Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art

This is a brilliant book about comics, storytelling and graphic design. Scott McCloud packs a huge amount of information about art, history, comic design and the different ways people communicate in words and pictures into this highly accessible book. Like comics themselves, there are hidden depths here, because beneath the immediacy of the presentation are some deep, serious ideas about the development of language, art and communication. The book is superbly done; clever, witty, thought-provoking and really informative. You will never read a comic or graphic novel in the same way again, and you will almost certainly appreciate the art form more than you did. The whole book is engrossing and educational, but chapters 3 and 4, on how we interpret the space between the panels in comics, and how time and space is represented in pictures, show McCloud's genius for conveying complex ideas with real power and clarity.

I'm not normally one to write a review, normally I just buy a product at that is it. I am currently undergoing a solo comic book project involving script writing and illustration. I had read good stuff about this book so I bought a copy and I was not disappointed. Reading through, Scott highlighted certain areas that I took a second to realise I had already had these thought processes but not realised. It also opened me up to more information that I was not aware of and taught me things about comics that date way back.I like the idea that this was informative and in the style of a comic, pure genius. 10/10 for me and a brilliant read.

Wow... That was incredible. Like many of you probably will anticipate this to be, I expected this to purely be a text book about comics. I was very wrong indeed... What you have here is a wonderful dissection of not only comics in themselves, but of storytelling and how human beings use different senses to interpret different entertainment mediums. If anything, it is as much a book about the human introspection of how to process information, with obviously the visual nature of comics being the main focus. Overall, I absolutely recommend this book to all creative people, regardless of whether you plan on ever writing a comic or not. There is just so much here which creatives and storytellers would greatly benefit from. Truly, you can imagine how much work went into this. Trust me, you will not be wasting your money on this!

I had recently started getting into reading graphic novels when my friend recommended this book to me. I was skeptical at first - put off by the mention of "comics" - but decided to give it a try anyway after hearing more rave reviews. I was definitely not disappointed. Scott McCloud uses the medium of comics to explain their history and how to understand them, exploring everything from faces and backgrounds to panels and the progression of time in a comic. His explanations are easy to understand, even for people like me who are very inexperienced with comics.This book has given me a new appreciation for comics. I've read graphic novels completely differently since reading it. I now really notice the authors' styles, savour each frame, and I feel like I have a deeper understanding of the stories now than I would've before. I also appreciate the time and effort that goes into making a good comic and find it unfortunate that comics are generally not taken very seriously.I will never look at comics the same way again, and in some ways I will never look at art the same way again either. This book is both for those experienced and very inexperienced with comics. Very thought-provoking but also an entertaining read!

I bought this for a 13 year old who asked me what an icon was. I suggested she start at chapter 2, then go back to the beginning. The language and illustrations are great teaching material, and the tone seemed to appeal to her developing maturity. Recommended.

Good good book!Extremely interesting and easy to read and at particular points, enlightening.It is a really good read and covers many topics of comic books.What I value most is that is a theory book about comics that demonstrates itself perfectly in the medium it studies, which makes it evolve from the theoretical field to actually a practical and fun learning experience.a must read for comic book fans & creators alike.

It's a great comic, even for seasoned comic readers. The power of comics is certainly here.

Bought this as a present for a friend but got sucked in reading half of it myself before wrapping it, absolutely fascinating, I didn't realise there was so much complexity to comic book writing. This book really does pay respect to this amazing art form and as other reviews say, it gives you a whole new and complex view of what you're looking at. To those that tut, roll eyes and say "Aren't comics just for kids?" - read this book and your opinions will make a complete U-turn and do away with the stereotype! I have only recently started reading comic books, and I now can't wait to get stuck in to more & more, paying more attention to how they are formulated.