Graphic+Novels

How to Read, Write and Talk Critically About Graphic Novels:

1. PANELS: Each page in a graphic novel is composed of panels. It is important to first look at the how the panels are laid out on the page and how your eye naturally moves among them. Do you notice if the panels are different sizes? Which panels have the most emphasis? Panels of the same size can create a sense of repetition or of static time, whereas differently sized panels can emphasize certain events, changes in the timing of the story, and affect how smoothly the novel reads.

2. TEXT: How does the text appear on the panels? Start by examining the point of view and the perspective of each panel. Is there a central narrating text? Does each character have his or her style of text for dialogue? Is the narration divided between panels? How does the textual arrangement create meaning? By looking at how words appear within the comic panels and dialogue boxes, a lot can be revealed about the characters in a graphic novel. Words contained in a simple rectangular box usually indicate 3rd person narration. Words inside a balloon indicate dialogue. The text bubble might be spiky to indicate surprise, anger or fear.

3. IMAGES AND COLOR: The style of drawing and color used in each of the panels creates a tone for the story. A less realistic, more highly caricatured style of drawing creates a sense of subjectivity, but also lends more life to the story. On the other hand, a realistic style lends a more objective tone to the comic, but also tends to feel more “flat.” A common technique used in comics is to combine more cartoon-like characters with a more realistically drawn background. Also examine the expressiveness of the lines. Are they thin and frantic, creating a sense of nervousness? Are the lines bold and smoothly drawn, making them easy to look at, such as a superhero comic? What colors are used? How does color draw your attention to focus on certain parts of an individual panel or particular page? By looking at how color works in a graphic novel, a reader can trace the development of certain plot elements; better understand a character’s intentions; or even notice changes in perspective between characters.

4. THE GUTTER: In a graphic novel, an element known as the gutter, the white space between panels, is used to suggest that time has passed between two panels. It is in the jump from panel to panel that we are left to imagine or infer what happened during the transition. The gutter can span a hundred years or the blink of an eye. These transitions develop a rhythm of the comic and determine how static or dynamic it is.

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