Comic Analysis:Applying the “McCloud Methodology”

AUSTIN N FULLER

Abstract• After some period of time, Batman welcomes back his partner Robin as they watch over some kids

supported by the Bruce Wayne Foundation attempt to break into a store. As Batman leaves to check on the boys, Robin finds himself in a weird situation as he saves a girl from a drunk stranger, but yet she acts out and refuses help. Robin continues to protect the city as Batman returns to his home base, and shortly after Bruce makes a visit to the boys who were out trying to break into a store. One of the boys gets into deep conversation and complains about his life situation: he has no money, his dad took the welfare check and ran off, his mother is in the hospital, and all while finishing school. Bruce sympathizes with Chico, saying that he knows how it feels when the world is against you. As Bruce reflects on his past memory of seeing his parents murdered, Robin gets the chance to visit his dad in the hospital. Robin feels some remorse about the state of his father wishing he could go back in time; however, before his dad is able to wake up Robin is already gone. As Bruce prepares for the charity bash, Robin watched the woman he tried to help earlier as she talked to herself about some guy. The charity ball stared a television figure from the famous show “Calistoga” Bob Dane (who plays Duval Pensey), who was desired by the girl Robin was watching. Things go south really quick as the girl becomes crazy over Duval Pensey (on the tv show) and goes to the charity ball to hold everyone up by a gun in an attempt to be with Duval. After Bob Dane tries to tell the girl that he just plays him, Bruce tries to set a distraction so that she didn’t shoot Bob as Robin came to help. Bruce eventually punches Bob to get the girl to stop and succeeds as police escorted her away from the premises. Batman and Robin find out that the girl is a stalker and has been to court multiple times over the matter. Just as the night seemed over, Batman and Robin respond to the signal by Jim who only wants to let them know that he is getting married. The story ends by Bruce’s butler talking on the phone with Robin’s dad, assuring that he will inform Robin about it when he “wakes up”.

Themes/Focus• Love• Vengeance• Justice

The theme and/or focus of the story is on loved ones and their interactions with eachother.

Subject to subject transitions are efficient at moving the story forward, while changing angles to direct the reader’s attention

As Batman and Robin jump from building to building, they spot two teens in the

distance attempting to break into a store. The angles change to show both perspectives

of the situation

Each action by Robin pulling out his weapon and using it is signified in it’s own respective

panel

Action to action focuses on one moment peraction so that each panel helps further

the plot and pace of the comic

The scene goes from Robin having an encounter with a woman, to a shot of Bruce’s mansion

to show a new scene

Establishing shots gives readers informationabout the beginning of each new scene like a

background shot

Due to her facial expression, you can tell that the woman that Robin helped is not happy. Looks to be a mixture of the basic emotions

of sadness and anger

Facial expressions serve as visual communication tool that provokes emotion by

using different kinds of facial expressions formed by muscles of the face

After Robin calls the commissioner for help, the reporter looks to ask some questions to Robin but he leaves. The story then jumps to

where the teenage boys are staying

Scene to scene transitions can help compressa story down while still allowing for a

range of time-spans and a number of locations

Each panel is slowed to show Robin throwinghis spear at the bad guys, and then jumping

through the tent

Moment to moment transitions are useful for slowing the action down, increase suspense,

all while creating movie-like motion

Although the woman is talking pretty harshly and demandingly, she has a gun pointed

at the guard to show that she willbe let in

Interdependent word/picture combinations actto convey an idea that neither would

convey alone

BLAM, KRAK, and WHIZZZ are some of thesound effects used

Sound effects help bridge the gap between sightand sound, while graphically becoming

what they describe

The worm’s eye view shows the dominance and prestige of Bruce over the other

Different kinds of view, like a “worm’s eye” view,can give weight and grandeur to objects

and characters

The picture of her shooting the gun breaks the “fourth wall”,

overlapping over other panels and borders

Panel arrangements can also be created

to show borderless images

In the scene, the pictures show Bruce punching someone, but is supported by his own words

and sound effects to add detail

Intersecting word/picture combinations cover some of the same ground, but each words and

pictures add significant detail/perspectiveto the scene

The words/sound effects show and let the reader know that Bruce has just arrived

home

Picture-specific word/picture combinations give license to the words

The “WHZZZZ” takes on multiple qualities and characteristics in the

story

In a montage, words and letters take on pictorial qualities and are combined more freely

with the pictures that surround them

The background bleeds into the page framesas well as the other panels

The expansion of the panel out to the page edges open up the scene, letting it “bleed”

The depth cues shown here exemplify the fact that Batman and Robin are swinging from

building to building

Visual techniques, such as extreme depth cues, create a sense of great distances, closeness,

and the contrast between them

The panel flow is simple, moving and reading from left to right first then up to down

Choice of flow serves to guide theaudience through the comic. This

Is usually referred to as an unwritten contract between the comic and

reader

The body language from the man on the balconycertainly suggests that he does not know

what is above him and he is afraid. Batman andRobin though look composed and confident

Body language sends powerful messages about who the

characters are before they speak