Before reading “Understanding Comics”, I had never even touched a comic book before. I’m afraid to admit that I did give in to the stereotypes which are mentioned in the beginning of the book. However, after reading this graphic novel, I now understand the complexity of comics and finally realize why so many people are invest so much time and energy into them.
Comics in this novel are described as “juxtaposed pictorial; and other images in deliberate sequence”. It’s really interesting how readings comics sort of like a two way street, the author gets to decide whatever form of style, line work, etc he wants to use and then it is all up to the reader to fill in those gaps. One thing that might seem small but really intrigued me was the idea of “gutter” and closure. Closure is what allows the reader to connect the events occuring in each panel, which eventually forms a story. This closure is what helps continue the story even when there’s a “gutter” between the panel. Another thing that caught my attention was the fact why most authors tend to keep their comics simple, and the reason for that is the universality. The idea of immersing yourself in the book and engaging all your senses while reading it is truly amazing.