flemmings | (no subject)

Looking at various graphic novels reminds me why I can only read manga. From Sandman to Girl Genius to Marvel Comics, my god do these guys love a) their full-saturated colours and b) their panels chock-full of detail. It's like every work is modelled on Where's Wally? So much detail to distract the eye, so much busyness to confound the senses, so much insistence (to my reading) that the viewer get sufficient bang for her buck. White space? No one'll pay us for no white space. (To say nothing of those wordy and oppressive speech balloons filing up any space left.)

Even mangaka who luuurve their ink, like Yuki Kaori, love their black and shades of grey ink. That I can live with. Time was when I couldn't parse Japanese manga-- too floaty, too boundaryless. Now I can't parse English graphic novels-- too full, too busy.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I think for me the brain sorts it out into acceptance. If that makes sense. That this is a 'graphic novel'- it reads left to right, front to back and is in colour. Western. This is manga - it reads right to left, back to front and not in colour. Asian. ^_^ Each tells their story in its own way.

I must admit to finding Gaiman very busy too. I enjoyed them (Sandman I mean) but there were times when I had to put things down (from the exhaustion of I don't know sensory overload maybe) take a step back and then come back to it.

Mind you I haven't picked up a graphic novel in a very long time.