How to Read Comics Like Never Before: Unveiling the Secrets of the Ninth Art
Have you ever wondered if you’re making the most of your comic reading experience? Or if there’s a way to enjoy them that goes beyond simple entertainment? Get ready to immerse yourself in a fascinating journey that will transform your way of perceiving and appreciating comics. In this article, we’ll reveal techniques and perspectives that will not only enrich your reading but also awaken your latent creativity as a potential comic creator.
From identifying the elements that captivate you to deciphering the secrets of narrative flow between panels, we’ll guide you through a process that will elevate your understanding and enjoyment of this wonderful medium. Are you ready to rediscover the world of comics and unlock a new level of appreciation? Join us on this adventure and prepare to see comics with new eyes!
The Art of Appreciation: Beyond Simple Reading
You’ve thought about it many times: the secret to creating great comics is reading great comics. And you’re right, but have you considered that how you read them is equally important? After all, when you read one, you’re not just entertaining yourself, but you’re learning, absorbing narrative and visual techniques that, consciously or unconsciously, will influence your own creativity.
With each different way of reading, you’ll find new ways to learn. It’s as if each comic were a multidimensional puzzle, and each time you approach it from a new angle, you discover pieces that previously went unnoticed. This ability to “read between the lines” will not only enrich your experience as a reader but will also provide you with invaluable tools if you ever decide to venture into the world of comic creation. Discover here how to make the leap from reader to creator!
Get ready to unlock new levels of knowledge and appreciation. Each page will become a universe to explore, each panel a lesson to discover. Are you ready to immerse yourself in this new form of reading?
The Key to Enjoyment: Identify Why You Like What You Like
The first and fundamental thing is to approach the comics that you like the most, not necessarily those considered “great works” by the rest of society. You should learn to detach yourself from urgencies, from any sense of duty. Don’t listen to anyone who tells you that you must read this story or that you can’t miss that one.
It shouldn’t matter to you if you’re the only one who hasn’t heard about the latest big revelation in the trendy narrative. This isn’t a sport or the news; you’re not concerned about who became famous writing what, or which graphic novel is about to be adapted into a miniseries. Your mission is much more personal and valuable.
Take great care to identify what you like, and once you’ve done so and you’re sure you’re reading for pleasure, ask yourself: Why? Why do I like this? What decisions did the people who made this story make to achieve my liking it?
Think about the writer, the artist, the inker, the colorists, and even the editor-in-chief. What decisions did they make that were the right ones, that resulted in you liking this? And also, where do you think they made mistakes, or what didn’t matter, but you liked it so much that it didn’t bother you?
This exercise of analysis and reflection will not only deepen your appreciation of comics but will also help you develop an invaluable critical eye. By finding what you like when reading a comic, you’ll be able to select which options to choose when creating one. This way, you’ll be making the right decisions based on your own preferences and experiences!
Remember, the key is to enjoy the process. It’s not about turning reading into a tedious task, but about adding layers of appreciation that enrich your experience. Want to take your passion for comics to the next level? Explore here how to transform your love for reading into creative skills.
The Narrative Flow: Pay Attention to How One Panel Chains with the Next
A comic page is a fascinating matrix. You could describe the position of each panel in X and Y coordinates, but the magic goes far beyond its physical location. The position of each one, its content, affects the perception of the others. In fact, as long as a comic has more than one page, this matrix is actually three-dimensional. With the magazine closed, the panels all rest on top of each other, stacked, touching each other in unions that would never be made by the thread of reading, waiting to be discovered.
It’s through the power of social convention and the skill of narrative resources that we find the order to read one panel after another when we open the magazine or book. (Have you ever opened a manga backwards and discovered you had to read it from right to left?) Resist a little the next time you do it and observe how you move from one panel to the next.
Ask yourself questions like: Are you reading the same text that continues from one to the other? Does a character’s gaze lead you? Is there perhaps a repeating structure, a common form, that you’ve already seen on previous pages? Maybe for three pages now, after a small square panel, a large rectangular panel follows, and you hadn’t noticed.
For this reason, also pay attention to the other panels, to those that don’t seem to participate at this moment in the transition from the one you left to the panel you’re arriving at. How do they support the panels you are reading?
The panels in the lower strip, how are they supporting the ones you’re reading now? Pay attention to them, remembering that you’re not reading them at this moment. How are they designed to be interesting but not distracting, so you can wait to read them when their turn comes and not skip all the intermediate ones?
It’s good to ask yourself while you’re reading: Why am I here now and not there? The answers will be very valuable when it’s your turn to guide a reader through the matrix of your pages. This analysis of narrative flow will not only improve your understanding of the story but will also give you invaluable tools if you decide to venture into the art of creating your own comics. Click here to discover how to master narrative flow in your creations!
Beyond the Known: Forget All Other Media Surrounding This One
You think you know a character because you’ve seen them on television or because you’ve already read other comics of the same, but try to forget them. What do you find about that character, about this world, in the comic you have in front of you? How much do you think it relies on your prior knowledge? Could you give this comic to read to a person who didn’t know the character, and would they understand it the same?
Look at this: How much of the character or the story is recapped in it to help those who know nothing? And in what ways is the character truly different? Perhaps a writer has changed, and a character who until now was cruel turns out to actually be sensitive, revealing a magnificent inner world that we hadn’t imagined until now.
Should you then assume that the character was always like this, only that it hadn’t been said, or that the new writer is changing their personality to tell new stories? Is it possible that this sometimes happens with the same writer, without the need for anyone on the team to change?
We propose that you go back to previous episodes and analyze: Is it possible that the writer, seeing what the artists have done with their indications, has decided to rely on it to transform the characters, to better take advantage of the potential of the other team members, the artist or the inker?
You’ll discover that a character is never the same, that under the same name and the same image (which sometimes constitute, in fact, the same brand) there are actually a multitude of characters that are unique to each story told with them. No matter that they’re all called Captain Midnight Gunpowder, in uninterrupted publication in comics, newspaper strips, radio theater, serials, and television since 1931.
This exercise of “selective forgetting” will allow you to appreciate each comic as a unique work, discovering nuances and details that could go unnoticed if you rely too much on prior knowledge. Additionally, it will help you develop a fresh and creative perspective, essential if you ever decide to create your own stories and characters. Enter here to explore how to bring unique and memorable characters to life!
The Reader as Creator: Discovering Your Artistic Potential
As we could observe throughout the article, with everything mentioned, you are gradually approaching one of the great secrets of scriptwriting and comics in general: reading is also writing. Engrave this last point in your mind.
It’s important that you learn to read comics and pay great attention to how the panels of the story in question are linked. Each page, each panel, each transition becomes a potential lesson, a source of inspiration for your own creativity.
Reading comics is part of making them, there’s no turning back, and perhaps you fear because you wonder if you’ll ever be able to read comics as before, as a simple reader. Relax, the reward is great, and the moral is that if you can read them, then you can also make them, or at least you’ll be almost ready.
Look around you and observe: in reality, simple readers don’t exist. We are all potential comic creators, each with a unique voice and a story to tell. The line between reader and creator is thinner than you think, and each comic you read attentively brings you one step closer to crossing it.
Are you ready to take the leap and turn your passion for reading into creation? Discover here how to start your journey as a comic creator. Remember, every great comic creator started as an avid reader, and you’re on the right path.
Conclusion: A New Horizon in the World of Comics
Throughout this journey, we’ve explored how to transform the simple reading of comics into an enriching and potentially creative experience. From learning to identify what we really like, to analyzing the narrative flow between panels and seeing each work with new eyes, we’ve discovered that there’s much more to reading comics than meets the eye.
We hope this article has ignited in you a new passion for comics, not only as a source of entertainment but as an artistic medium rich in details to discover and techniques to learn. Remember, every time you open a comic, you’re not just reading a story, you’re exploring a world of creative possibilities.
Whether you aspire to create your own comics or simply want to enjoy your reading more deeply, the skills you’ve learned here will serve you to better appreciate and understand this wonderful medium. Don’t forget to go back to the beginning if something wasn’t clear, and above all, keep reading with passion and curiosity!
The world of comics is vast and full of wonders to discover. With each page you read, with each analysis you make, you get closer to unveiling its secrets and, who knows, maybe creating your own. So go ahead, immerse yourself in this fascinating universe and let your imagination soar. The next great comic creator could be waiting inside you!
Remember, every great work began with a simple idea and the courage to put it on paper. Don’t underestimate the power of your creativity or the impact your unique perspective can have on the world of comics. Ready to take the next step in your creative journey? Explore resources here that will help you develop your skills as a comic creator.
Whether you decide to remain an avid reader or venture into creation, your way of seeing and appreciating comics will never be the same. You’ve acquired tools that will allow you to enjoy each panel, each dialogue, and each transition with a new depth and understanding.
So the next time you open a comic, do it with an open mind and wide-awake eyes. Observe, analyze, enjoy, and above all, let yourself be inspired. The world of comics is full of possibilities, and now you have the keys to explore it like never before.
Until the next adventure in the wonderful world of comics!
