What makes reading a graphic novel different than reading a novel?
Layout
Panel: A distinct segment of the comic, containing a combination of image and text in endless variety. Panels offer a different experience than simply
Frame: The lines and borders that contain the panels.
Gutter: The space between framed panels.
Bleed: An image that extends to and/or beyond the edge of the page.
Foreground: The panel closest to the viewer.
Background: Provides additional, subtextual information for the reader.
Graphic weight
A term that describes the way some images draw the eye more than others, creating a definite focus using color and shading in various ways
including:
The use of light and dark shades; dark-toned images or high-contrast images
draw the eye more than light or low-contrast images do
A pattern or repeated series of marks
Colors that are more brilliant or deeper than others on the page
Text
Captions: These are boxes containing a variety of text elements, including scene setting, description, etc.
Speech balloons: These enclose dialogue and come from a specific speaker’s mouth; they vary in size, shape, and layout and can alternate to depict a conversation. Types of speech balloons include those holding:
External dialogue, which is speech between characters
Internal dialogue, which is a thought enclosed by a balloon that has a series of dots or bubbles going up to it
Special-effects lettering: This is a method of drawing attention to text; it often highlights onomatopoeia and reinforces the impact of words such as bang or wow.
