtTCTFtbcg4OqVwBO-IH-hOW5pJuevuw_DTPq7l2wAXe2xOhidRvPoZvFmnDYiqqp_JkEmoSeFvyORF_SiKvmkQ_GDEGDbPxZKlfH3Yk9Ny-GxGy-urxvEUYfkJMT29CZ7Xmr3JHIWma/s1600/2016-06-23+08.34.24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5TtTCTFtbcg4OqVwBO-IH-hOW5pJuevuw_DTPq7l2wAXe2xOhidRvPoZvFmnDYiqqp_JkEmoSeFvyORF_SiKvmkQ_GDEGDbPxZKlfH3Yk9Ny-GxGy-urxvEUYfkJMT29CZ7Xmr3JHIWma/s400/2016-06-23+08.34.24.jpg" width="280" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHiQYmcHcvA6oxwxhrCS0dA0ndyX1a1oSgSW7S0VEVlJEXtCVBsEUh3AHt2HjqToFbFgvsHE4arYOSDlF0Ie5RgJTRcHAaRY86ZfneJwL4fzLAievlCrPlDpOW29zlI1QzKu5LA-t6R9kw/s1600/2016-06-23+08.34.24-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHiQYmcHcvA6oxwxhrCS0dA0ndyX1a1oSgSW7S0VEVlJEXtCVBsEUh3AHt2HjqToFbFgvsHE4arYOSDlF0Ie5RgJTRcHAaRY86ZfneJwL4fzLAievlCrPlDpOW29zlI1QzKu5LA-t6R9kw/s400/2016-06-23+08.34.24-1.jpg" width="280" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>1.</b> I<a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2016/04/interrogating-black-widow-2.html">'ve talked about this before</a> but Team Widow is really, really good at creating dynamic sequences that use eye tracking to focus the reader and create a sense of motion. This sequence is another great example to this approach. The page opens with a panel that has the black silhouetted Widow in the bottom left corner, then uses the tank-things to create a guide to Widow in the top right panel. This gets the reader efficiently across the page and sets the stakes of the sequence: one covert agent against a place with sci-fi tanks. From the top right panel, the reader drops to the next panel where Black Widow tosses a stone, which guides the reader back to the left, across the page in a carriage-return, and into the next panel where the stone hits the guard. Action, movement, consequence. The reader then moves onto the following panel where distracted-guard is hauled bodily out of frame in a way that synchs the readers eye path to the motion. The following panel, with the guard running, uses the angle of the guards body (and implied motion) to create an arc to the alarm box and inset circular panel. We see the SHNK effect in the round panel, and then carry across the page, creating the down-and-to-the-left motion of the guard yanking the alarm lever. This brings the reader to the bottom left panel where the heavy black of Widow creates an initial focus point. The reader then moves down and through the knife thrust, using eyes and the blade as a guide, and smoothly into the final panel where the long blood smear takes the reader to the end of the page where Widow is dragging the corpses. It is also significant that this final panel's motion seems to carry right out of the panel and into the next page which helps keep the motion going (something that was pointed out <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErwykjaeyXE">in this great video breakdown</a>). It's a great, efficient, and exciting page constructed out very fluid eye tracking. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIxnO5BhEr55brW9dbNPo0mt_azsopJeL3xQxld-ZUdA1eH_kBBnMuKk9ku6svIOOF6pPZdccXUZERsPz_rpFQ6gyYBCLbMYBvvkrapj0jWqe756qlbddyNL8jDidJLcy_HgFEoTMzWTHh/s1600/2016-06-23+08.34.55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIxnO5BhEr55brW9dbNPo0mt_azsopJeL3xQxld-ZUdA1eH_kBBnMuKk9ku6svIOOF6pPZdccXUZERsPz_rpFQ6gyYBCLbMYBvvkrapj0jWqe756qlbddyNL8jDidJLcy_HgFEoTMzWTHh/s400/2016-06-23+08.34.55.jpg" width="250" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigvolSv1qbclE6d1XMIAymmN24swrdQQi0fa0HcNJRje5ZvPcL5HkA8EuTP930xfi4tuRDs3KuVFO2lHowzfi0vkHLkMcoL2PIzbgiKjno4O5hy3Gk6W4gZXPu0hBswzAptxL_XmPZG-4F/s1600/2016-06-23+08.34.55-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigvolSv1qbclE6d1XMIAymmN24swrdQQi0fa0HcNJRje5ZvPcL5HkA8EuTP930xfi4tuRDs3KuVFO2lHowzfi0vkHLkMcoL2PIzbgiKjno4O5hy3Gk6W4gZXPu0hBswzAptxL_XmPZG-4F/s400/2016-06-23+08.34.55-1.jpg" width="250" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>2.</b> Another aspect of Black Widow <a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2016/05/interrogating-black-widow-3.html">I've talked about previously</a> was the use of misdirection in panels to hide story elements in the periphery of panels. This page here has another pretty remarkable example of this. In this case the page opens with Black Widow and two corpses she dragged out of the previous page. Widow is looking up toward the next panel which gives a great guide to focus the reader on where to go next. The reader enters the next page and sees that the guard in the middle of the panel has a brighter colouring and is the most visually emphasized part of the panel. If you are a reader like me, you then move onto the next panel and see Widow breaking into a room and go, wait, what? And then you maybe loop back to the previous panel and find Widow hidden in the top right corner of the panel. She is drawn as a black silhouette blended into the shadow of the wall/turret. This makes widow another black area in a part of the page rich with identical heavy blacks and very easy, I think, to miss. Especially since the one guard is emphasized so prominently by the colours. This is a fantastic choice since it has Black Widow literally sneaking through the panel! Which is awesome!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTAtkRDtKoFRyb6ZxNYGezVw-u31hMkR0mBMoxX5WB7NMb2agKi4llIlDLPvy1oiSIH9uOv71C5yOU6_fmQGCDim5qvLCMx4SiHz7MLQAquH5fhJcreDKbCvGTLLnkn5PxhiThd0XuDVxo/s1600/2016-06-23+08.34.09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTAtkRDtKoFRyb6ZxNYGezVw-u31hMkR0mBMoxX5WB7NMb2agKi4llIlDLPvy1oiSIH9uOv71C5yOU6_fmQGCDim5qvLCMx4SiHz7MLQAquH5fhJcreDKbCvGTLLnkn5PxhiThd0XuDVxo/s400/2016-06-23+08.34.09.jpg" width="241" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9kZMAj2cvL0Z6nG0RdYziD9lqGpAkAlfjKmfwQImlwEkDoDLni2aLxTsnsXsFGH0lnn1MQzdxUN2SB3LdzGKtmIqwxYftmUIXCoUx5HuprsOfAvGHqK9vIpTb2oDncp9ysCriIkjs0I5O/s1600/2016-06-23+08.34.09-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9kZMAj2cvL0Z6nG0RdYziD9lqGpAkAlfjKmfwQImlwEkDoDLni2aLxTsnsXsFGH0lnn1MQzdxUN2SB3LdzGKtmIqwxYftmUIXCoUx5HuprsOfAvGHqK9vIpTb2oDncp9ysCriIkjs0I5O/s400/2016-06-23+08.34.09-1.jpg" width="241" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>3.</b> Black Widow #4 also has a tremendous quiet section where a wounded Natasha speaks with Iosef, apparently a former teacher who rescued her. The entire sequence is a feat of acting and atmosphere and how to make exposition interesting, but this sequence here I think is superbly executed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of the key aspects of Black Widow for me, is that we do not get direct thought narration from Widow. Black Widow for me is defined as being supremely competent and vaguely mysterious. Making this work in a comic where she is the central character requires a certain degree of inaccessibility to the protagonist: we can't see her literal thoughts without losing that critical ambiguity. At the same time, for the story to be compelling the reader needs to have some glimpse of the protagonists inner life. Which puts a huge burden on character acting and colouring to provide enough emotional queues that the reader can engage with the protagonist. Black Widow absolutely nails this.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The other challenge of this kind of storytelling is conveying critical story information in visual, organic ways. This above sequence functions to show that Iosef and Widow know each other from the past. In a thought narration comic this would be accomplished, probably, by a caption like: "Ah, Iosef, my old teacher. I haven't seen him in years..." In Black Widow it is all about visual information. We see a flashback, made obvious by the sepia colouring of a faded photograph. In this flashback we see a recognizable Widow, although a younger version of her, with an unknown man. We then see an older man, haggard but still recognizably the same man probably. Which, is actually a pretty remarkable feat of figure drawing. The thing that removes any ambiguity, though, is how the two characters relate to each other. Iosef and Widow have the same spatial relationship throughout the page with Widow prone and to the left of Iosef throughout the page. This is especially true of the top right and bottom right panels where the poses are nearly identical and create an obvious parallel. By the time we leave the page we understand the relationship between Iosef and Widow without it ever being explicitly stated and that is really, really smart storytelling.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrA4Pe7VnIVZQkBU64VaQf_L6C-cpHrR_ZY70TmnK6Vl62nxo3R50e6YioyXAsAky9cM3W1fY79H4zUjiZj6ZR14gOyFA1Mbvv_6OlXH9d3PwFrRe5ISj_T662u8obiD4GQs_wbXAg0Q-X/s1600/2016-06-23+08.35.05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrA4Pe7VnIVZQkBU64VaQf_L6C-cpHrR_ZY70TmnK6Vl62nxo3R50e6YioyXAsAky9cM3W1fY79H4zUjiZj6ZR14gOyFA1Mbvv_6OlXH9d3PwFrRe5ISj_T662u8obiD4GQs_wbXAg0Q-X/s400/2016-06-23+08.35.05.jpg" width="265" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDqq4TeoDl6vYfvH0iuzRpnQU9fOMBP0z7bZuh8HG8-XhGFPdR-1BmfCASXNPsHU60SNClE5DyO_RFeGzfKDONaAmUdOijjzw66yt1W2_DI3M9qF5cbFZ9kpNNadxN58joDQadi1lg2UuW/s1600/2016-06-23+08.35.05-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDqq4TeoDl6vYfvH0iuzRpnQU9fOMBP0z7bZuh8HG8-XhGFPdR-1BmfCASXNPsHU60SNClE5DyO_RFeGzfKDONaAmUdOijjzw66yt1W2_DI3M9qF5cbFZ9kpNNadxN58joDQadi1lg2UuW/s400/2016-06-23+08.35.05-1.jpg" width="265" /></a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjku0jVnPX4W5r4cAD537y867dTjWeYfyfszq-vzuqNDDvbcq0dShYI2Qo-2ANDgRWk_6-A_HPmMGbnNYZJARIiquhZHFJXX0M3zKRseD0E5hMke7-c4R5Ee7PA7wrpHMHORzMH2xfjEG6F/s1600/BW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjku0jVnPX4W5r4cAD537y867dTjWeYfyfszq-vzuqNDDvbcq0dShYI2Qo-2ANDgRWk_6-A_HPmMGbnNYZJARIiquhZHFJXX0M3zKRseD0E5hMke7-c4R5Ee7PA7wrpHMHORzMH2xfjEG6F/s400/BW.jpg" width="297" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>4.</b> From a purely comics wonk perspective I think this page, though, is my favourite in the issue. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The top half of the page provides a sequence of Black Widow sneaking into a secure facility in a series of inset panels on a maze-motif background. This is a great choice because it uses the symbology of a maze to convey to the reader that Widow is forced to navigate a convoluted route to reach her objectives. This allows the reader to appreciate the time and complexity of Widow's implied movement without having to depict every step, which reduces the space needed for this chunk of story. The use of the maze motif is also pretty interesting because, for me at least, it calls to mind the wire lines of circuitry. This along with the perspective, I think, makes the round panel in the top left feel like a shot taken by a nearby security camera. Which implies, along with the earlier pulled alarm lever, that Black Widow has been observed by the masters of the base she is infiltrating. To me this is part of the comic telling the reader, without making it explicit, that Widow is sneaking into a trap of sorts. It's pretty cool stuff.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The bottom half of the page is where I think some really nifty, if easily overlooked choices are being made. The sequence here is pretty straightforward: Black Widow, having snuck her way to her goal stands behind a dramatically opening door. The execution here, the way the story is constructed, is perfect. The most obvious aspect of this is that as the door opens, the amount of open space in the panel increases. This is enhanced by the shape of the panels which are not square, but fall into a shape with a angled top. This means that as the doorway opens, the panels themselves become taller and more "open" to the reader. In addition the angled top line helps sell a sense of upward motion to pull the readers attention from bottom left to top right. (To get a sense of why this is effective, compare it to the diagram that does the same shot using static square panels.) This sequence uses yet another trick as well: the perspective of the panels ascends with the door. By this I mean each subsequent image is aimed a little higher along Widow's body (which I breakdown in the bottom diagram). What this does is create a sense of upward momentum to the sequence since the door and the perspective are both ascending at the same time to create the feeling of motion. (Again, comparison to the static square diagram will show just how much more dynamic the ascending perspective is.) This choice also has the additional advantage of letting the final panel focus on Widows determined/angry eyes. Which all combined makes this three panel sequence have a tremendous amount of momentum that all focuses on the Widow in an important, solid emotional beat before the next part of the story is unveiled. It's a fairly effortless reading chunk of story constructed out of some very smart, complicated storytelling and why I think Black Widow is such an exciting comic to read and analyze. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhicIn6WuNlAwZFNjxc-QybXM8CIKz7PxCx_S3FnrCP7NB4s5kvy4jBDjTyUZ5HEhJO4hA-Q5mA9C7S-IDruIYWTobnWggIrdFdFP6WydanRqH2ugmQJ2XYtU4mIzuXfxNgbYKHTkNI4xmn/s1600/2016-06-27+19.44.42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhicIn6WuNlAwZFNjxc-QybXM8CIKz7PxCx_S3FnrCP7NB4s5kvy4jBDjTyUZ5HEhJO4hA-Q5mA9C7S-IDruIYWTobnWggIrdFdFP6WydanRqH2ugmQJ2XYtU4mIzuXfxNgbYKHTkNI4xmn/s640/2016-06-27+19.44.42.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As an aside, the maze motif also recently popped up in Bitch Planet #8 by Kelly Sue DeConnick, Valentine De Landro, Cris Peter, and Clayton Cowles. In this sequence the characters are sneaking through a prison during a blackout to find a secret, isolated prison cell. Again the use of the maze motif is used to efficiently sell the idea of movement through a convoluted story space without investing a large amount of space to it. In this case, the maze motif is particularly apt because the characters are navigating in the dark from a hastily memorized map. It's a great choice that shows how convergent solutions to similar story challenges can exist.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Previously:<br /><span style="color: #6699cc;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2016/03/interrogating-black-widow-1.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;">Black Widow #1</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2016/04/interrogating-black-widow-2.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Black Widow #2</span></a></span></div>
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<a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2016/05/interrogating-black-widow-3.html"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Black Widow #3</span></a></div>
<br />Michael Broundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667478150021514341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796663199424042160.post-6527541276930297982016-06-22T08:00:00.000-07:002016-06-22T10:36:44.454-07:00Deep Sequencing: Nameless and Speachless<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Or a look at deliberate pause panels in The Nameless City</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">by Faith Erin Hicks and Jordie Bellaire; First Second Publishing</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqmQ_A9cNnWfs0rg77YDvw_uHLy0WyrogXw12CrrvsPEqK2vQK6GJl1RAEtQg_HHMbx9p13b8Fp5ebffN8rYxE1p2XYdibkrSW6jpHBjm9CKCcoAOzeJ_M-GTeJYTL5ea_oEgO8t6vxmmM/s1600/2016-06-14+12.11.36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqmQ_A9cNnWfs0rg77YDvw_uHLy0WyrogXw12CrrvsPEqK2vQK6GJl1RAEtQg_HHMbx9p13b8Fp5ebffN8rYxE1p2XYdibkrSW6jpHBjm9CKCcoAOzeJ_M-GTeJYTL5ea_oEgO8t6vxmmM/s320/2016-06-14+12.11.36.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I recently listened to an <a href="http://sktchd.com/podcast/off-panel-43-junior-parkour-with-faith-erin-hicks/">interview podcast</a> featuring Faith Erin Hicks talking about The Nameless City. (The Podcast was <a href="http://sktchd.com/podcast/">"Off Panel"</a> and it's my favourite comics interview podcast right now.) While on this podcast Hicks remarked that she has "pages and pages of characters staring at each other", and that with her comics "you get about 50 pages of plot and 150 pages of people staring at each other." This is clearly an exaggeration, but I thought this was an interesting statement worth taking a look at. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Upon an exhaustive review of The Nameless City the comic contains 1146 story panels and about 156 are what I would call "stare" panels (give or take a few). Which means that about 13% of comic panels in The Nameless City is devoted to "staring". Which isn't an insignificant amount of storytelling space, which makes me think this is a deliberate and important choice. And taking a look at it, it's pretty clear that Hicks is using these panels to shape storytelling and I think, to provide key characterization information to the reader. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There may be <b>*SPOILERS*</b> for The Nameless City below.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3dw5-cDIfJjZMrDM_N4D8t6gjAP_yzn38hyphenhyphenVY0uUpccXjyDVnv1ZyNGD3H-YdLyIPzMxVx_1oRY1LT7U4QegUvRA5u3whsnoiP28PAjgUY0aWNs6rsg7wHfK96c0XwTyrUsk8zzMEm69g/s1600/nameless-collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3dw5-cDIfJjZMrDM_N4D8t6gjAP_yzn38hyphenhyphenVY0uUpccXjyDVnv1ZyNGD3H-YdLyIPzMxVx_1oRY1LT7U4QegUvRA5u3whsnoiP28PAjgUY0aWNs6rsg7wHfK96c0XwTyrUsk8zzMEm69g/s640/nameless-collage.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The first, and I think most obvious role of the "stare" panels in The Nameless City is that it stretches moments. In comics panels are, among other things, units of time: each sequential panel marks a potential storytelling moment. The more panels a given action or situation is allotted, the longer that moment takes to read and the longer the moment feels to the reader. Straight forward, right? The inclusion of the "stare" panels can, and often does, function to add an extra moment to a given situation which can increase the perceived significance of the moment. Because in a comic, space is time is money and effort. It can also alter the flow of the story in significant ways. Like in the top situation the inclusion of the middle "stare" panel provides that awkward, queasy moment of silence and inaction that lends the declaration of cowardice some actual weight. Or, in the second selection, the inclusion of the middle "stare" panel creates an awkward pause that stretches the moment providing character information (the father and son don't really know each other) but also creates this great, awkward comedic beat. In both these cases removing the "stare" panel changes the pacing in a way that hurts the storytelling of the story.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another important role of the "stare" panels is to inject emotion directly into the comic. The term "stare" panel is something of a misnomer, since the majority of them involve some pretty delightfully extreme emoting. Characters frown, or smirk, grimace, smile, horror, and make very nuanced, very particular expressions in these panels. These panels serve to blare emotions at the reader like in the above selection where Kai, the guy, is sending us WORRY/HORROR!. This gives us his emotional state of mind and sets the reader with the expectation that what Rat, the young woman, is doing is bad and a big deal. Other story media have the tenor of the actors voice or sound/music design to drive emotional context, and I think these emotive "stare" panels serve that same purpose in The Nameless City.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Beyond just being good storytelling, I think these "stare" panels do a lot to inform the reader about the characters of Kai and Rat. Specifically, I think the way these panels function as a pacing tool is important for Kai. Kai is a newcomer in a strange city who is inexperienced and a bit trepidatious about his new surroundings. He is also a thoughtful guy who seems to care about the consequences of his actions. What "stare" panels of him do is create these story pauses where we get to see Kai think. This means that when he is confronted with something new, rather than instinctually reacting to it, he stops and "stares" while he deliberates what to do next. Therefore the reader gets to experience the process of being Kai as he navigates his new home. This is the comic using a pacing tool to constantly demonstrate a fundamental aspect of one of the characters. Which is pretty cool.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(It's also maybe significant that the number of "stare"panels decreases sharply when Kai "does the thing" near the climax of the story. Resolution through layout.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCT8YscePiT6WlXux9EUAmhHYi5yfVbdxOgEHjAQBxd45CfODq5INryp09o2DJbcXwk_aAZV_UzcDEbjYbLh8SGbiguWy3lVAeBcrVhe6v0g_s7AGR90ZXG9araz82BOCZKYI_8ohSMGYQ/s1600/2016-06-14+12.15.48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCT8YscePiT6WlXux9EUAmhHYi5yfVbdxOgEHjAQBxd45CfODq5INryp09o2DJbcXwk_aAZV_UzcDEbjYbLh8SGbiguWy3lVAeBcrVhe6v0g_s7AGR90ZXG9araz82BOCZKYI_8ohSMGYQ/s400/2016-06-14+12.15.48.jpg" width="255" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7GDhQigYzXA7scDk9_N00ITWalDdMcUpXIhWrkmJixMw50kUvQYO59yNhS_Biz2a0DOtnLi2gLHJJVI1XqBhWzdvG1trO5Ol2QqvsEp6tNs4KoCgLU8NHPsRrHwj_T9Z-Sp1MIol1E5TS/s1600/2016-06-15+10.15.03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7GDhQigYzXA7scDk9_N00ITWalDdMcUpXIhWrkmJixMw50kUvQYO59yNhS_Biz2a0DOtnLi2gLHJJVI1XqBhWzdvG1trO5Ol2QqvsEp6tNs4KoCgLU8NHPsRrHwj_T9Z-Sp1MIol1E5TS/s400/2016-06-15+10.15.03.jpg" width="250" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The "stare" panels are also really important for the character of Rat. In this case, I think the emoting aspect of these panels is super important for my conception of the character. Rat comports herself as a tough, streetwise person who is somewhat blasé about the feelings of others. But I get the sense that a lot of this is an act, a persona she puts on, and I get this sense largely from the emoting "stare" panels. These panels give this unguarded look at Rat as she reacts to hurting Kai's feelings, or having her prejudices confronted, or spotting a friend. It shows readers that despite the Rats tough persona, she does in fact care about those around her. Which means that my conception of Rat as a character is born out of the tension between what the character says about herself and how she emotes when no one but the reader is looking. Which is an extremely nuanced piece of storytelling that is achieved by "stare" panels.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Which is all, I think, a case for why "stare" panels comprise 13% of the comic panels.</span><br />
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Michael Broundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667478150021514341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796663199424042160.post-22052059407822067692016-06-15T08:00:00.000-07:002016-06-15T08:00:16.452-07:00Sussing Spider-Woman #8<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Or a look at some of the great storytelling moments in Spider-Woman #8 </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">by Dennis Hopeless, Javier Rodriguez, Alvaro Lopez, Travis Lanham; Marvel Comics</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzwEWejXYNPdtJ4MxF2mVuJ94PU9-HOByYAQQW8O7cCA3kY3NvCkue3Bb6Vba3zA__BF6pcUFBx6lqS5dtIagysMz3s7o3Hxqn73DQbzTNQcJ0OmRwp312VKCUuYu1jFoUAjqYTwJc0_ZR/s1600/2016-06-02+10.12.13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzwEWejXYNPdtJ4MxF2mVuJ94PU9-HOByYAQQW8O7cCA3kY3NvCkue3Bb6Vba3zA__BF6pcUFBx6lqS5dtIagysMz3s7o3Hxqn73DQbzTNQcJ0OmRwp312VKCUuYu1jFoUAjqYTwJc0_ZR/s320/2016-06-02+10.12.13.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I write about Spider-Woman and the role of eye-guiding in composition more than I probably should. I fear it's starting to get boring and repetitive! But the thing is, Spider-Woman continues to showcase some really innovative compositions that use eye-guiding and colours to generate really clever storytelling. And I think some of it is worth talking about. So hopefully you can bear with me and we can unpack what's cool about Spider-Woman #8.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There will, as always, be <b>*SPOILERS*</b>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnPQZCPwyAawDQ-hi8YO0-xcy_17JxWxxDcLgjIyam0SvOfd8Ae7jqFMGmi4wbIpAJTvU6vtntPIGxLaPNlcR1a4SXOPEeHj9zGQgq3Xm844zF3CrdS2V8zMk3iaXo5FnRDd5cCBDCE-eQ/s1600/2016-06-02+10.13.42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnPQZCPwyAawDQ-hi8YO0-xcy_17JxWxxDcLgjIyam0SvOfd8Ae7jqFMGmi4wbIpAJTvU6vtntPIGxLaPNlcR1a4SXOPEeHj9zGQgq3Xm844zF3CrdS2V8zMk3iaXo5FnRDd5cCBDCE-eQ/s400/2016-06-02+10.13.42.jpg" width="246" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkfyOLFxeMwKThYVwnvqulsL8xIcp1Tci_pU2u-hzFo4VVoyPUCeb3rE8gAkN9kHZRcS8jy0nseA_wZ2kHfA0C0QHtdhUfjSqOjMYpZoEoPDNkDA9sTSihFVSZ9bzE5FHXwPUJg5rL_pxN/s1600/2016-06-02+10.13.42-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkfyOLFxeMwKThYVwnvqulsL8xIcp1Tci_pU2u-hzFo4VVoyPUCeb3rE8gAkN9kHZRcS8jy0nseA_wZ2kHfA0C0QHtdhUfjSqOjMYpZoEoPDNkDA9sTSihFVSZ9bzE5FHXwPUJg5rL_pxN/s400/2016-06-02+10.13.42-1.jpg" width="246" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What I like about this sequence is what a nice, clear example of eye guiding composition it is. In the final three panels of the page the reader is drawn down, quickly up, and pulled back down again along the vectors of the motion. This sells the depicted action and creates a sense of drama to the moment. It's effective and works because of some really smart underlying storytelling.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This sequence is also nice in that it showcases a lot of basic elements that create the effect. The composition has narrow, tall panels that pull the storytelling into the vertical. The red, and particularly the black of Tiger Shark's gloves and Spider-Woman's pants and sleeves create tangent lines that steer the eye through the light/blue panels. Lettering is placed before and after motions so that you read narration, have the sudden appearance of Tiger Shark's arm, encounter more text, and then nothing until the cleverly oriented "SPLASH" onomatopoeia. This gives the panels a slow-fast-slow-fast rhythm which captures the arm-thrust, snag, capsize actions being depicted. Despite its apparent simplicity, this sequence is constructed of many storytelling elements working in concert.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFrsyGK4eCcPkQl4msgdOwy2iHcYkd9VcMDC7seY5_-yGKDADf9mYVhN_YAXCtMDz9WOTLTAnm3tv1BRbCgQncsaP_K79qiEXtmDCzQ9zu5wmDZYyW-uSj_MGt3F04-V9FGx0gowWbpVIH/s1600/2016-06-02+10.12.38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="518" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFrsyGK4eCcPkQl4msgdOwy2iHcYkd9VcMDC7seY5_-yGKDADf9mYVhN_YAXCtMDz9WOTLTAnm3tv1BRbCgQncsaP_K79qiEXtmDCzQ9zu5wmDZYyW-uSj_MGt3F04-V9FGx0gowWbpVIH/s640/2016-06-02+10.12.38.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYk8B_Tik_4Xk-klOqrCof0836g4NMppzFML-Yuka_EPOQEgV76acLtXMgEJdDs7XWAgiY1ASPtRxJrX_NzxyLyHzvl5Svl7ZbU3BtQNdmpxAmT2J_1xDgdRMIHxXFN-vVDFADcv9aF3If/s1600/2016-06-02+10.12.38-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="518" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYk8B_Tik_4Xk-klOqrCof0836g4NMppzFML-Yuka_EPOQEgV76acLtXMgEJdDs7XWAgiY1ASPtRxJrX_NzxyLyHzvl5Svl7ZbU3BtQNdmpxAmT2J_1xDgdRMIHxXFN-vVDFADcv9aF3If/s640/2016-06-02+10.12.38-1.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These pages are worth looking at for a couple separate reasons.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first is that it has a very complex fight scene that reads very well and also takes advantage of black costume elements as eye-guides. I've previously discussed what a smart, <a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/04/sussing-spider-woman-5.html">smart character design</a> Spider-Woman's costume is from a storytelling perspective. The crux of my argument is that the black limbs naturally stand out on a coloured page and can be used to steer readers and frame action. In the fight scene on the left page the first panel uses the central body stripe of Tiger Shark's costume to pull you into the large, central panel. This panel depicts a snarling, chaotic dogfight between characters that uses a combination of the combatants costumes to lead the reader through the visual noise. In particular Spider-Woman's black legs and arms play a key role in providing visual cues on where the reader is supposed to turn their eyes to navigate the page. It's worth noting that the colouring here plays a huge role in this effect since Spider-Woman's limbs are the only true, 100% black elements in the panel. The black elements in Tiger Shark's costume have received a treatment of highlights that make them blue/grey which lessons their visual weight and allows Spider-Woman's limbs to stand out more. It's a really adept intersection of composition and colour.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(I can't help but wonder how much this of this power move results from having a penciller/colourist working on Spider-Woman.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This composition is also pretty interesting in how it uses the left-to-right page transition. The action being depicted here is Tiger Shark snagging Spider-Woman's ankle and swinging her bodily into what looks like a trophy rack. What is cool is this action starts on the bottom panel of the left page and finishes in the top panel of the right page. What this does is take advantage of the very long carriage return when switching pages to create the sensation of Spider-Woman being swung. This is a super clever choice because the reader's eyes swing along the longest axis of the page and get drawn into the final drawing of the motion. This creates a huge amount of momentum both from utilizing reading motion and for how the motion carries <a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2016/02/deep-sequencing-injection-volume-1.html">through multiple panels</a> to create weight. It is great stuff.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWXFztTZc_lCdhUE2TCh6Z_dIYhRyY-kJe24zLCmQDzrolmx7lkn1WgjVc8L4lWJTniyWh7KxziMRNCeMS-Kyt8ws83uxf4uKciOzS_0y9KIP9dzwW8y9jio08P2eoXX64VAid1-UQEkVl/s1600/2016-06-02+10.13.15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWXFztTZc_lCdhUE2TCh6Z_dIYhRyY-kJe24zLCmQDzrolmx7lkn1WgjVc8L4lWJTniyWh7KxziMRNCeMS-Kyt8ws83uxf4uKciOzS_0y9KIP9dzwW8y9jio08P2eoXX64VAid1-UQEkVl/s640/2016-06-02+10.13.15.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another sequence that I think is worth taking a longer look at is the one where Spider-Woman has a conversation with her babysitter Roger. The concept of this sequence is that Roger calls Spider-Woman who is fighting Tiger Shark and giant squid monsters asking about random baby things. It's a fun section of the comic that uses the juxtaposition of trivial parental crap and titanic superheroics for yuks (and maybe to make a point about how parenting takes over your life). To make this juxtaposition work better Roger and baby are drawn over the superheroics in the same grand panel despite calling from another location. The aspect of this sequence that I think is worth paying attention to is how the colouring is used to distinguish that Roger-and-baby and Spider-Woman are in distinct from one another. This is accomplished by giving Roger-and-baby their own colouring: a flat, orange-tinged colouring with even lighting. This stands in contrast to the rest of the panel which is dark and shiny with rain, and is filled with highlights and shadows cast from a variety of light sources. The two colour palettes are so incompatible that it is immediately obvious that they are belong in different settings. Which is means that a colouring choice here is responsible for ket narrative information. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Previously:</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 23.1px;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2016/02/sussing-spider-woman-3.html">Spider-Woman #3: page motifs and meta-transit</a></span><span style="font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 23.1px;"><br style="line-height: 23.1px;" /><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/12/sussing-spider-woman-1-again.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;">Spider-Woman #1 (again): crowd scene</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 23.1px;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/09/sussing-spider-woman-10.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spider-Woman #10: page turns and tangents</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 23.1px;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/08/sussing-spider-woman-9.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spider-Woman #9: page turns and splash pages</span></a></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #2a221a; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="line-height: 23.1px;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/06/sussing-spider-woman-8.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;">Spider-Woman #8: turning down the background</a></span></span><br style="font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 23.1px;" /><span style="font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="line-height: 23.1px;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/05/sussing-spider-woman-7.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;">Spider-Woman #7: the brilliance of the inset panel</a></span></span><br style="font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 23.1px;" /><span style="font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 23.1px;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/04/sussing-spider-woman-6.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;">Spider-Woman #6: Guided chaos and multiple reading paths</a><br style="line-height: 23.1px;" /><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/04/sussing-spider-woman-5.html" style="color: #6699cc; line-height: 23.1px; text-decoration: none;">Spider-Woman #5: Character Design and composition</a></span></span></span></span><div style="clear: both; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">
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<br />Michael Broundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667478150021514341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796663199424042160.post-61720744973719761942016-06-08T08:00:00.000-07:002016-06-20T12:43:34.071-07:00Eye On Hawkeye: Aw, compilation, no.<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Or a look at the complex curation of the Hawkeye Omnibus,</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">by Matt Fraction, David Aja, Annie Wu, Matt Hollingsworth, Javier Pulido, Francesco Francavilla, Steve Lieber, Jesse Hamm, Chris Eliopoulos, Jordie Bellaire, Clayton Cowles, Alan Davis, Mark Farmer, Paul Mounts, and Corey Petit; Marvel Comics</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The craft of comic making involves a bunch of interrelated disciplines. There is artwork, obviously, a combination of drawing, inking, and colouring. There is writing the plot and scripting dialogue. And of course there is lettering, which marries the two. Combined this creates the storytelling of the actual comic. I spend the majority of my time on this blog trying to understand and discuss storytelling and the creative choices that create that. But this approach ignores another group of comics professionals who also contribute to the process in a much more silent way: the editors. This part of the team helps guide the story, fixes mistakes, coordinates the workflow of creators and probably does a million other things that as a reader I take for granted. A friend of mine who is an editor calls it an invisible discipline. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I recently got the Hawkeye Omnibus as a gift and beyond being great (thank you spouse!), it's an interesting object to look at curation and the role of editors. Specifically, I want to talk about curation as part of storytelling and take a closer look at some of the choices in the Hawkeye Omnibus.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yadda yadda yadda <b>*SPOILERS*!</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Fraction/Aja/Wu/Hollingsworth/Elipoulos/etc run on Hawkeye is one of my favourite comics. It's also a comic that fundamentally changed how I write about and read comic books. As a critic/wonk this comic was a gateway to looking at storytelling as a process and was instrumental in shaping my voice as a comics writer. So I love this comic, and having the omnibus as a hardy, curated collection is pretty great.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another thing about reading the curated collection is that it was remarkably different than reading the issues as they came out. When reading Hawkeye episodically there was so much expectation for the next issue and time for every moment and in-joke to percolate and be savoured. And there was a community of Hawkguys out there bro bro broing and hawkblocking and being great at boats and echoing my enthusiasm for the comic. Reading the entire comic in one sitting is a lot more solitary and small. The pace of the comic, the fact I could just move on to the next issue, maybe shrinks some of these moments. (Although, it could be that this is just a reread effect...) The omnibus does work great for showcasing the interconnectivity and thoughtful planning between issues though: Hawkeye is filled with foreshadowing, Checkov's guns, running jokes, and clever easter eggs that really standout when the comic is consumed all at once. I think there is maybe a lot to be said that episodic comic issues and collections might be separate mediums like tv and film. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Hawkeye Omnibus is obviously an artifact of curation. The publication of Hawkeye was pretty complicated. The comic had delays, rotating artists, issues published out of order, and an extra issue inserted into the process for charity. Some of the narrative was published out of chronological order and certain comics happened in overlapping time frames. So taking these issues and working them into a logical, definitive order involves a number of editorial choices.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For the most part I don't think there is necessarily an objectively correct choice. Like, take Hawkeye #7, the comic made to engage with Hurricane Sandy. The comic is set in late October but was released after the Christmas issue of Hawkeye (#6). It makes logical sense to put this issue in plot order and have the Hurricane Sandy issue come before the Xmas one. And yet, the Hurricane Sandy issue plays with the "Hawkguy" running joke which was introduced and explained in the Xmas issue. Following plot chronology instead of publication order creates a tiny story snarl. Or take Hawkeye #17, the Winter Holiday Animal Cartoon themed issue. It clearly slots into the story right after Xmas Hawkeye (#6) but was published much, much later. So again it makes plot sense to move it into its plot chronology. But then again, Holiday Cartoon Hawkeye has character parodies from deeper in the series and the entire issue deals with series themes rendered into the medium of winter holiday cartoons. So I found it really didn't hit the same encompassing celebration/summary/commentary notes when placed in an earlier reading order position. (The issue to me reads more like a late season flashback episode than a normal episode out of order, if that makes sense.) And then there are the concurrent Clint/Kate stories. Do they read best interspersed or read as discrete subchapters? Or do both orders work: interspersed in an omnibus, but discrete in smaller collections? I think a curator can make a compelling case for multiple ordering arrangements and that every possible arrangement of issues will come with storytelling tradeoffs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That said, I do think there was one particularly bad curation choice in the Hawkeye Omnibus which was putting Young Avengers Presents #6 as the first issue/chapter of the collection.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQVm7JM9imS-cRblaMjCJTo39ujTkkbP8wszWN9uCMl3LuTcSPujMkCjmqf8SDaaTo0-NDcEcTw9xbFyDgJzDeCNvI__gZ5szak80J8f8LvXtm_Soz5dQC_4wkJHZBmYOnGHN6-zi1KWcz/s1600/2016-06-08+01.01.08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQVm7JM9imS-cRblaMjCJTo39ujTkkbP8wszWN9uCMl3LuTcSPujMkCjmqf8SDaaTo0-NDcEcTw9xbFyDgJzDeCNvI__gZ5szak80J8f8LvXtm_Soz5dQC_4wkJHZBmYOnGHN6-zi1KWcz/s400/2016-06-08+01.01.08.jpg" width="265" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilC9FGuIXBlX-kqFTqBsynQJGLeetknRInx2i2V1cPH7_E_jh8KzdlC_FLtUc8RoAfDtwC8_yjygBD4r7qyYTgGW-E9X6uh_9Q47Z3dIclbSLlPrhQOSA3k5O08oKkdi51UNGY2D0EjqLV/s1600/2016-06-08+01.01.58.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilC9FGuIXBlX-kqFTqBsynQJGLeetknRInx2i2V1cPH7_E_jh8KzdlC_FLtUc8RoAfDtwC8_yjygBD4r7qyYTgGW-E9X6uh_9Q47Z3dIclbSLlPrhQOSA3k5O08oKkdi51UNGY2D0EjqLV/s400/2016-06-08+01.01.58.jpg" width="260" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I think every storytelling choice is made in attempt to serve a purpose. So there must be a reason that YAP #6 was chosen for inclusion in the Hawkeye Omnibus and for why it was made the first chapter. I think part of it is that YAP #6 was written by Matt Fraction and contains both Clint and Kate. As such the comic could be considered part of Fraction's grand body of work with the characters. (Which massively discounts the authorial stamp of the series' artists, but whatever.) YAP #6 is also a comic that deals with the fact that there are two Hawkeyes in the Marvel Universe, that Kate had taken the mantle while Clint was temporarily dead (comics!), and that the two hash it out and conclude that they can both be Hawkeye. So this issue does work as an introduction to the two characters and their kind of complicated relationship. So maybe the purpose of YAP #6 was to provide the reader with some context and clarity about what the Hawkeyes deal was.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But I don't think it actually provides narrative clarity or serves a storytelling purpose in the broader Hawkeye story.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Part of the problem is YAP #6 introduces a whole bunch of irrelevant and confusing information. Sure it has Clint and Kate and them dealing with both being Hawkeye, but it also has Patriot (who?), Clint as Ronin (what?), and deals with the complicated illegal vs sanctioned Avengers continuity post Mavel Civil War comics circa 2006 (why?). This is so much information that has no direct bearing on Hawkeye and I think creates more questions than it answers. It also introduces a pretty complicated Marvel Universe status quo that is wildly out of date and has zero bearing on Hawkeye, a comic which exists almost completely separate from the publisher's main continuity. Including YAP #6 to introduce Clint and Kate is like... me making someone watch the entirety of the Lord of the Rings films to show them that one of the guys from Flight of the Conchords plays an elf. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Which is all the more confusing because the main Hawkeye series does a great job of introducing Clint and Kate. Hawkeye #1 is a nearly perfect first issue that, among other things, gives the reader all of the relevant information about who Clint is and what they need to know about his situation. Hawkeye #2 involves a murder circus and sets up some important series plot stuff, but also serves as an introduction to Kate, the fact that there are two Hawkeyes, and shows how the Hawkeye's relationship basically works. Essentially all of the relevant character information is contained in these two issues of the main Hawkeye run. These issues manage to do this efficiently and without any extraneous information, characters, or continuity baggage. Including YAP #6 doesn't include anything not covered better in Hawkeye #1-2 and is therefore a redundant inclusion. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBf1bnU-jE2nqaVubapEyQhN7M9w1lmj0-bxAm4zpycilMd_HrrK_sdKrUuCDtvlFfDOH2BgfX0JPMLpTItPdTLul4_8RsNJTzDuHtckqXbOUyp291DhvOYu_c1vbwyukqbPCcM5R5Uwck/s1600/2016-06-08+01.02.10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBf1bnU-jE2nqaVubapEyQhN7M9w1lmj0-bxAm4zpycilMd_HrrK_sdKrUuCDtvlFfDOH2BgfX0JPMLpTItPdTLul4_8RsNJTzDuHtckqXbOUyp291DhvOYu_c1vbwyukqbPCcM5R5Uwck/s400/2016-06-08+01.02.10.jpg" width="267" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD9DUnGU7Lb-ttW1CgNYsA4W20r4cUH9rDcpL_U0Ns4AJoez09SCYrpkJdTkmm2tXumhYnrN0a-Q2hoxwRnpkltV3ktA1TJc6pz8wi8y-j3M9gt5BpoNSeGREXe_nOrMaq4zCvFBT56hyL/s1600/2016-06-08+01.00.46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD9DUnGU7Lb-ttW1CgNYsA4W20r4cUH9rDcpL_U0Ns4AJoez09SCYrpkJdTkmm2tXumhYnrN0a-Q2hoxwRnpkltV3ktA1TJc6pz8wi8y-j3M9gt5BpoNSeGREXe_nOrMaq4zCvFBT56hyL/s400/2016-06-08+01.00.46.jpg" width="236" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The other thing to consider about Hawkeye #1 is that it has a perfect first panel. The comic opens with Hawkeye falling backwards out of a broken window shooting a grapple-arrow while narration says "Okay..." "This looks bad." We see Clint as Hawkeye clearly in over his head. We see him faced with the peril of falling to his death, a big problem for him, but a trivial annoyance to to flying or indestructible Avenger teammates. It's an exciting, attention grabbing panel that establishes the thematic contract of the Hawkeye series in a single image (the Avenger who is just a guy). It's also, serendipitously, almost identical to one of the most icon Hawkeye moments in the Avengers movie, which gives this panel the magic power of being a familiar landing place for movie fans who might want to try a comic. Putting YAP #6 in front of this panel dilutes the effectiveness of this panel as an introduction which hurts the effectiveness of the Hawkeye series. It also makes the first images in the omnibus Kate and Patriot (who?) having an awkward conversation in a carriage... which is a much worse way to open a series. This is just inexplicable storytelling.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There is also the significant fact that Young Avengers Presents #6 has a completely different aesthetic than Hawkeye. I love Alan Davis art because it is correct to, but his classic superhero style married to representative, gradient colours does not fit in with the actual Hawkeye comics. Hawkeye as a series features a diverse group of artists, and yet, largely from the consistent, minimalist flat colours of Hollingsworth, the comic manages to have a unified visual identity. Which is absolutely integral to the experience of reading Hawkeye. I cannot emphasize enough just how important the look of Hawkeye is to this series. For a readers first experience of Hawkeye to be a comic that radically diverges from the series artistically is a baffling choice.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So the Hawkeye Omnibus is kind of a mixed bag for me. I love having the series collected in a single edition and the curation within Hawkeye itself is consistent and logical. However, the inclusion of Young Avengers Presents #6 is perplexing and it's placement as the first comic in the book is nonsensical. YAP #6 is not part of Hawkeye and should, at best, be a bonus extra in the backup material. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">More broadly speaking, I think there is a lesson here about the role of editors and curation: when it is done well it is an invisible art, but when it is done poorly it is distracting and damages storytelling.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Previously:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/07/eye-on-hawkeye-22.html">Eye on Hawkeye #22: constructing an ending</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/02/eye-on-hawkeye-21.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;">Eye on Hawkeye #21: deconstructing a page</a><br style="line-height: 23.1px;" /><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2014/09/eye-on-hawkeye-20.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;">Eye on Hawkeye #20: rebuilding narratives</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2014/08/eye-on-hawkeye-19-pt-2.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;">Eye on Hawkeye #19 pt. 2: Structural wayfinding.</a><br style="line-height: 23.1px;" /><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2014/08/eye-on-hawkeye-19-pt-1.html" style="color: #6699cc; line-height: 23.1px; text-decoration: none;">Eye on Hawkeye #19 pt.1: Empathy Machine</a></span></div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-2743167965502793224" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #2a221a; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16.335px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 667.778px;">
<span style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2014/03/eye-on-hawkeye-18.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;">Eye on Hawkeye #18: Colours and setting.</a><br /><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2014/03/eye-on-hawkeye-15.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;">Eye on Hawkeye #15: Composition, Layout, and colours.</a><br /><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2014/02/eye-on-hawkeye-16.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;">Eye on Hawkeye #16: Smart layouts and chilling moods.</a><br /><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2013/12/eye-on-hawkeye-14.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;">Eye on Hawkeye #14: Repetitive panels as a device.</a></span></span><br />
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<a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2013/11/eye-on-hawkeye-13.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Eye on Hawkeye #13: The shattered timeline of Hawkeye</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2013/08/eye-on-hawkeye-annual-1-pt-2.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Eye on Hawkeye # Annual Pt. 2: Remixing Hawkeye #3 with Annual thought captions.</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2013/07/eye-on-hawkeye-annual-1-pt-1.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;">Eye on Hawkeye # Annual Pt. 1: Using silhouettes in arguments</a><br /><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2013/07/eye-on-hawkeye-12.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;">Eye on Hawkeye #12: Setting up the perfect splash page</a></span></div>
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<a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2013/07/eye-on-hawkeye-11-pt-3.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Eye on Hawkeye #11 pt. 3: Action packed layouts!</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="color: #6699cc;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2013/07/eye-on-hawkeye-11-pt-2.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;">Eye on Hawkeye #11 pt. 2: Lucky & Clint, Narrative Similarities</a></span><br /><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2013/06/eye-on-hawkeye-11-pt-1.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;">Eye on Hawkeye #11 pt. 1: A Dog's Perspective</a><br /><span style="color: #222222;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2013/05/eye-on-hawkeye-10.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;">Eye on Hawkeye #10: Colours and Mood</a></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2013/04/eye-on-hawkeye-8.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Eye on Hawkeye #9: Layout and Eye Guiding</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2013/03/eye-on-hawkeye-8.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Eye on Hawkeye #8: Art and Information</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2013/02/eye-on-hawkeye-7.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Eye on Hawkeye #7: Setting as Character and Steve Lieber</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2012/12/eye-on-hawkeye-6-pt-2.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Eye on Hawkeye #6 pt. 2: Great Writing</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2012/12/eye-on-hawkeye-6-pt-1.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Eye on Hawkeye #6 pt. 1: Clever Layouts</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2012/10/eye-on-hawkeye-3.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Eye on Hawkeye #3: Motion in a Static Medium</span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #6699cc;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2012/09/archery-and-sock-holes.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Eye on Hawkeye #2: Sock Holes and Characterization</span></a></span></div>
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Michael Broundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667478150021514341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796663199424042160.post-38025674498629072032016-06-01T08:00:00.000-07:002016-06-03T15:39:29.014-07:00Deep Sequencing: Deadly Clash Boom Bang<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Or a look at onomatopoeia as visual element in Deadly Class Vol. 3 </span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">by Rick Remender, Wes Craig, Lee Loughridge, Rus Wooton; Image Comics</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8xys5vlRcFwCz98_OXl9h5izhwdU9DAvYlN1Is26Qom_2-_zetmY5cI0vueoy2NB7EZyTprSXoo5xc0wqTZHt3URx7EiXGdxLOL8_4sAtF1XfbLTltd1bQeaEqe-WNssHQcSTeXuqvxfK/s1600/2016-05-25+22.57.55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8xys5vlRcFwCz98_OXl9h5izhwdU9DAvYlN1Is26Qom_2-_zetmY5cI0vueoy2NB7EZyTprSXoo5xc0wqTZHt3URx7EiXGdxLOL8_4sAtF1XfbLTltd1bQeaEqe-WNssHQcSTeXuqvxfK/s320/2016-05-25+22.57.55.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of my favourite things about reading comics like a wonk is finding familiar devices used in interesting new ways. Comics are filled with conventions and common storytelling tools that are used and reused to convey a story in an effective way that readers can understand. A common language that allows many people to engage with the comic. What's cool is that these common tools can be rejiggered to do unexpected things or to do their expected things in especially clever or novel ways. Deadly Class Vol. 3 is one of these comics: it uses onomatopoeia in particularly visceral and visually dynamic way.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There will be <b>*SPOILERS*</b> for Deadly Class Vol. 3 below. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPrGBk_jnv5P3Hsf3k3jwAQKh-m7F-tTnK-J3qWkebLRxigpZz2l1cMVIuA8Ivr-NlAaFoSlg-YZMPmrWH08DdQG1LY0O2DeJllN8QFPsttbJzA7WJbVOBUORedKu1S4fY8nG3ejjBiX8x/s1600/2016-05-25+20.20.53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPrGBk_jnv5P3Hsf3k3jwAQKh-m7F-tTnK-J3qWkebLRxigpZz2l1cMVIuA8Ivr-NlAaFoSlg-YZMPmrWH08DdQG1LY0O2DeJllN8QFPsttbJzA7WJbVOBUORedKu1S4fY8nG3ejjBiX8x/s400/2016-05-25+20.20.53.jpg" width="255" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Bw1o9-i4EJ1cqOSrf_K5ucosU_oJffjXu19UVoXVNDvVaBvcD3lBwMJw2XyMP7AgAUAEA74a9LKhyphenhyphenZxSVm8pMfLHazzUZCnArtIWxow5mPKimAby1eO7FzTioYSJdT_wqCFwLzBgdiuI/s1600/2016-05-25+20.20.43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Bw1o9-i4EJ1cqOSrf_K5ucosU_oJffjXu19UVoXVNDvVaBvcD3lBwMJw2XyMP7AgAUAEA74a9LKhyphenhyphenZxSVm8pMfLHazzUZCnArtIWxow5mPKimAby1eO7FzTioYSJdT_wqCFwLzBgdiuI/s400/2016-05-25+20.20.43.jpg" width="253" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The nifty thing about Deadly Class is how the motorcycle onomatopoeia is used. Motorcycles are noisy things, they sputter, rumble, and roar with a volume you feel in your guts. They have a look, certainly, and a particular mode of movement that can be represented in a visual way, but the sheer racket of the machines is integral to their experience. (Written as one blasts past in the distance.) The problem with comics is that capturing this noise in a silent, visual medium is challenging and conveying the tactile experience of the noise is even harder. What I love about this comic is it does an admirable job capturing these elements in a visually stylish and awesome way.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Part of the brilliance of this onomatopoeia is that the comic takes time to introduce its motif so that in the key sequences the reader recognizes it. The reader gets a kickstarted motorcycle "VROM" that ties the sound to the chopper and introduces the jagged zigzag motif of the sound in the stylized "V" and "M". There is then a sequence of the bad dude on the motorcycle cruising around causing mayhem that shows the jagged zigzag following the bike around. This again ties the sound motif to the motorcycle, as well as changes in the pitch of the zigzag according to what the biker is doing. When the motorcycle is moving slowly at a near idle it goes "V-V-V-V-V-V..." with discernible breaks in its rumble When it's racing the noise becomes a jagged sound wave that thrashes through the page like a tear. What this does is introduce the reader to the smart but unorthodox ways the motorcycle sound is being portrayed, so that when the most interesting sequence of sound happens the reader is already clued in and can just enjoy it. It's a very smart investment in storytelling space.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(Also, how great are the colours on the right page above? I love how the events that realistically take place within a fairly small space, essentially a single setting, get multiple colour palettes. The way the panel colours change here helps give the composition the feeling of movement, as if the biker moves so quickly that each panel deserves a semi-scene change. It's a small but savvy choice.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOYRr8m0j8kkghrjKlO4tXi6hYaXMpoNiOJ0WJ77Ot9AID62uziCH_p36EDG9AKGIRAIBEzXUZEcyTxuERy-MXMCrWuIxXU0XL_y0Jb4sPo1yQygOW9EprfwlX1QAwKR_TUXeeKD-XOq_U/s1600/2016-05-25+20.21.12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOYRr8m0j8kkghrjKlO4tXi6hYaXMpoNiOJ0WJ77Ot9AID62uziCH_p36EDG9AKGIRAIBEzXUZEcyTxuERy-MXMCrWuIxXU0XL_y0Jb4sPo1yQygOW9EprfwlX1QAwKR_TUXeeKD-XOq_U/s400/2016-05-25+20.21.12.jpg" width="247" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX_-ymftYQXMbv6u4iWiaXWvaPaEqDicDA4Vx4WpP_7XGKoaokXeD_W02idiQupXCVnjnIrojZKdBbQvMAMNsvW9cIK4ZqJMUuDqjobx4bohw6m-02I9JsLEMUNkWsT5s_fZPz-WD0RB5O/s1600/2016-05-25+20.21.25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX_-ymftYQXMbv6u4iWiaXWvaPaEqDicDA4Vx4WpP_7XGKoaokXeD_W02idiQupXCVnjnIrojZKdBbQvMAMNsvW9cIK4ZqJMUuDqjobx4bohw6m-02I9JsLEMUNkWsT5s_fZPz-WD0RB5O/s400/2016-05-25+20.21.25.jpg" width="223" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The onomatopoeia use goes from smart to kind of magnificent in this sequence. Now that the reader understands that the zigzag motif represents the roar of a motorcycle, Team Deadly Class uses the sound effect to drive up the drama in this beautiful graphical way. The story of this sequence is that Maria, the fan-wielding lady with the calaveras makeup, is standing defiantly on a bridge while biker dude bears down on her in a cataclysmic final battle. The onomatopoeia plays a crucial role in conveying this information: since it has been established that the zigzag sound motif is a function of volume, it is used here to show the motorcycle growing louder as it approaches maria. It starts as distinct V's in a "V V V V V V V" as the motorcycle braps in the distance, but grows to a constant jagged sound wave as the motorcycle approaches, and eventually becomes a panel splitting rend in the page as the adversaries collide. It's motion conveyed through a static visual representation of sound... which is just fucking awesome. The onomatopoeia here is also impressive by how encompassing the sound wave gets: as the sound grows louder, the zigzag of its sound effect becomes less a noise read on panel and more of a fundamental part of the structure of the page that is impossible to ignore. It's visually deafening. Which is a great way of selling the earsplitting roar and the feel-it-in-your-guts vibration of a motorcycle screaming down on the reader: the sound ceases to be a discrete thing, but instead becomes a palpable part of the world itself. It is also a great way of bringing a degree of controlled visual chaos to the page: as the motorcycle races at Maria, the noise gets louder, and the page becomes wilder looking giving the proceedings an increase in tension. It's the feeling and effects of good sound design generated through static visual symbology.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Which is a lot of comics magic all coming from a simple, old fashioned comics sound effect used in a brilliant way. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN0Xehq7vvvcLOqpNGJc4t5skYk7IxtLQWn-10umPxxmwOMzoQ9gh7wEP5llS99bKZsiA-2hYjRv535mahG8uXGyO2ZLW1Pre32sxasUfjpYwPl2b6uEJAsfrQbv84Ye_NPhbjm9ioNX2S/s1600/2016-05-25+20.21.35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN0Xehq7vvvcLOqpNGJc4t5skYk7IxtLQWn-10umPxxmwOMzoQ9gh7wEP5llS99bKZsiA-2hYjRv535mahG8uXGyO2ZLW1Pre32sxasUfjpYwPl2b6uEJAsfrQbv84Ye_NPhbjm9ioNX2S/s400/2016-05-25+20.21.35.jpg" width="266" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Previously:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/01/deep-sequencing-classy-colours.html" style="background-color: white; color: #6699cc; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px; text-decoration: none;">Deadly class colours</a><br style="background-color: white; color: #2a221a; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px;" /><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/01/deep-sequecing-deadly-layouts.html" style="background-color: white; color: #6699cc; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px; text-decoration: none;">Deadly class layouts</a></span>Michael Broundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667478150021514341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796663199424042160.post-34542912149617455062016-05-25T08:00:00.000-07:002016-05-25T08:00:12.362-07:00Worshipping The Wicked + The Divine #19<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or an attempt to explain the quiet brilliance of lighting in WicDiv #19</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">by Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie, Matt Wilson, and Clayton Cowles; Image Comics</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibuB39tx2relY4_79L7YEqMr5FEuxCYY8nXzyCIi3xyHzIDRQpBb9vNHjzsKUC7hxg4Q3Ag98yH3RH1A-ULuCL0Dwgn_igp_53KD5MluIkWp_pmWpQ1EOcpUwplZGU5PwfFOnwdVel2VOD/s1600/2016-05-17+10.43.43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibuB39tx2relY4_79L7YEqMr5FEuxCYY8nXzyCIi3xyHzIDRQpBb9vNHjzsKUC7hxg4Q3Ag98yH3RH1A-ULuCL0Dwgn_igp_53KD5MluIkWp_pmWpQ1EOcpUwplZGU5PwfFOnwdVel2VOD/s320/2016-05-17+10.43.43.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The thing I struggle to write about the most in comics is colouring. Colouring is obviously an important aspect of comics; fleshing out the world, influencing the mood of the story, and frequently participating directly in storytelling. It is absolutely integral to comics. Colouring is also obviously a craft filled with meticulous choices by creative experts. And I think there is valuable insight in talking about the thought process underlying colouring decisions. When colouring is participating in storytelling by doing something unorthodox or obviously deliberate, it can be fairly straightforward to analyze and build an essay around. But a lot of the time colouring is kind of subtle, something that permeates the composition but is so... there... that it can maybe be taken for granted as a creative choice. It's like... colour in the real world: filled with beauty and information, but easy to not dwell on directly. And I think that ignoring the way colouring, even the more subtle aspects of it, builds the comic world is a mistake.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So bearing all of that in mind, I think WicDiv #19 is subtly a masterwork in comics colouring.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There will be *SPOILERS* for WicDiv #19 below.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX2r7Ux8PGCOILWbeq6LpVhXeyPTnHWrJ8OYxUUzqu_KnUI0a09eH0BNLHY95f_l3gYkTMFYbKSwzRYPwd8vp_ZkL-z6qFtqYImqSTEp1B6r3kGqdIHl5HPReK1N9KHo-zooGpJqGI4DYH/s1600/2016-05-17+10.44.10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX2r7Ux8PGCOILWbeq6LpVhXeyPTnHWrJ8OYxUUzqu_KnUI0a09eH0BNLHY95f_l3gYkTMFYbKSwzRYPwd8vp_ZkL-z6qFtqYImqSTEp1B6r3kGqdIHl5HPReK1N9KHo-zooGpJqGI4DYH/s640/2016-05-17+10.44.10.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An aspect of colouring that I feel doesn't get it's due is lighting. (And I say this as someone who has never written an article on lighting.) Lighting in visual media can be as simple as making things seem real, since real-life human vision experiences highlights and shadows. An absence of attention to light sources can, with certain styles of pencils, distractingly deviate from our expectations. Lighting can also add certain elements of mood. On a simple note, cultural/biological training means people are trained to view bright things as cheerful and safe and darkness as uncomfortable or dangerous. The way lighting is used can dramatically change the experience of art. And, in a coloured comic, the light quality is governed by colour choice and how the shading of those colours are effected by light sources more than anything else.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Take the above selection which shows Dionysus being dragged out of a cheap-looking takeaway restaurant into the shadowy underground. The sequence first shows the fluorescent lighting of the restaurant, with its institutional even lighting causing soft highlights and shadows. Then the comic switches to the Underground, a virtually lightless world of shadowy, desaturated figures. Portraying the Underground as greyed-out characters on a black background is an inspired choice because it replicates human night vision. Human night vision is effectively colourblind since the most sensitive light sensing cells of the eye operates on a light/no-light binary; designing a colour palette that is true to that sells the darkness of the location and helps make the comic feel more real. The choice of plunging the Underground in a nightvision darkness also, I think, plays into making this location feel desperate, paranoid, and hidden which helps inform the mental state of the characters. All of this lighting collectively provides a clear scene change break, but also helps cement the Underground as a real and particular kind of place. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Looking at this sequence again makes me wonder to what extent the WicDiv use of the Underground is inspired by the use of the London Underground as a bomb shelter during WW2...)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoux0PTOxpFkpgKXghJcYzAK0Wb3ewNRgZknLLLoWHF32pY3z5VqUKuu2P6RK3U3LrTimrV43kZnYoTrXJHIsEABng8reYUhi0Fs4hmR1VNColecQaENDdc5_OgipWqcJ6DKybdaoGgE7Q/s1600/2016-05-17+10.43.51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoux0PTOxpFkpgKXghJcYzAK0Wb3ewNRgZknLLLoWHF32pY3z5VqUKuu2P6RK3U3LrTimrV43kZnYoTrXJHIsEABng8reYUhi0Fs4hmR1VNColecQaENDdc5_OgipWqcJ6DKybdaoGgE7Q/s400/2016-05-17+10.43.51.jpg" width="251" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT3UtyLfJGUXLSa6jBUNS49nRjJnVv-w6u4Ed-k7sKjs7IRHd2l9ObvAwI257x3Szgo5z_dNSJmCVH_2LrpfrNgjcALbDYerksE_APiCKsr8DyN_8A2cZEmYaALh8jHXJ0Wzjn9Bb7wu3k/s1600/2016-05-17+10.43.51-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT3UtyLfJGUXLSa6jBUNS49nRjJnVv-w6u4Ed-k7sKjs7IRHd2l9ObvAwI257x3Szgo5z_dNSJmCVH_2LrpfrNgjcALbDYerksE_APiCKsr8DyN_8A2cZEmYaALh8jHXJ0Wzjn9Bb7wu3k/s400/2016-05-17+10.43.51-1.jpg" width="251" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An area of particular strength in WicDiv #19 is the use of discrete light sources. Because so much of the comic occurs in low lighting, light sources stand out more than they would in a brighter comic. The above selection has one very obvious light source in the third panel, where the green light from the owl's projector eye is especially apparent. In this panel, the path, highlights, and shadows of the light are apparent. In addition, the open doorway throughout the composition is a source of blue/white light that influences the overall colour and the highlights of all of the depicted characters in the scene. What is great about this selection, is that you can see how the system of highlights and shadows change in response to the two light sources above. It's such an effortless thing to read through, but dealt with in a granular, deliberate way it becomes apparent how much thought must have gone into crafting the lighting in this sequence.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPfzHguoi2vWOniB08VY_r44RO-uvUMdJpMArgo2WqCxGj3tIyEaol84eH-cfJv2Bk6ulAa3ghbC6JLqQO-WnXdO0UavsfTq42DWoLTUA0kLWu8aDE4n-xBoUijPSBadm_ebp3_6AlZvf1/s1600/2016-05-17+10.45.05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPfzHguoi2vWOniB08VY_r44RO-uvUMdJpMArgo2WqCxGj3tIyEaol84eH-cfJv2Bk6ulAa3ghbC6JLqQO-WnXdO0UavsfTq42DWoLTUA0kLWu8aDE4n-xBoUijPSBadm_ebp3_6AlZvf1/s400/2016-05-17+10.45.05.jpg" width="267" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I kind of can't get over how effortless the execution of these multiple light source sequences are in WicDiv #19. Like, this page here has diffuse green projector glow, a dark panel, and then panels governed by the concentric glow of a cigarette. Which again, is a lot of visual information for the colourist to build into the page. On top of that, this sequence does such smart things with the colour. In the top row of panels, Gentle Annie is suffused with an otherworldly green glow, while vicious Badb is plunged into darkness. This, I think, captures the differences and transition between personas. The next panels are governed by Persephone's cigarette, which in the third panel give her visual primacy. This gives he a kind of leader-type-feel and, by planting the reader's attention so firmly on Persephone, sets the pacing for the final dramatic beat of the comic. This is all really smart storytelling predicated largely on the use shadows and light sources. Which again, is so subtle but so smart.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi49F2Tm6pSd0GB8uy-ykc7atye2OdXVb5TuYZJXUg1-vyX1h8gPeCBXR8mEk6ehKzwdTQH4u88Ktvt98aSWDjsWjpHJMG4mrypOUm1WQ8ZS_Rgkfj1xXVGR57dsmYuk08SgS8Mk8UEkHxp/s1600/2016-05-17+10.44.45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi49F2Tm6pSd0GB8uy-ykc7atye2OdXVb5TuYZJXUg1-vyX1h8gPeCBXR8mEk6ehKzwdTQH4u88Ktvt98aSWDjsWjpHJMG4mrypOUm1WQ8ZS_Rgkfj1xXVGR57dsmYuk08SgS8Mk8UEkHxp/s640/2016-05-17+10.44.45.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And in amazing burying the lead news, WicDiv #19 also has a drag out battle between the gods in the darkness of the underground. Which is really just a total fucking light show, since so many of the gods have powers that involve glowing things. Baal is throwing out white-blue lighting, Persephone controls glowing green tendrils, Amaterasu flies like a radiant sun, Woden and company have fluorescent Tron armour, and Baphomet is laying about with a big flaming stick. It is a riot of different light sources throwing out highlights and shadows interacting in a complex, motion heavy scene. Making this lighting mess visually sensical and effortless is truly epic comics colouring. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="line-height: 23.1px;">Previously:</span><br style="line-height: 23.1px;" /><span style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="line-height: 23.1px;"><span style="line-height: 23.1px;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2014/07/worshipping-wicked-divine-1.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;">WicDiv #1 and popart head-splosions</a></span><br style="line-height: 23.1px;" /><span style="color: #6699cc; line-height: 23.1px;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2014/07/worshiping-wicked-divine-2.html" style="color: #6699cc; line-height: 23.1px; text-decoration: none;">WicDiv #2 and the use of black-space</a></span><br style="line-height: 23.1px;" /><span style="color: #6699cc; line-height: 23.1px;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2014/08/worshipping-wicked-divine-3.html" style="color: #6699cc; line-height: 23.1px; text-decoration: none;">WicDiv #3 and character design</a></span></span><br style="line-height: 23.1px;" /><span style="color: #6699cc; line-height: 23.1px;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2014/09/worshipping-wicked-divine-4.html" style="color: #6699cc; line-height: 23.1px; text-decoration: none;">WicDiv #4 and body language </a></span></span><br style="line-height: 23.1px;" /><span style="color: #6699cc; line-height: 23.1px;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2014/10/worshipping-wicked-divine-5.html" style="color: #6699cc; line-height: 23.1px; text-decoration: none;">WicDiv#5 and facial acting</a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br style="font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 23.1px;" /><span style="color: #6699cc; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 23.1px;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/01/worshipping-wicked-divine-6.html" style="color: #6699cc; line-height: 23.1px; text-decoration: none;">WicDiv #6 and possessions as character</a></span><br style="font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 23.1px;" /><span style="color: #6699cc; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 23.1px;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/02/worshipping-wicked-divine-7.html" style="color: #6699cc; line-height: 23.1px; text-decoration: none;">WicDiv #7 and the power of lettering</a></span><br style="font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 23.1px;" /><span style="color: #6699cc; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 23.1px;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/03/worshipping-wicked-divine-8.html" style="color: #6699cc; line-height: 23.1px; text-decoration: none;">WicDiv #8 and the disorienting layout</a></span><br style="font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 23.1px;" /><span style="color: #6699cc; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 23.1px;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/04/worshipping-wicked-divine-9.html" style="color: #6699cc; line-height: 23.1px; text-decoration: none;">WicDiv #9 and the economics of design</a></span><br style="font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 23.1px;" /><span style="color: #6699cc; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 23.1px;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/05/worshipping-wicked-divine-10.html" style="color: #6699cc; line-height: 23.1px; text-decoration: none;">WicDiv #10 and powers as character design</a></span><br style="font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 23.1px;" /><span style="color: #6699cc; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 23.1px;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/06/worshipping-wicked-and-divine-11.html" style="color: #6699cc; line-height: 23.1px; text-decoration: none;">WicDiv #11 and stretching the moment</a></span><br style="font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 23.1px;" /><span style="color: #6699cc; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 23.1px;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/07/worshipping-wicked-divine-12.html" style="color: #6699cc; line-height: 23.1px; text-decoration: none;">WicDiv #12 and layout encoding</a></span><br style="font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 23.1px;" /><span style="color: #6699cc; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 23.1px;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/08/worshipping-wicked-divine-13.html" style="color: #6699cc; line-height: 23.1px; text-decoration: none;">WicDiv #13 and retroactive narratives</a></span><br style="font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 23.1px;" /><span style="color: #6699cc; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 23.1px;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/09/worshipping-wicked-divine-14.html" style="color: #6699cc; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 23.1px; text-decoration: none;">WicDiv #14 and re-mixing comics</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6699cc; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/10/worshipping-wicked-divine-15.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;">WicDiv #15 and fading out</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/12/worshipping-wicked-divine-17.html">WicDiv #17 and some things I liked</a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Michael Broundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667478150021514341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796663199424042160.post-39228990651553396982016-05-18T08:00:00.000-07:002016-05-18T11:52:35.682-07:00Interrogating Black Widow #3<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Or a look at out of focus storytelling in Black Widow #3</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">by Chris Samnee, Mark Waid, Matthew Wilson, and Joe Caramagna; Marvel Comics</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKRvA8pLC9gtiRTrcpeuUm4DSkGVo0yRNpfUVcxdAWY24hnQ0uU3RjiH9TfC5yLFsEQT52Ux3-PgUDYHR8nzPPJSCAPXFj6hxvgzF7ODZIojCMO7acRTPMhRPifnhTdcxZQCSPUgHVoM70/s1600/2016-05-17+10.42.36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKRvA8pLC9gtiRTrcpeuUm4DSkGVo0yRNpfUVcxdAWY24hnQ0uU3RjiH9TfC5yLFsEQT52Ux3-PgUDYHR8nzPPJSCAPXFj6hxvgzF7ODZIojCMO7acRTPMhRPifnhTdcxZQCSPUgHVoM70/s320/2016-05-17+10.42.36.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Something that I've really enjoyed about the current iteration of Black Widow is how the creative team uses eye guiding to enhance storytelling. You might be tired of hearing me bang on about this, but I think it's really cool how eye guiding can be used to highlight key features of a page, pace the story, and to create a tangible sense of motion to make action feel more kinetic. When done well, like it so often is in Black Widow, it's amazing. Black Widow #3 puts an interesting twist on this kind of storytelling by not only calling the reader's attention to key elements of the composition, but by also bypassing other important moments in the page to create earned surprises. It is a really cool twist on eye guiding and I want to unpack a couple examples from the issue here.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There will be <b>*SPOILERS*</b> below. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The first use of subterfuge-guiding in Black Widow #3 is this sequence of Black Widow being pursued through a crowd by a SHIELD agent. First of all it's a great example of eye guiding in comics. The page uses sight lines and speech bubbles to bring the reader across the top row, and uses the held wire in the top-right panel to orient the carriage return. The reader then encounters Black widow observing her tail which transitions into a crowd scene that uses colour and inset panels to show the agent, Black Widow, and her actions. This row is particularly interesting because it uses the tangents of the wire to nudge the reader to Black Widow and to swing the reader into the next panel where the character is tripped! The final panel uses the crowd to push the reader to the agent and his dialogue before the reader leaves the page. It's a pretty great composition.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On the next page Black Widow is wearing a disguise that she got from somewhere... Or maybe you noticed the one-armed naked mannikin at the very end of the page. Regardless, the key story snippet, the disguise itself, is buried in the composition in plain sight. The reader can see it, but because it isn't emphasized by the eye guiding, perhaps even hidden behind the emphasized Black Widow, it initially appears like background set dressing. It isn't until the nude mannikin or the disguise at the airport that the outfit in the window becomes important. Which is a neat trick because it allows the comic to deploy a little surprise that is constructed out of information available to the reader. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A simpler, and maybe more directly relevant of subterfuge-guiding is this sequence. On this page, Black Widow garrotes a guard, sees a child or maybe memory of her childhood through a window, and then is surprisingly struck by the guard she was in the process of subduing. The eye guiding on this page is relatively straight forward, with clear east-to-west moves before a carriage return that heavily emphasizes the bright window with the girl in it. The page then takes a clear turn into the motion of the guard striking black widow using the shape of their arms and the onomatopoeia to pull the reader through the motion. What's cool about this sequence is that the girl-in-the-window panel is highlighted so much that it distracted me from the more peripheral elements of that panel. This meant that I didn't notice that the guard is depicted getting his hand under the garrotte wire and is escaping from the distracted Widow. As a result, when the guard strikes Black Widow in the final panel it was surprising and, because I could double back to the preceding panel, it felt earned and satisfying. Which is really fantastic storytelling: in the same way Widow is distracted from noticing the guard escape because of what she is seeing, the reader is also distracted from seeing the guard escape. It's using emphasis and slight-of-hand to generate the experience of the protagonist in the reader. </span><br />
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<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-5866913615823909137" itemprop="description articleBody" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #2a221a; font-size: 14.85px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.4; orphans: auto; position: relative; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; width: 668px; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Previously:<br /><span style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2016/03/interrogating-black-widow-1.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;">Black Widow #1</a></span></span><br />
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<a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2016/04/interrogating-black-widow-2.html"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Black Widow #2</span></a></div>
<br />Michael Broundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667478150021514341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796663199424042160.post-60728940804904343342016-04-27T08:00:00.000-07:002016-04-27T08:00:19.945-07:00Monitoring Moon Knight #1<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or a look at the use of style to convey narrative in Moon Knight #1 </span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">by Jeff Lemire, Greg Smallwood, Jordie Bellaire, and Cory Petit; Marvel Comics</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Moon Knight #1 is the kind of comic I usually steer clear of. It's a relaunch of a series that has just been relaunched several times. I fairly recently read an iteration of the series that I *really* enjoyed as a cohesive, complete experience. I don't really have strong feelings about Moon Knight as a character, and since reading a little Cerebus I'm having some trouble taking him seriously ("Unorthodox Economic Vengeance!"). And yet... Jordie Bellaire only seems to work on good comics, Jeff Lemire has created several comics I enjoy, and Greg Smallwood's artwork is immediately, obvious good. So it's really on the strength of the creative team that I even tried this comic. And I am pretty glad that I did.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Moon Knight #1 is also the kind of comic I love to write about: it is a very accomplished comic that uses a number of stylistic elements to convey narrative information and create an immersive reading experience. Which I'll try and unpack below.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There will of course be <b>*SPOILERS*</b>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the choices I really like about Moon Knight #1 is the use of very wide white gutter spaces. This choice gives the entire comic a soft, almost hazy feeling. This effect is apparent throughout the issue, but is particularly obvious in certain pages which actively use the white space to show Spectre slipping in and out of consciousness, whiting out in what feels like a slow and muzzy way. Overall, I suggest the passive and active use of white margins works to create a sense of floating, semi-conciousness that really adds to the ambiguity of the comic and sense that the narratoring perspective may be unreliable. It's great stuff.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another of the stylistic choices in Moon Knight #1 that I find so effective is the dual colouring styles used in the issue. The comic opens on a pair of pages of Marc Spectre exploring an Ancient Egyptian temple as part of a hallucination/vision. This sequence features a grainy, sketchy colour palette that uses 'painted' highlights and specks of pigment to create a decidedly artificed world. By which I mean, the stylistic choices of this opening sequence manages to look like something created by an artist (a fictional environment) but also extremely granular and high resolution (a hyper-realistic environment). The more mundane elements of the comic which tell the story of Marc Spectre committed to some sort of mental hospital feature flat colours and a much more conventional comics look. This creates an immediate codified demarcation between the fantastical world of the comic and the mundane world.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Part of what makes this colouring choice so powerful in the comic is how it works to collide the supernatural/insane elements of the comic with the mundane. When Spectre becomes Moon Knight or hears the voice of his god Kohnshu elements of the scratchy, granular colouring creep into the comic, creating an emotional contrast between these elements. This also creates a palpable sense of dread/power in the supernatural elements: they feature distinct colouring so *something* must be happening, maybe Spectre isn't insane...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then there are the pages where the divisions break down and the flat colouring of the mundane world and the gritty, sketchy aesthetic of the supernatural collide. Where Moon Knight is free to attack the nurse/jackals that have been imprisoning and seemingly abusing him throughout the comic. This is depicted wonderfully in a flurry of small, circular panels that chaotically capture individual moments of violence. It's a page out-of-control and unhinged, and manages to capture a maniac fury in a clear and visually interesting way. Collectively, it's a great choice that I think manages to establish this incarnation of Moon Knight as dangerous and which implies that there is potentially an element of supernatural power about the possibly insane man.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlZLHsGSgP3xMzaJqhkWhkooBMwPDtHwasehm-sPObu22wde1O3ur1CvI_omCRx8fIAxZ5jD6OvusCnU_D2sqfAAU1oiViS1NLrTaPqm1jWme3M2K8_set0Ld8SXytQINMVLjEvTsv6cif/s1600/2016-04-25+09.54.34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlZLHsGSgP3xMzaJqhkWhkooBMwPDtHwasehm-sPObu22wde1O3ur1CvI_omCRx8fIAxZ5jD6OvusCnU_D2sqfAAU1oiViS1NLrTaPqm1jWme3M2K8_set0Ld8SXytQINMVLjEvTsv6cif/s640/2016-04-25+09.54.34.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think this double-page spread is my favourite use of the supernatural/mundane colouring. The page depicts New York apparently mixed up with some sort of Ancient Egyptian-inspired hellscape. While I can spot elements of paint splatter and sketchy colours, these elements are subdued compared to panels and sequences that are more clearly entrenched in either Spectre's mind or the possibly hallucinated. Instead this page features mostly the more flat colouring of the mundane elements of the comic, despite the impossible thing being depicted. The white margins also fall away for the first time in the comic, making the page feel bigger, sharper, and more real. This creates this wonderful moment of ambiguity: is this all a hallucination of Spetre's? Could this really be happening? The colouring, which has been used to codify this, is unclear. And so by establishing, utilizing, and then subverting the colour conventions of the comic, Moon Knight #1 manages to call into question what in the comic is even really happening. Which is great.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I read Moon Knight #1 because of the creative team, but will read #2 on the strength of the execution of the first issue.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Previously:</span></div>
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<a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2014/07/monitoring-moon-knight-5.html"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Moon Knight #5 and brutal violence</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2014/04/monitoring-moon-knight-2.html"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Moon Knight #2, layouts, and snipers</span></a></div>
Michael Broundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667478150021514341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796663199424042160.post-54356724446646054002016-04-20T08:00:00.000-07:002016-04-20T12:44:20.504-07:00Deep Sequencing: Space Crime Scene Investigation<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Or a look at the use of setting in The Fuse Vol. 1 and Mercury Heat Vol. 1</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">by </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2a221a; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 20.79px;">Antony Johnston, Justin Greenwood, Shari Chankhamma, and Ryan Ferrier, </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">as well as, Kieron Gillen, Omar Francia, Nahuel Lopez, Digikore Studios, Kurt Hathaway, respectively</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoDMWPrkZfJSys6Nsvn9bu3ffG4Z4psLfoEEZPaZKcMz4FPGF-NQgS_sunWVIDGPDzkXN2kiP-PHw2r-_C70a2CA92OQniZ7SnIAhiyjjBfrlJdHNFs5vEN7EW9Rmf-ytNiHomZQDItem9/s1600/2016-04-12+12.24.41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoDMWPrkZfJSys6Nsvn9bu3ffG4Z4psLfoEEZPaZKcMz4FPGF-NQgS_sunWVIDGPDzkXN2kiP-PHw2r-_C70a2CA92OQniZ7SnIAhiyjjBfrlJdHNFs5vEN7EW9Rmf-ytNiHomZQDItem9/s320/2016-04-12+12.24.41.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4JaXDktQyMXZYRQqQxh3msd-EyvK087Ca9JT1iNd9Xmi8NBk6nUYnnCoDxnKjal1EGOC7W9qUxmuoI6AfeAwe25IiwU8urt6EiqUIkLCiTIs0VKTWxRqf3vkq6kNLt41E-yxecXiev3mF/s1600/2016-04-12+12.21.38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4JaXDktQyMXZYRQqQxh3msd-EyvK087Ca9JT1iNd9Xmi8NBk6nUYnnCoDxnKjal1EGOC7W9qUxmuoI6AfeAwe25IiwU8urt6EiqUIkLCiTIs0VKTWxRqf3vkq6kNLt41E-yxecXiev3mF/s320/2016-04-12+12.21.38.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In my day job I have often meet accomplished clinician-scientists who have built careers on studying people with diseases caused by rare mutations. These researchers find interesting, serendipitous comparisons between people that uncover novel facets of biology and also potentially treat people with rare diseases. I think the same principle can be applied to comics: finding comics with some unifying aspect and contrasting how they approach that commonality can be informative. (<a href="http://mattfraction.com/post/43714914574/two-of-my-favorite-writers-in-comics-open-write-a">A classic example</a> is the different approaches to scripting a beach scene between Moore and Ennis.) And I think The Fuse and Mercury Heat are a pretty ideal pair to examine.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Fuse and Mercury Heat are both Science Fiction comics that revolve around Space Police solving a murder. The Fuse takes place on an orbiting, power-collecting space station and is functionally a detective procedural that provides a social commentary and satisfying mystery. Mercury Heat takes place on Mercury, in a space colony built around exporting solar energy to Earth, and skews toward an Action-Sci-fi adventure with policing elements. While these comics are distinct from a plot/theme perspective, The Fuse and Mercury Heat have similar enough settings that comparing the two comics is interesting. Moreover, I think The Fuse does a much more effective job utilizing it's setting than Mercury Heat and I think it's instructive to examine this in more detail.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Before I do that, though, I'd like to just point out that I enjoyed both of these comics quite a lot. I think The Fuse is maybe the better social critique of the two, and is certainly the better police-comic with a much more granular and engrossing mystery. However, I also think Mercury Heat is a better work of Science Fiction: some of it's ideas, like everyone being freelance contractors working for a central-sorting AI-application, are kind of brilliant. My point is both comics have their strengths and both are worth reading; I just happen to think The Fuse makes better use of setting than Mercury Heat. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There will be <b>*SPOILERS* </b>for both Mercury Heat Vol. 1 and The Fuse Vol. 1 below.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbYpaCMYoFrVK444ECvGabbwSSSHqrARx2Uby69QGnzztb6_zWwtUm9VRolk99YdmhwpwLjSxDB3YlzQaBQiP7FWlYjj8vkManqKXyjMMwFe9lM3FPJF8uN-nhU91pDvcWXLAXQ8UuoU7U/s1600/2016-04-20+00.43.19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbYpaCMYoFrVK444ECvGabbwSSSHqrARx2Uby69QGnzztb6_zWwtUm9VRolk99YdmhwpwLjSxDB3YlzQaBQiP7FWlYjj8vkManqKXyjMMwFe9lM3FPJF8uN-nhU91pDvcWXLAXQ8UuoU7U/s400/2016-04-20+00.43.19.jpg" width="253" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWY5K16VRN_HtbXbCmo7caV39vFoRqkxORYEyMwrj9pDTadnTDjqFL6OLk-k1iWphAV3GeU_WpWj1hA1dkKD99-GtMvKlFqgYQnnlxyPPPLbzr7sUUhiY0I21xu20EWyVrjEsGAF6Fv0EE/s1600/2016-04-12+12.22.10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWY5K16VRN_HtbXbCmo7caV39vFoRqkxORYEyMwrj9pDTadnTDjqFL6OLk-k1iWphAV3GeU_WpWj1hA1dkKD99-GtMvKlFqgYQnnlxyPPPLbzr7sUUhiY0I21xu20EWyVrjEsGAF6Fv0EE/s400/2016-04-12+12.22.10.jpg" width="253" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The cold open in Mercury Heat is that a man is stranded on the surface of Mercury. Mercury is noteworthy because dayside of the planet surface is inhospitably hot while the nightside of the planet experiences temperatures which are unendurably cold. The trick to surviving on Mercury, depends on living in the twilight/dawn region that exists between the two extremes and which, due to Mercury's very long day, moves at something like walking speed. So this man stranded on Mercury is trying to outrun the dawn and avoid frying to death. Except he can't and he dies by solar immolation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The issue here is that this isn't at all clear from the artwork in Mercury Heat. The camera is focused in so far that as a reader I never get the sense of impending dawn or that the doomed man is running on the surface of the planet. Or really, that the comic is taking place on Mercury at all since what is shown is a non-descript Sci-fi setting. Which is, in my opinion, a shame because I think this could have been a grand, hook the reader kind of moment that doesn't quite work because the setting isn't used effectively.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXMY78GY2XxNpnz-QNrV8qifFLCWFZxit_FK-DdY1NtjaJbY-_FFujLBXI0OBNyUq_fv89ArHBA58K16YdRKOX5xEYS-vuklspvJcezPMNgb1jR_VW3oCEMSez274mrNVi8iNtqjs-7s7W/s1600/2016-04-12+12.22.40.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXMY78GY2XxNpnz-QNrV8qifFLCWFZxit_FK-DdY1NtjaJbY-_FFujLBXI0OBNyUq_fv89ArHBA58K16YdRKOX5xEYS-vuklspvJcezPMNgb1jR_VW3oCEMSez274mrNVi8iNtqjs-7s7W/s400/2016-04-12+12.22.40.jpg" width="225" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv7FuSRTOMjOI0kMLBVWMW9hKYGjB4Jl_LTpnUfIL_FIaUMP69Dm0kkrBGDUQYGJqqglOTsddn6TUE5S231JZEAtA3KfQhGy2WJwep1BpEB_J0lnTEn01J7BIWuIvSNb0b8AmUnRtRVLKh/s1600/2016-04-12+12.23.10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv7FuSRTOMjOI0kMLBVWMW9hKYGjB4Jl_LTpnUfIL_FIaUMP69Dm0kkrBGDUQYGJqqglOTsddn6TUE5S231JZEAtA3KfQhGy2WJwep1BpEB_J0lnTEn01J7BIWuIvSNb0b8AmUnRtRVLKh/s400/2016-04-12+12.23.10.jpg" width="217" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The issues with communicating setting continue past the opening sequence of Mercury Heat. While the comic takes place inside some sort of Mercury-based space colony, I still can't really describe what that entails or what it looks like. Most of Mercury Heat portrays its world as a series of generic looking space-corridors and while there are some establishing shots (I've tried to gather the best I could find above), they fail to provide good information on what the Mercury Colony looks like, or what the lives of its denizens might be like. Like, I cannot tell you if Mercury has a surface city, a buried city, or as is the case in a few <a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/search/label/Saturn%27s%20Children">Sci-fi things I've read</a>, a moving city that paces the twilight/dawn zone. Which is a shame, because it deprives Mercury Heat a sense of place, some degree of believability, and fails to capitalize on the awesome fact that it takes place on Mercury.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(I'm willing to concede that the narrow focus and sheer corridor-ness of Mercury Heat *could* be a meta-commentary/nod to other Sci-fi works that, constrained by budget, also go heavy on the corridor and light on the awesome space setting. I'm pretty sure the tight outfit and undesirable "personality type" of the protagonist (among other things) are an unspoken commentary/satire of the Sci-fi girl-with-a-gun trope, so it's not impossible that Team Heat is Doing A Thing. Or that what I'm examining here as an omission may actually be a deliberate creative choice.)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMw9zYTW9-nt-GUR8nGkEpOkpYes9XTBw_wf8tW8IPRqJxIUhYoMiUyq887oXlRYO5_iE1rA81vEV0O6KVAb8OJ4eI8_W8pkhYUbcTAfvxMhcDiYBiZyux3oVGYOZdnxRMHsYDVItlORsW/s1600/2016-04-12+12.25.11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="544" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMw9zYTW9-nt-GUR8nGkEpOkpYes9XTBw_wf8tW8IPRqJxIUhYoMiUyq887oXlRYO5_iE1rA81vEV0O6KVAb8OJ4eI8_W8pkhYUbcTAfvxMhcDiYBiZyux3oVGYOZdnxRMHsYDVItlORsW/s640/2016-04-12+12.25.11.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Fuse, in contrast does a much better job establishing its setting. The comic also opens with a murder, although this sequence is much more mundane and takes place in a fairly nondescript communal space that could literally be anywhere. Immediately following this, however, The Fuse gives us a double page spread showing us the entire space station. This gives the reader an immediate sense of place and established that the reader is in a fantastical, space world. The juxtaposition of the mundane murder with the space station also helps establish one of the thematic cores of the series: despite the futuristic and exotic setting, the denizens of The Fuse are beset by the same squalor, corruption, and immorality as humanity always has been. This contrast between the Sci-fi promise of the premise and the mundane reality of the story really drives home the social commentary of the comic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Fuse builds on this setting and continues to make use of the contrast between fantastical and mundane elements. The comic takes us to what is recognizably an inhabited city inside the space station, or a wealthy suburb inclosed beneath a space-dome. It shows us a vagrant camp built into an out-of-the-way bit of station infrastructure. The comic takes the reader to a gravity-free observatory where station inhabitants can watch Earth (and where they explain the super-clever origins of "The Russia Shift). These are settings that manage to incorporate the space-elements of the station and merge them with recognizable, contemporary elements which convey information to the reader about things like economic class, but also carefully maintain the juxtaposition of the mundane and futuristic. It is very effective comics that really makes the most of the setting a socially conscious police procedural in space.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRKNQZohJdtGB_91f7v2sei6vMyIGydHOkM61gnNaIc6X4yebgFxyej7eeKxk955iU-bbVanRpaWu4L2-_CGp57l6HFCYprwCoHsoVNO4n4PVmG-9F2CUklGQBfBA9CtCzlD95VJw4hI5H/s1600/2016-04-12+12.24.14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="560" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRKNQZohJdtGB_91f7v2sei6vMyIGydHOkM61gnNaIc6X4yebgFxyej7eeKxk955iU-bbVanRpaWu4L2-_CGp57l6HFCYprwCoHsoVNO4n4PVmG-9F2CUklGQBfBA9CtCzlD95VJw4hI5H/s640/2016-04-12+12.24.14.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mercury Heat does have one sequence that makes great use of its setting. In one of the final chapters, the comic's protagonist finds herself marooned on the surface of Mercury and, like the poor soul in the opening sequence, forced to outrun the dawn to survive. In this instance the camera pulls back to give the reader a view of rugged, craterous Mercury and the context to appreciate the predicament of the protagonist. The sequence feels dangerous and suspenseful and great, in large part, I think, because of the large scale portrayal of setting. It is also, I think, one of the most enjoyable sequences in the comic, and I hope, a sign that setting is going to be a more active element of Mercury Heat going forward.</span><br />
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<br />Michael Broundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667478150021514341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796663199424042160.post-58669136158239091372016-04-13T08:00:00.000-07:002016-04-13T08:00:03.268-07:00Interrogating Black Widow #2<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or a breakdown of a really great page in Black Widow #2</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">by Chris Samnee, Mark Waid, Matt Wilson, and Joe Caramagna; Marvel Comics</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHZCcqW942o5wqz3ml4_XUcmIRpnbxUodBRk7H5lm9LI_nb2O-7WJVnrAzHFwcZDqeWcnChu2vqRooBXz2D3p9meZlaHCJV7f1cDT0zmXSsgdgFPSP9DP9zJdIfpsh5TK7WKDxBOLvu3vB/s1600/2016-04-08+10.32.57.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHZCcqW942o5wqz3ml4_XUcmIRpnbxUodBRk7H5lm9LI_nb2O-7WJVnrAzHFwcZDqeWcnChu2vqRooBXz2D3p9meZlaHCJV7f1cDT0zmXSsgdgFPSP9DP9zJdIfpsh5TK7WKDxBOLvu3vB/s320/2016-04-08+10.32.57.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Black Widow #1 was one of the <a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2016/03/interrogating-black-widow-1.html">most satisfying</a> single issues of comics I've ever read. It made tremendous use of mystery and silent-running comics to drive an engrossing, amazing action sequence that perfectly establishes the stakes and tone of the series. Black Widow #2 has the unenviable job of providing the context and underlying details to make the series work. Fortunately, Team Widow is up to the task and created a compelling comic filled with atmosphere, style, and fantastic storytelling. One page of which I want to take a closer look at, because it pulls off a really cool trick.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There will be *SPOILERS* for Black Widow #2</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaL719_rCSw0gmOlmb75BuARnNeTEvra55nhIq9_-g0nfWr8h_13oIBV6y5zogdZE9-IsdWcdPWUyPWdKnvLqIMheoz3OMg09JXv9DI9XLy876XLIBQXff_Uu-qTBMjnYUI58BMUqY0WVt/s1600/2016-04-08+10.33.17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaL719_rCSw0gmOlmb75BuARnNeTEvra55nhIq9_-g0nfWr8h_13oIBV6y5zogdZE9-IsdWcdPWUyPWdKnvLqIMheoz3OMg09JXv9DI9XLy876XLIBQXff_Uu-qTBMjnYUI58BMUqY0WVt/s640/2016-04-08+10.33.17.jpg" width="454" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuSxPiJmlSmD_AVmh5LI6-EDCVWIShuAe8wGSKMHua9EzCu7z_QXYl99lLO6ttZkt0Mn_04T-0FuSOrE4nt6S43Dh36jg5hkrU0OFz34VRcVCBnd7AykucP1OwqrExQCigzpc-Lbx9y1oF/s1600/2016-04-08+10.33.17-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuSxPiJmlSmD_AVmh5LI6-EDCVWIShuAe8wGSKMHua9EzCu7z_QXYl99lLO6ttZkt0Mn_04T-0FuSOrE4nt6S43Dh36jg5hkrU0OFz34VRcVCBnd7AykucP1OwqrExQCigzpc-Lbx9y1oF/s400/2016-04-08+10.33.17-1.jpg" width="283" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDWfd-3L-7SxyA4Mf8fKes0cNOMvNdUDBJ2wyUQphAJwiaImxeR-I7zd9y4RBIqpM-X5YEXYLBX71P6yQKVfp4dNU-wBqADFRDrrlZmbOXzRue7AYD-bK_JpgxagqkTgDoo-GAmLLQmJA7/s1600/2016-04-08+10.33.17-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDWfd-3L-7SxyA4Mf8fKes0cNOMvNdUDBJ2wyUQphAJwiaImxeR-I7zd9y4RBIqpM-X5YEXYLBX71P6yQKVfp4dNU-wBqADFRDrrlZmbOXzRue7AYD-bK_JpgxagqkTgDoo-GAmLLQmJA7/s400/2016-04-08+10.33.17-2.jpg" width="283" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the aspects of comics storytelling that I find really interesting is the interplay between artwork and the readers path through a page. And this page is a fantastic example of why I find this stuff so compelling. The story here is that Black Widow is quietly dispatching a group of soldier/assassins set to attack a secret SHIELD funeral. The reader enters the page in the top panel, reads some dialogue, and then carriage returns across the page to meet the silhouette of a running Black Widow in the second panel. This primes an action where Widow tackles the goon in the foreground of the second panel, through the third panel, and leaving him sprawled in the fourth. This action feels heavy and significant as it carries through multiple panels. It also feels quick and fluid since the motion carries along a tangent line created by an underlying triangle formed by the standing-goon, motion blur, and sprawled goon. This provides a clear reading path for the reader and increases the speed of the reader. This triangle/reading path also deposits the reader in the bottom right corner of the fourth panel, which means the reader looks back at the next-goon and sees Black Widow swinging around his neck. This means the reader moves along the path of Widow jumping onto next-goon in a quick, kinetic way. The position of Widow on next-goon also provides a shape that pulls the reader up and around the pair and then down along the cross page carriage return to the final panel where Widow has broken next-goons neck. When you put this entire sequence together the reader follows Widow's motion as she carries out the entire takedown: jumping onto the goon, swinging around him, and then throwing him down to a violent neck-snapping crash. This is the reading path that is established and provides the reader with an evocative sequence that animates the static artwork into a kinetic experience. And given the sheer complexity of the motion this effortless seeming reading path is a remarkable and bonkers bit of comics magic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Black Widow continues to be a really, really great comic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Previously:</span><br />
<a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2016/03/interrogating-black-widow-1.html"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Black Widow #1</span></a>Michael Broundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667478150021514341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796663199424042160.post-11385615762936593892016-04-06T08:00:00.000-07:002016-04-06T08:00:20.145-07:00Deep Sequencing: East-SLASH-West<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Or a look at action composition and the use of symmetry in East of West Vol. 5</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">by Jonathan Hickman, Nick Dragotta, Frank Martin, Rus Wooton; Image Comics</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ilvR_pZbMaxvNRKVXEP3-6iO69LkWz7AqHO02EV67JHsfEnlf7RKSx5OF-n6W-ntCtXJvvHQGs5UPYYMX4xLI4HEJCNyxuWsCw5KsG4W80VqAHuKgHCm4HeT1zeSrkMdxYuLdZ_yKKY1/s1600/2016-04-05+22.15.26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ilvR_pZbMaxvNRKVXEP3-6iO69LkWz7AqHO02EV67JHsfEnlf7RKSx5OF-n6W-ntCtXJvvHQGs5UPYYMX4xLI4HEJCNyxuWsCw5KsG4W80VqAHuKgHCm4HeT1zeSrkMdxYuLdZ_yKKY1/s320/2016-04-05+22.15.26.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">East of West is a pretty great comic. It is a comic about the end of the world in a kind of Sci-fi/Western alternate universe. In the world of East of West the US Civil War (and concurrent American Indian Wars) ended in a stalemate when a comet crashed and decimated much of the continent. As a result the US is divided into a number of warring states, once locked in an uneasy peace, and now openly warring. Oh, and the four horsemen of the Apocalypse stalk the land while Death rides in search of his lost son, the harbinger of the Endtimes. East of West is choked full of memorable characters, cool Sci-fi concepts, intrigue, and beautifully composed action. It is absolutely a comic worth reading.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I want to take a closer look at a particularly nifty action sequence from East of West Vol. 5 to try and unpack what I like about it and to showcase something cool it does using symmetrical layouts.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There will be <b>*SPOILERS* </b>below.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNMLac4g_4kqZHRgKFw1YOch4w7bOtuVY7EXtopmvkoSySMDF_7ZRt7xq41xeSKRTwbnmhGZRI3knC0Fl_w5A8M7o3-ZetaW5dNiwJCu0YoXWfIDRQw5_zeEOLOHY9r4wt1tBoGTfdoMd2/s1600/2016-04-05+22.21.26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNMLac4g_4kqZHRgKFw1YOch4w7bOtuVY7EXtopmvkoSySMDF_7ZRt7xq41xeSKRTwbnmhGZRI3knC0Fl_w5A8M7o3-ZetaW5dNiwJCu0YoXWfIDRQw5_zeEOLOHY9r4wt1tBoGTfdoMd2/s400/2016-04-05+22.21.26.jpg" width="243" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq8yvBBKquZMLL2-PWYXEEtcJT2pSzm2wTmGtxTmKANRQk4N6ekUAm3Q9q6v-UXTPV39f5_qebnq1KWNO72iRwNxVk9_8XooaDmZD5dzihsQO2V4BatCNxljocCNCY6dFNUKG6azrcQIrl/s1600/2016-04-05+22.21.26-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq8yvBBKquZMLL2-PWYXEEtcJT2pSzm2wTmGtxTmKANRQk4N6ekUAm3Q9q6v-UXTPV39f5_qebnq1KWNO72iRwNxVk9_8XooaDmZD5dzihsQO2V4BatCNxljocCNCY6dFNUKG6azrcQIrl/s400/2016-04-05+22.21.26-1.jpg" width="243" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The sequence I want to talk about is a selection from a longer, excellent action set piece. The story of this chapter shows a number of ninja-like assassins infiltrating the palace of The People's Republic of America to murder Mao Xiaolian, the leader of this polity. Specifically sequence has the assasins corner the leader bathing, apparently vulnerable, and Xiaolian fighting back against her wouldbe killers. The entire story is wonderfully composed and very effective comics.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm going to focus in on these three pages though, since I think they showcase the strength of the storytelling and because they do a couple interesting things.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first page is a pretty good example of the majority of the action storytelling in East of West. The composition here makes great use of how the reader naturally wants to navigate a comics page to deliver the action in a compelling way. The reader traces the arc of a tangent to quickly take in the key elements of the first panel in a way that creates a sense of the assassins charging at the naked, and seemingly vulnerable Xiaolian. This brings the reader to an across the page carriage return that is abruptly stopped by Xiaolian catching the sword blade in one of her robotic fists. The reader then sweeps up into the next moment and then into another carriage return that delivers the speed and force of Xiaolian's kick. It's overall a page that feels quick and visceral.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The second page initially uses the many of the same storytelling elements, except this time the flow of motion opposes the readers natural eye tracking. The first panel has a hilt-chop that moves against the left-to-right flow of the reader, making the moment more visceral, and then an impaling which also happens against the grain. And then this page does something really important: it zooms out and gives a static feeling glance of the action. This large panel reminds the reader that four of Xiaolian's servants sacrificed themselves to save her, reminding the reader of the stakes, shows how many assassins have been dispatched, and reveals how many killers are still active. This choice really highlights the scope of the remaining danger and provides critical context for just how dire the situation is. It is a great example of why pulling the lens out and establishing a sense of space can improve action storytelling.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The final page in this selection is the most interesting to me. Unlike the previous pages which use the normal back-and-forth path through the page, the third page here is all about convincing the reader to navigate straight down the page. I think this is largely accomplished through the use of symmetry in the layout. The way the top panel frames Xiaolian in the centre of the page makes her the obvious focal point of the first panel. When the reader moves down to the next tier, the narrowing of the central panels and simple, tall outer panels function to funnel the reader through the centre and into the final dramatic panel. When combined, this makes the page read as one clear motion, through the straining, splitting blade and into the double block in one amazing flurry of activity. It's a glorious page of comics that conveys a pretty complex sequence of events clearly, stylishly, and evocatively. It is fantastic stuff.</span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><u><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Previously:</span></u></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Criticism:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/11/deep-sequencing-hostile-babylon.html"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Violence and character design</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2014/05/deep-sequencing-100-dialogue.html"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dialogue composition</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Reviews:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2014/01/so-i-read-east-of-west-volume-one.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">East of West Vol. 1</span></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="color: #6699cc;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2014/10/so-i-read-east-of-west-volume-2.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">East of West Vol. 2</span></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/04/so-i-read-east-of-west-volume-3.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;">East of West Vol .3</a> </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2015/11/so-i-read-east-of-west-volume-4.html" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">East of West Vol. 4</span></a></span></div>
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<br />Michael Broundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667478150021514341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796663199424042160.post-90620844469935770162016-03-23T08:00:00.000-07:002016-03-23T08:00:33.969-07:00Deep Sequencing: Welcome Backflip<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or a look at the use of multiple-image motion use in Welcome Back Volume 1</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">by Christopher Sebela, Jonathan Brandon Sawyer, Claire Roe, Carlos Zamudio, Juan Manuel Tumburus, and Shawn Aldridge</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1c9_2JJng4BqQLk4W7Unkig1xcr-3_f7hZZBiFRjWhqLG5CzZj_p9DDRTFNvXH7w-xozotGJVIJpxmNAVwCr0xUrBcuSzO0X9L2a9BIsg2S7Ks0okVEHUD6XKww61C6uY_dJj0M4nOXm6/s1600/2016-02-18+00.48.23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1c9_2JJng4BqQLk4W7Unkig1xcr-3_f7hZZBiFRjWhqLG5CzZj_p9DDRTFNvXH7w-xozotGJVIJpxmNAVwCr0xUrBcuSzO0X9L2a9BIsg2S7Ks0okVEHUD6XKww61C6uY_dJj0M4nOXm6/s320/2016-02-18+00.48.23.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Welcome Back is a comic about reincarnating murderers locked in an endless cycle of death. Except one of these murders has grown accustomed to her new life and wants to escape the cycle and her nemesis has other plans for her. It's a comic with a fun premise that delivers a nifty little action story.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's also a comic that does something fun with a comic cliché.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There will be <b>*SPOILERS*</b> for Welcome Back Volume 1 below.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpVMgAlEH-5bXOowF4sotb09cZ0yQDGbhExGnQwvT48o1PpBswwOWIRMKzG_1IgoEjClfxnS373kraldRt9hEUhW6QjSrY2aJ7YiktqlfqQZ6KrnhotAYpiysR5xGq3vytCLB94pXko5-A/s1600/2016-03-22+23.08.34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpVMgAlEH-5bXOowF4sotb09cZ0yQDGbhExGnQwvT48o1PpBswwOWIRMKzG_1IgoEjClfxnS373kraldRt9hEUhW6QjSrY2aJ7YiktqlfqQZ6KrnhotAYpiysR5xGq3vytCLB94pXko5-A/s640/2016-03-22+23.08.34.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An inherent limitation of comics is that they use static images to tell a kinetic story. The usual way way around this is to use carefully selected images of the action to capture the essence of the action being depicted. This works really well for most things. But there are some motions that don't translate particularly well to static images: the motions are too complex to easily translate to a single representative snapshot. Things like sweet backflips, generally need a few images to capture the component movements, for instance. One solution to this problem is to depict multiple snapshots of a motion within a single panel to provide the context to sell the motion and to create a sense of immediacy to the action. It's a cliché comics trick that gives the world all of the sweet backflips. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The above selection from <a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2016/03/interrogating-black-widow-1.html">Black Widow #1</a> (by Samnee, Waid, Wilson, and Caramagna), while lacking sweet backflips, is a good example of this. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRulaB8ob73kjBEQgsbF3zFu0Nnj9wTODbCwDEzQXNPUctu4vWyuqV59OIutNYuZGlxo0nD4e7FLzNdn2Gae9rOcC56wElE3Fr21D92RyeQzaaJDg9mlX32PFGbxeUNymeTD6vlRlVnRQ3/s1600/2016-02-18+00.49.21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRulaB8ob73kjBEQgsbF3zFu0Nnj9wTODbCwDEzQXNPUctu4vWyuqV59OIutNYuZGlxo0nD4e7FLzNdn2Gae9rOcC56wElE3Fr21D92RyeQzaaJDg9mlX32PFGbxeUNymeTD6vlRlVnRQ3/s640/2016-02-18+00.49.21.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Welcome Back Volume 1 has a fun take on this storytelling approach. The hook of Welcome Back is that the characters in the comic are (mostly) reincarnated killers, including the little girl above who is the protagonist's reincarnated father. In the above the sequence, girl-father leaps across a motor vehicle accident during a car crash in a complex motion that is broken up into multiple images in a single panel. This allows the full complexity of the character action to be appreciated and conveys that these sweet moves occur in an instant. The novelty of this sequence is that the various snapshots of this motion show girl-father's past lives as historic-type warriors and assassins. Which makes this motion sequence also function to showcase the premise of the comic: it provides a clever visual representation of the whole reincarnated killer deal. It's also, like, a super fun comics moment with the juxtaposition of the cute girl-father with the carnage of the car crash. It's interesting stuff. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also think this sequence illustrates the cleverness and slightly deranged sensibility of Welcome Back and serves as a pretty good litmus test for whether you might like to read the comic. </span>Michael Broundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667478150021514341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796663199424042160.post-87014860052210345722016-03-16T08:00:00.000-07:002016-03-16T08:00:21.173-07:00Viewing Vision #5<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or an attempt to articulate what it is exactly I find so engaging about Vision #5</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">by Tom King, Gabriel Walta, Jordie Bellaire, and Clayton Cowles; Marvel Comics</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFuaxX8scDA5VW4graEUrvupPgadB7VWEbHioAwbstOsmmECqgijqTHDAbtXHlugI1a7zJgjmCXqSgCXSx2XAFPfr3Q7wpoRgrFLn6zpiEyKm7UcjIchBT-znpc1I5P0gdw8OuuzGIrlCU/s1600/2016-03-10+14.11.26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFuaxX8scDA5VW4graEUrvupPgadB7VWEbHioAwbstOsmmECqgijqTHDAbtXHlugI1a7zJgjmCXqSgCXSx2XAFPfr3Q7wpoRgrFLn6zpiEyKm7UcjIchBT-znpc1I5P0gdw8OuuzGIrlCU/s320/2016-03-10+14.11.26.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Vision is the most pleasant surprise in my current comic rotation. When I first tried the comic, King and Walta were largely unknown creators for me and the Vision is a character that I had zero real interest or affinity for. Honestly, the only reason I even picked up Vision #1 was that Jordie Bellaire was the colourist: she has such a track record of excellence and for participating in great comics that her name on a comic warrants a look. And once again, the Bellaire-gambit was worth it: Vision is a really, really engrossing comic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But with Vision #6, I think I might be able to explain why.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There will be <b>*SPOILERS*</b> for Vision #6 below.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6HkSUYejzu8FiemEc1WULKwkqvC_eq5EwqnHeiyWUiE_G2NHxKY72h_597tpR-0F4989WUdAqhYvKFnmRsK33UFSGv2WN_l30450Q2L0ktt2VCoUp8ml_c7tQCFSwH8Z7suOTO4Js6cP2/s1600/2016-03-15+23.40.13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6HkSUYejzu8FiemEc1WULKwkqvC_eq5EwqnHeiyWUiE_G2NHxKY72h_597tpR-0F4989WUdAqhYvKFnmRsK33UFSGv2WN_l30450Q2L0ktt2VCoUp8ml_c7tQCFSwH8Z7suOTO4Js6cP2/s400/2016-03-15+23.40.13.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Vision is also a comic that I have been having trouble articulating just what it is that makes it so compelling. At the end of the day, I think the Vision is a comic hat benefits from a lot of subtle aspects working together to create a remarkable reading experience. The story that places a family of androids in suburban America and contends with prejudice manages to be timeless and somehow extremely pertinent. Structured scripts set up a point, (like the Merchants of Venice narration in Vision #6) and gradually unfold and payoff a lesson creating a series of quasi-parables. The grinding, deliberate pace of the story and the use of an omniscient narrator grants the comic an overall relentless, ominous feeling. Fleeting moments of happiness burst in to provide key moments of contrast. The not-quite-human designed Vision family, with their uncanny value pink skin and green hair, manage to look sympathetic and alien at once. Their slightly stilted speech and their slightly stiff body language and acting makes them seem even more robotic and inhuman. Combined it's a disquieting read that is absolutely engrossing.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMGwet1A6cIh3tQ5egVmf3lucoh_BoNtd52MJBYe3H0SAZMmOyHtydu89AHWxkhGd9UaDivUQNLgnx7SXyJA21KMD8DuD_a1RlfMVXB7MysMaYvrVRBa3o5fvxk7CFG4y2msXNqZHwo7hq/s1600/2016-03-10+14.11.45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMGwet1A6cIh3tQ5egVmf3lucoh_BoNtd52MJBYe3H0SAZMmOyHtydu89AHWxkhGd9UaDivUQNLgnx7SXyJA21KMD8DuD_a1RlfMVXB7MysMaYvrVRBa3o5fvxk7CFG4y2msXNqZHwo7hq/s640/2016-03-10+14.11.45.jpg" width="408" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vision #6 also provides a really great example of what I think is my favourite aspect of the comic There is a wonderfully written sequence in Vision #6 that systematically builds up his exploits as a hero, noting every time he personally saved the Earth, so that when he tells a very human, very understandable lie, the comic can deploy a wonderfully dramatic and visceral bit of judgement and foreshadowing. Throughout this sequence are references to Vision saving the Earth from robotic menaces: the sentinels, Jocasta, and Ultron over and over again. Of the 37 times Vision claims to have saved the world, 9 of those times were related to thinking machines and 7 of them were Ultron. This choice reminds us just how dangerous AI's are in the Marvel Universe. What's more, Vision himself was created by Ultron and is closely related to Jocasta (another Ultron creation), which highlights that Vision's very own nature is dangerous, that the Vision family is dangerous. And this is, I think, the awful engine of Vision: that as sympathetic as the Vision family is they are fundamentally inhuman and legitimately dangerous. They are not a misunderstood minority, they are superpowered androids that can do tremendous damage and exist outside the rules of human behaviour. Which creates this exquisite story tension: Vision is caught between a parable about coexistence and a horror story about the dangers of AI, it's a story about empathy where the bigots are not entirely wrong to be afraid. And it's this uncomfortable fact that I find so ghastly and compelling. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vision is really a fantastic comic book.</span>Michael Broundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667478150021514341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796663199424042160.post-6088663897148103612016-03-09T08:00:00.000-08:002016-03-09T08:00:00.258-08:00Interrogating Black Widow #1<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or my ten favourite things about Black Widow #1</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">by Chris Samnee, Mark Waid, Matt Wilson, Joe Caramagna; Marvel Comics</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Usually when I write about a comic, I try to find a particularly interesting sequence or an aspect of the comic that created a better reading experience. The thing about Black Widow #1 is that the entire comic is a remarkable sequence that is filled with interesting devices and I can't figure out a cohesive way to talk about everything I want to. So, for lack of a better way to do this, here is a round up of my ten favourite things about Black Widow #1.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There will be <b>*SPOILERS*</b> for Black Widow #1 below. It's a really, really good comic so you ought to seek it out before reading on.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>1.</b> This is the moment, I think, that it became obvious how good this comic was going to be. This is the first panel of the second page, and shows all of the office workers attacking Black Widow. The thing I love about this page is the fist of the central attacker: it looks to me like it is slightly too large to be anatomically correct in a way that commands a lot of attention. Even if this is just me being crazy or reading too much into things, this fist is perfectly placed to nab attention coming off the lettering before the reader's eyes are captured by the commanding black/red presence of Black Widow. This fist more than anything else on this page states the violent intentions of the office workers and clearly, efficiently establishes Black Widow and the workers as antagonists. It's such a great bit of comics.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(And also, dat tie tho. I'm a firm believer that solid black ties are the best ties, but I would wear the hell out of that Kirby-circuit-esque necktie.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>2.</b> I really like this headbutt sequence. I think it encapsulates the strong storytelling approach of the Black Widow Team, and showcases why this comic is so great to read. The basic engine of these sequence is the down-up-down-up motion of Black Widow butting her assailant in the face. This effect is sets up by the narrow panels, which establish a mostly vertical storytelling space and helps direct the reader to the correct reading paths. The lettering also plays an important role since the narration balloons occur in panels with a top-down paths, and make sure the reader starts at the top of those panels and lingers there for a moment. The upswing, face-smashing panels, in contrast lack complex captioning, allowing the reader to quickly parse them in violent, kinetic moment. And then you layer in the RED! colouring of the impact panels, which adds a dramatic burst and helps queue the reader to the violence of those panels. (Like, take a look at the grey-scaled sequence... it's striking how much less energy the impact panels have in the absence of the red colour.) Which, combined creates a short, effective sequence that takes advantage of multiple aspects of the page to create the best reading experience. It's this dedication to storytelling and collaboration that makes Black Widow so effective.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>3.</b> I like Black Widows new character design a lot. I appreciate how the new costume incorporates touches of practical combat apparel (knee pads, body armour, Parkour-ish shoes), while still maintaining the sleek silhouette and visual identity of Black Widow's core look. I also like the redesign from a storytelling standpoint: the concentrated black costume with its red highlight and Natasha's red hair can really a command a panel. It will be interesting how these elements are used going forward in the series...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>4.</b> I love this panel. The composition, colours, level of detail, and storybeat create this great moment of awkward, restive suspense for me. It's funny and captivating and I would buy a print of it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(This is also, incidentally a good example of how the black/red of Black Widow can pop on the page.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjus9dPem7qJiPLqFXNA2UzjXk-lYZCz2m-4JdL-Sn-HCmVos-Zi-E2OMwpB9j5sny8lmHYkvHLX93wmkYOTiE0-5GrXCE61_Hu-r9orvlPzl6Y9nm1K2nPCngnd6aFtTLe_H6pnzZHffKJ/s1600/2016-03-03+15.19.57.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjus9dPem7qJiPLqFXNA2UzjXk-lYZCz2m-4JdL-Sn-HCmVos-Zi-E2OMwpB9j5sny8lmHYkvHLX93wmkYOTiE0-5GrXCE61_Hu-r9orvlPzl6Y9nm1K2nPCngnd6aFtTLe_H6pnzZHffKJ/s320/2016-03-03+15.19.57.jpg" width="256" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuNX4VT2dkqdr4PWa-HoWW7Rvrrsjsby2byphfZuxRxQMftXQFyCZNsVceDm_ulZaZDRhAd-9nzMfas6rMjwY_BV58u3JPwsqNY6D6WvHiVZgWVBKUaWARqrJAVV4Irglpgnp_fZiSaLUY/s1600/2016-03-03+15.20.05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuNX4VT2dkqdr4PWa-HoWW7Rvrrsjsby2byphfZuxRxQMftXQFyCZNsVceDm_ulZaZDRhAd-9nzMfas6rMjwY_BV58u3JPwsqNY6D6WvHiVZgWVBKUaWARqrJAVV4Irglpgnp_fZiSaLUY/s320/2016-03-03+15.20.05.jpg" width="285" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUNIHtTkJKhM0ZFjBarKSWP5iE95VCzbRZwem3LyiUTujG7W3KeJ9iRwmJWBdeN1jOV4GH-2m4TRIlgZymZTSufodyB7LRDga70dY4FoMtHcxmsQnawJuM3WOZIwDBMg2tGM0EtIJjCQQh/s1600/2016-03-03+15.20.13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUNIHtTkJKhM0ZFjBarKSWP5iE95VCzbRZwem3LyiUTujG7W3KeJ9iRwmJWBdeN1jOV4GH-2m4TRIlgZymZTSufodyB7LRDga70dY4FoMtHcxmsQnawJuM3WOZIwDBMg2tGM0EtIJjCQQh/s320/2016-03-03+15.20.13.jpg" width="266" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK1b2o6WcVKyMLYOqFDHf74X7MgUY8BVxDqPYVTmBU1ummTkc0jM0WXrhiBVAhfa4lCH66rAYt2_Xw6BKxCds76GfuGyyL5r4nzh4AtRw3Az-t14p4fS45hwrSfRhRWFkYSxFVKmtqrRJm/s1600/2016-03-03+15.20.19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK1b2o6WcVKyMLYOqFDHf74X7MgUY8BVxDqPYVTmBU1ummTkc0jM0WXrhiBVAhfa4lCH66rAYt2_Xw6BKxCds76GfuGyyL5r4nzh4AtRw3Az-t14p4fS45hwrSfRhRWFkYSxFVKmtqrRJm/s320/2016-03-03+15.20.19.jpg" width="287" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>5.</b> I love how the story escalates. The comic opens with Black Widow mysteriously fighting an office full of drably dressed ordinary looking people. Then she smashes through a wall and finds herself in a room full of SHIELD agents and the stakes and parameters of the story shift from maybe a mundane espionage mission to a comic book one. And then Black Widow explodes an exit and jumps out of the building... except the building is a helicarrier and things ratchet up to full-on superheroic scale. One of my favourite aspects of Black Widow #1 is how, as a reader, I was kind of chasing the story. What is happening? Why is Black Widow fighting these people? These agents? Is everything what it seems? By changing the scope of the story it helps unfold the mystery in an interesting way and keep the reader off balance. Great stuff.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggWmEmMg1bNZkBIzSIxOy3YEmDQfU5Ml9OdeNCGOhgceWRpmS0ySAtPAF9WVjDxzoGbXDbtUi7s6zlkFEWl_bsxI5Hs984rSbamUrBxQuKyH2zJ199scMbE9TjJGzPn23a4uoipAclpaVv/s1600/2016-03-03+15.20.42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggWmEmMg1bNZkBIzSIxOy3YEmDQfU5Ml9OdeNCGOhgceWRpmS0ySAtPAF9WVjDxzoGbXDbtUi7s6zlkFEWl_bsxI5Hs984rSbamUrBxQuKyH2zJ199scMbE9TjJGzPn23a4uoipAclpaVv/s400/2016-03-03+15.20.42.jpg" width="282" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy9aWhY7UM2Qk5EWuDqPr-2dwY9q7XnkRcDGQc0xy2zg3sYw4ycKrvQee3PbagGPO870sR7Wk5VSWTWL3diFMteyKVAAAn6XXzXrdvqaHtgAm8fSQR33saTG4kjzgfQJauAI8qd7R6HuNI/s1600/2016-03-03+15.35.53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy9aWhY7UM2Qk5EWuDqPr-2dwY9q7XnkRcDGQc0xy2zg3sYw4ycKrvQee3PbagGPO870sR7Wk5VSWTWL3diFMteyKVAAAn6XXzXrdvqaHtgAm8fSQR33saTG4kjzgfQJauAI8qd7R6HuNI/s400/2016-03-03+15.35.53.jpg" width="270" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>6. </b>There is something about sections of Black Widow #1 that remind me of <a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/search/label/Bandette">Bandette </a>(by Paul Tobin and Colleen Coover). This is especially true of the falling section: with the ejection button kick, quips, pantomime, trickery, and playful kiss the entire section is kind of fantastic and fun in a way that makes me think Bandette. I really like how playful the early section of this comic reads: it helps maintain the mystery of the comic (maybe it's all an exercise?) and it helps set up a contrast that makes the last sequence of the comic more impactful and significant. I am not sure whether the comparison with Bandette is intentional, but I really like Bandette and like, if you elevator pitched me highstakes espionage Bandette for an adult audience I would read it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Y'all are <a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/search/label/Bandette">reading Bandette</a> right?)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkGViPWYcxVvESzu5DBho7z8Wrp1J6QX6olxSf6OTtWANa72D0lBRjKE4AFfCeat4XFTu65anVD-66gnmZiq9nro10WPprKNXZCuGopDU-3QY_3lojTSC48-cZm0IaW_RgolssMaJ69Evo/s1600/2016-03-03+15.20.49.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkGViPWYcxVvESzu5DBho7z8Wrp1J6QX6olxSf6OTtWANa72D0lBRjKE4AFfCeat4XFTu65anVD-66gnmZiq9nro10WPprKNXZCuGopDU-3QY_3lojTSC48-cZm0IaW_RgolssMaJ69Evo/s400/2016-03-03+15.20.49.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also, I love the use of an implied triangle in the top tier of panels on this page. It creates the sense of the plane of the art falling away and helps sell that Black Widow is plummeting in a simple and effective way. Black Widow is filled with examples of this kind of quietly adroit storytelling.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk8Vf11A35sVxDMBmHBHgdjU_jKftFWEOgbCRTZ9GoGXTrdn4Tw87iGUO9hoh-yxwmtmhCVfrV4d7rfaF7ET8LDvK_j69tRB6zkiXx2_LSY0HHH27t06fFPWyZY7cbYK4awZv9y2UZtUuO/s1600/2016-03-03+15.21.24-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk8Vf11A35sVxDMBmHBHgdjU_jKftFWEOgbCRTZ9GoGXTrdn4Tw87iGUO9hoh-yxwmtmhCVfrV4d7rfaF7ET8LDvK_j69tRB6zkiXx2_LSY0HHH27t06fFPWyZY7cbYK4awZv9y2UZtUuO/s400/2016-03-03+15.21.24-1.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>7. </b>I love this sequence of Black Widow crashing. One reason is the wonderful motion tangent that moves across the page merging Black Widows motion path with the readers eyepath to create a quick, fast feeling moment of comics. Woosh! I also really like this sequence because of the baby/toddler pointing at Black Widow falling. It might just be that as a new parent I am a sucker for cute kids being cute, but I think it's more than that... The inclusion of such a natural moment in the background helps make the comic world feel more inhabited and bigger. Sure, Black Widow is having airborne combat adventures, but this mother and kid also are going about their day and have their own, barely glimpsed story. The use of such an active background extra is a small detail, but I appreciate how much more alive it makes this sequence feel.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0lw7Av7OhoNHIncg_xw0Xr1TpFm3UZi62wyLMHfEmK4OQ9goRyh7BQ8iTfqFoHmGFXskelKlcnDAHpBeiOaTj_DQi_l1jl1huVrKg8RV0ZypTfJeFM0js5j3XXW2ZTNdqrN4ti-Odc7ZB/s1600/2016-03-03+15.21.45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0lw7Av7OhoNHIncg_xw0Xr1TpFm3UZi62wyLMHfEmK4OQ9goRyh7BQ8iTfqFoHmGFXskelKlcnDAHpBeiOaTj_DQi_l1jl1huVrKg8RV0ZypTfJeFM0js5j3XXW2ZTNdqrN4ti-Odc7ZB/s400/2016-03-03+15.21.45.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGDAFRM3YmK2zciKlta5qyEsuSk2aUK858CH5wOvqBMigDaWSEifvvRvsrfVr9GvuTRS65QRSMpTPg0UYP5KdT-7-VEMnrb8n9T9NVLE4JT2JP5k15JLW_1ERheIlboxckPi3L4wyOEk9z/s1600/2016-03-03+15.21.45-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGDAFRM3YmK2zciKlta5qyEsuSk2aUK858CH5wOvqBMigDaWSEifvvRvsrfVr9GvuTRS65QRSMpTPg0UYP5KdT-7-VEMnrb8n9T9NVLE4JT2JP5k15JLW_1ERheIlboxckPi3L4wyOEk9z/s400/2016-03-03+15.21.45-1.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>8.</b> I love this sequence. It is visceral and brutal and simple and filled with great storytelling. The angry red background feels furious and dangerous. When combined with the heavy shadow on the figures, this backdrop also serves to disguise the striking red-highlights on Black Widow and make the two combatants look and feel more equal which is super cool comics. I also love the top-left pistol to carriage return trigger pull: it uses the swing across the page to create a sort-of jump cut reveal, like a page turn within a page, which makes the moment feel more shocking. The carriage return also adds a certain sense of motion to the transition which also makes the moment more dramatic. It's an awesome choice. This entire brutal sequence is also interesting from a broader story perspective: it is visceral and mean when contrasted against the more playful earlier stretch and helps establish that whatever the mystery is, whatever Black Widow stole must be important and for real. And the fact that Black Widow pulled the trigger, was willing to kill the agent she playfully kissed a few pages ago, establishes how far she is willing to go, how vitally important the secret is. It's a perfect moment.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ftY13sE8ihK6gU5uC3aX9m2ks2atm_kRpjQFRBLoqW-53PVHysnqsGbR2MOuuPNHEC-okhsNFBRVdgvvWfZ712j-TH3-e8nNZAvuSemeCO8-6rhn6OMr3FvHeEZ3c5aabyX6J_IgKGAf/s1600/2016-03-03+15.22.04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ftY13sE8ihK6gU5uC3aX9m2ks2atm_kRpjQFRBLoqW-53PVHysnqsGbR2MOuuPNHEC-okhsNFBRVdgvvWfZ712j-TH3-e8nNZAvuSemeCO8-6rhn6OMr3FvHeEZ3c5aabyX6J_IgKGAf/s400/2016-03-03+15.22.04.jpg" width="262" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoSzYuGiWeVeEMHUugSaLHpup1sToE9GGYLdWqcVFEXXiDMRCRHmq1XcuqQxivAXBo52vb8Rj3Cib5ayWxYDy56JMEqLjpnjIepDDbzT7lPFcRgKnpWlyLJysrl_hDbk2WYYIrp3oqZnTS/s1600/2016-03-03+15.22.13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoSzYuGiWeVeEMHUugSaLHpup1sToE9GGYLdWqcVFEXXiDMRCRHmq1XcuqQxivAXBo52vb8Rj3Cib5ayWxYDy56JMEqLjpnjIepDDbzT7lPFcRgKnpWlyLJysrl_hDbk2WYYIrp3oqZnTS/s400/2016-03-03+15.22.13.jpg" width="245" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>9.</b> I love the relative silence of Black Widow #1. Reading text inevitably causes the reader to slow down and stop focusing on the artwork, so it slows progression through a page and can interrupt the flow and rhythm of action. By not having a lot of dialogue or narration captions Black Widow #1 allows the visuals to do the storytelling and maximizes the flow and interaction of panels. I recently read a pretty good comic with a great premise and nice action artwork, but which had so much narration that each panel of action essentially became disconnected and isolated, and which prevented the kind of kinetic sequences that made Black Widow so enjoyable. The impact of text on the experience of sequential art cannot be overstated, and Black Widow #1 is a great example of the kind of storytelling that can be accomplished with judicious paring down. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>10.</b> I especially love how silent Black Widow is. By not having Black Widow speak or narrate within the majority of Black Widow #1, the comic manages to be mysterious. We never find out what she took and for a huge swatch of the issue it wasn't clear if it was a training exercise, or like fake-SHIELD, or something else. It is ambiguous, which means that readers are always chasing the story, trying to figure out what is happening and why, which creates this driving impetus to move through and understand the action. It's really effective.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's also kind of important for my conception of a Black Widow comic. I like takes on Black Widow that maintain a certain element of secrecy. Like, in an ensemble, I think Black Widow works really well as someone who is hyper-competent, kind of mysterious, and vaguely scary. I'm not sure this necessarily translates into a solo book, since a protagonist probably needs to be more complicated and accessible. But like, the Edmondson/Noto Black Widow, which while I really enjoyed the art of always bothered me because Black Widow was so unsure of herself and completely available to the reader... it felt like someone just starting out. (More Sydney Bristow less Natasha Romanov.) My favourite Black Widow comic, a run by Marjorie Liu and Daniel Acuna, did a great job maintaining a dramatic sense of mystery and danger around Black Widow. However, this series also featured a significant amount of time with Natasha unconscious and people talking and deciding things about her, which definitely hurt the badass and agency points of the series. This Black Widow #1, by omitting internal narration manages to create that sense of intrigue and secrecy while the silent action portrays Black Widow as a hyper-competent badass. It's only one issue so it's hard to judge how the series will be, but this might be my favourite single issue of Black Widow yet. </span>Michael Broundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667478150021514341noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796663199424042160.post-33925807994149599412016-03-02T08:00:00.000-08:002016-03-02T08:00:10.175-08:00Konsidering Karnak #2<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or a look at action composition and character in Karnak #2</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">by Warren Ellis, Gerardo Zaffino, Antonio Fuso, Dan Brown, Clayton Cowles, and Joe Caramagna; Marvel Comics</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH3Tdr8PzZNIrc92L8dsPr9b2hVmA-iSsp0QdpcmWJWptOkOq6O89iUioaqr97kNAMWMfj7jIHQUQHTaNlQyGI7D2iHufz1cwR_9oqbx4njACrSOnaAAZE5QYkYbAbTMpnjRkzOTGwss6M/s1600/2016-02-25+22.54.11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH3Tdr8PzZNIrc92L8dsPr9b2hVmA-iSsp0QdpcmWJWptOkOq6O89iUioaqr97kNAMWMfj7jIHQUQHTaNlQyGI7D2iHufz1cwR_9oqbx4njACrSOnaAAZE5QYkYbAbTMpnjRkzOTGwss6M/s320/2016-02-25+22.54.11.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last time I wrote <a href="http://atollcomics.blogspot.ca/2016/02/deep-sequencing-injection-volume-1.html">about a great action sequence</a> in Ellis/Shavley/Bellaire's Injection and how it used eye-guiding and multi-panel motions to create a kinetic and visceral action sequence. Karnak has a pretty great action sequence that uses eye-guiding to create a substantially different reading experience. A reading experience that I think goes beyond effective storytelling and works as a characterization device. I think it's worth trying to unpack and to contrast with the Injection sequence. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There will be <b>*SPOILERS*</b> for Karnak #2 below.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC7LWy237bREBimHUUBvKu0KzmJn4ME6QGvMOt3lTNVvoLpEQ3FFITNIhUGSALXMlVdMiFHVdK0KyvIlgzIYTwsUI9n5qwctqAafVlZdROL_vBCO3UPrEKrpbtEJBBJiQQiJTsqY6PNN_l/s1600/2016-02-25+22.54.35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC7LWy237bREBimHUUBvKu0KzmJn4ME6QGvMOt3lTNVvoLpEQ3FFITNIhUGSALXMlVdMiFHVdK0KyvIlgzIYTwsUI9n5qwctqAafVlZdROL_vBCO3UPrEKrpbtEJBBJiQQiJTsqY6PNN_l/s400/2016-02-25+22.54.35.jpg" width="256" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9UUaEubtJ5zuQtwoFISH02QIwoQxlmrFPrRtjWAtLZJjrHrRWuqXyF1OctniSvl-SutVXWA6vLDWlQn4_d4BP_D-Z7fWopId3flFURn6FvhsVgwDz3FnU658mRzntOAcEiQRDOr4D8C4w/s1600/2016-02-25+22.54.45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9UUaEubtJ5zuQtwoFISH02QIwoQxlmrFPrRtjWAtLZJjrHrRWuqXyF1OctniSvl-SutVXWA6vLDWlQn4_d4BP_D-Z7fWopId3flFURn6FvhsVgwDz3FnU658mRzntOAcEiQRDOr4D8C4w/s400/2016-02-25+22.54.45.jpg" width="256" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before I get to the action sequence proper I just want to point out this page turn. I am an absolute sucker for a good page turn, where a comic uses the concealment/surprise of turning the page to spring an unexpected or dramatic moment. In the above sequence we see a child Karnak's parents explain his origin essentially and cut from child-Karnak chopping down a block tower to chopping through a goon's neck using the same motion. It's a visceral moment that simultaneously establishes Karnak's transgressive upbringing and the frightening, child-like ease with which Karnak kills the goon. It is a moment that surprised and thrilled me. It also really crystallized just what Karnak's deal is. Great moment.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These are the first three pages of an extended action sequence in Karnak #2. The thing I find interesting about these pages, and to a lesser extent the rest of this sequence, is the repeated use of panels featuring clear left-to-right motion vectors. These panels feature a single predominant motion that is slightly elongated in a way that exaggerates the horizontal direction of the panel. The extreme violence of every panel is evident in the carnage caused, increasing the weight of each moment. However, each of these panels are also lacking in dialogue and extraneous detail, meaning that each panel is quick to read. The effect is a disconnected, repetitive, and rapid series of violent moments. Which, accounting for the fact the motion follows the reading direction, builds this sense of tremendous forward momentum in this action sequence.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This, I think, is incredibly informative about Karnak as a character. The dramatic left-to-right bias of the sequence creates this relentless rhythm, this sense that Karnak is always moving forward and is nigh unstoppable. The fact that Karnak dispatches foes in a series of discrete, single motions showcases the ease with which he is tearing through his enemies and the single-strike nature of his 'powers'. (An effect enhanced by the simple, quick to read panels.) The sheer brutality of the damage being done to each dispatched goon conveys the power and inhumanity of Karnak. And all of this is encoded not in words or narration, but action, which is also informative. This sequence really cements Karnak as a truly impressive figure and I think really creates a cohesive identity for Karnak in this series. Which makes this really smart comics. </span></div>
Michael Broundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667478150021514341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4796663199424042160.post-37072229746816438432016-02-24T08:00:00.000-08:002016-04-06T00:44:30.341-07:00Deep Sequencing: Injection Volume 1<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Or a look at my favourite storytelling in Injection Volume 1</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">by Warren Ellis, Declan Shavley, Jordie Bellaire, and Fonograficks; Image Comics</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I really like Injection. Unfortunately, I read the first trade for the series shortly before my life became the most busy and the update schedule of Atoll Comics was greatly reduced. Which means I've never sat down and written about some of the really cool comics going on here. Well today this changes! Today I write about some of what I like about Injection!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There will be <b>*SPOILERS*</b> below.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I love the storytelling in Injection. I picked this action sequence because I think it's a good example of the masterful compositions of the comic and because it's rad as hell. The engine of this composition is how it interacts with the reader eye to provide an impactful and seamless reading experience. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Page 1: The sequence opens dramatically, with very little context, and a character flying against the natural reading direction. This disorients the reader, creates a dramatic moment, and sets the tone for a totally rad fight scene. This is followed by three panels that essentially carry through a single motion of the Big Thug smashing Simeon, the agent-type-guy, into the ceiling. The long clear motion arc imparts speed and, by crossing panel boundaries, creates a sense of momentum that increases the perceived force of the motion. To continue the sense of disorientation, the panels depicting the ceiling-slam also have an unfixed frame of reference that result in unorthodox perspectives that build up the chaotic sense of the fight. It's dramatic and wild and yet still clear and eminently readable.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Page 2: The next page takes smooth, guided tangents that impart a breathless speed and sets the stage for the kitchen brawl. It provides context for the scene change, reads quickly, and provides a quiet moment of contrast for the more violent moments in the sequence. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Page 3: The magic of this page is the skillet swing perpetrated by the Big Thug. The motion of the swing begins in the top right corner of the page and carries through the entire page, in a single clear arc. This provides the swing with a tremendous amount of speed, momentum, and force. It's simple, but the effect is absolutely perfect: the impact of the pan striking Simeon feels significant and painful. If I were going to compile a collection of example pages everyone should look at, this would certainly make the cut. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Page 4: The next page combines the same elements again to make for another dramatic page. The top panel has two opposing motions that meet in the other: a vector along the arm of Big Thug along the reading direction which slams into the arc of the knife. It's impactful and gets the reader set to swoop through the multiple panel stab, which transitions smoothly along a tangent to Simeon's cocked-back arm, which then slams down along the reading path into the bottom panel and the page turn...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Page 5: ... which after the turn transitions right into Big Thug's face exploding as Simeon fires his weapon. An event that again acts against the predominant reading direction to enhance surprise, impact, and the visceral horror of the moment. It's great evocative comics.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Which, when taken together is one of the most compelling action sequences I've read in a comic lately.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another thing that I really liked about Injection was how colouring and shading were used to distinguish between contemporary story sections and flashbacks. Flashbacks in the comic have a soft, bright look that creates sunny, optimistic world. This aesthetic is achieved in part through the use of slightly desaturated harmonious colours, adjacent colours on a colour wheel which blend together to create a mellow unified vision. The modern, post-Injection world of the comic has a much grittier, more granular palette. Colours are bolder and more varied on the page, particularly heavy, sketchy shadows are deployed, and everything is generally darker. It's an aesthetic that feels heavier and somehow more real. When contrasted, these two approaches quietly establish a clear demarcation between the past and present in the comic and build a distinct emotional contrast between the naive and optimistic characters planning to change the future and the haunted and more complex reality of the post-injection world. Great stuff.</span>Michael Broundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667478150021514341noreply@blogger.com0