| Posted: 26 July 2010 at 9:53am | IP Logged | 10
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JB said . . . Of all the pages I did on NEXT MEN, this was my favorite. Can't really say why . . .
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Oh, geeky graphic design challenge - why IS that a great page? Let me take a crack at it . . .
First of all, look at how stable and grounded the layout is - a large floating "paneless" image anchored by 3 panels beneath. Those 3 panels are themselves cemented in a field of solid black. The centered panel beneath the topmost floating image has two further and larger panels beneath. Roman architects used to do this with the windows and archways in their facades - putting more and larger windows at the bottom and fewer and smaller windows at the top. For some reason it makes the weight of the buildings "feel" right to the observer. I think we're looking at something similar here.
That top "floating" panel uses one-point perspective that sucks the viewer's eye right to the first line of dialog, making the "work" the viewer has to do to get his or her bearing on the page almost non-existant.
After the reader finishes with the opening lines, the one-point perspective brings the eye to the figure on the far right, who is the next person to speak and is actually looking at the next panel where his dialog is given. Again, the reader doesn't have to "work" at all to follow this - it just happens.
And look at how that same character with the glasses strikes across the total layout from upper right to lower left. The reader's eyes follow this character naturally, dropping us to the "response" to his lines in the lower left panel and beyond. Furthermore, the characters are always draw IN THE ORDER THEY SPEAK - a concept that is lost in many modern comics.
I doubt much of this was entirely intentional - more likely just JB's natural storytelling abilities after so many years experience, but I submit that page is great because it's so EASY TO READ.
Okay, did I overthink it?
Edited by CJ Grebb on 26 July 2010 at 9:58am
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Topic Closed)
