Architecture has always been an elevated method of storytelling. It invokes emotion, context, and experiences in a way no other form of design can achieve in a physical expression. Comic books or graphic novels have their own fandoms and loyal supporters to an almost cult-like obsession. The ability to tell a story with a particular point of view with few impactful words and a background design that uses elaborate architecture to support a specific narrative and adds to the context of character building and relevant backstory is a feat not many books can achieve specifically. To the keen reader and a trained observer, these books in a glance could be a form of identification of the illustrator, the storyteller, the particular world, and even the time period. Favorites for ages from grandparents to the Alpha gen. the comic book obsession doesn’t seem to be going anywhere.
The Superhero World
Comic books or graphic novels as some people prefer to call these intricately detailed illustrations have their biggest audience in the superhero world and fantasy – everything from Stan Lee’s marvel world to the multiple versions and universes in Detective Comics. Each comic book and graphic novel, despite being from the same world with similar villains and timelines have an impact on the reader. A reader subconsciously is able to pinpoint context and the place in which the character is based– these observations are usually in the background done through smart color schemes, particular palettes and tones, and architectural features.
To someone who has grown up reading comic books or has even watched the shows or the movies, it’s very easy to identify which specific timeline, town, or city, the protagonist or antagonist is centered in. It’s also fairly easy to distinguish the time period in which the comic book was created and published. Comic books have evolved from primary color tones and simple minimal lines to detailed illustrations and futuristic templates. It’s significantly obvious which is Superman’s Smallville and Metropolis and which is Batman’s Gotham City or Wayne Manor. All these observations and details are due to the intricate and iconic architectural design features used in comic books. Superman comic’s focus on brighter, warmer tones uses the traditional American small-town and farmhouse style architecture as background – picket fences, red barns, and cozy furniture. And yet even in Superman’s comic books one can identify which version of the superhero you’re getting – the small-town Clark Kent or the reporter in the Daily Planet of Metropolis.
Since comic books use minimal words or even no words in a few sequences the reader solely relies on the backdrop and visual designs to move forward or see character growth. And since most of the characters in the superhero, comic books have masks to protect identities the story arc depends on the architecture in the background.
Architecture as a Tool for Storytelling.
Ever since movies and shows have existed architecture has been a tool in storytelling. But the ideology of using architecture in storytelling is an old concept – for the Shakespeare play backdrops to puppet shows architecture is used to drive the point of context home. In comic books, this trend has lasted across all genres – from children’s comic books, and superhero graphic novels to manga and anime.
Scale and anthropometry in architecture is a significant use in storytelling. In many instances in positions of weakness and vulnerability – one sees the protagonist in the comic book surrounded by large indoor spaces or looking up at the world filled with large buildings towering over them. This visually translates to a sense of helplessness or hopelessness to the comic book reader with little to no words – where one can see an almost invincible superhero as a child – all in a single glance. Another similar setting is the use of ‘framing’ the panel box. When the illustrator of the comic books wants to represent the feeling of isolation, despair, or loneliness the emotion is evoked by framing the protagonist off to the side – at the edge of the panel box – the sense of the protagonist being pushed off his course or path and to the side.
Another tool architecture is used for is to enhance the sense of movement. Even though a single-panel box – the sense of movement can be achieved in comic books with the help of architecture. The stillness of architecture in the background while using a series of various actions of the protagonist showcases movement and actions without the use of words. The elaborate movements and stunts in superhero comic books – like fight sequences, swinging off bars, and jumping off buildings are mostly achieved by this method.
Architecture also is used in a negative outlook to invoke a sense of vengeance or emotion. Most comic books have focal points – houses, manors, offices, restaurants, or even just a simple roof edge that showcases pivotal points of character growth or team bonding. When comic book writers want to evoke a negative emotion in the readers – these spaces are often shown in flashbacks – the protagonist is a child with a happy memory associated with the space and the protagonist is now – reminiscing. It can also be portrayed in a panel shot of this cherished place as a ruin or destroyed after a fight or a devastating loss. It can also be counter-produced as protagonist backstories, villain origins, nightmares or rebuilding – to enable a sense of hope.
Conclusion
While most people brush off comic books for their lack of depth due to the absence of dialogue – comic books actually have deep-rooted character growth and a sense of storytelling. The act of storytelling in comic books, however, depends on artistic development – color tones, illustration styles, and architectural backgrounds. Every panel in a comic book page has multiple layers and story arcs – something we understand at a glance without completely knowing why – art and architecture play a deep role in making sure the message is received by every age group and every reader – irrespective of culture, education or gender – a feat that is not common in any other form of reading.
Citations
DC Database (2022). DC Fandom. [online]. Available at: https://www.dc.com/comics [Accessed 18th January 2023 ].
Marvel Comic Books (2022). Marvel Unlimited. [online]. Available at: https://www.marvel.com/comics?&options%5Boffset%5D=0&totalcount=12 [Accessed 18th January 2023 ].
