Alias Volume 1

            Alias was written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Michael Gaydos.

            One of the things a reader instantly notices in this graphic novel is the use of colour. Colour is used to show a change in scene. In addition, colour is used to create and emphasize the mood of the scene. For example, when Jessica is being interrogated, the colour palate is solely red and black. When the scene is mysterious, such as when she is investigating, the colour palate has dark blues and purples. During neutral situations and settings, such as in Jessica’s apartment, more light and earth-tone colours are used. The changes seen in the colour palate help the reader to make meaning of what is happening in the story by understanding the severity of the situation and the tones, moods, and emotions felt in each setting. The colour red creates feelings of danger, rush, and urgency in the reader. These emotions felt are then projected to the characters as we put ourselves in their position to determine how they would be feeling in their situation.

            Another key element in this graphic novel is the use of creative and unique panel layouts seen on each page. In the example below, the panels are placed in a way that mirrors a brick wall. This changes the way the reader reads the graphic novel. Instead of reading the entire left page then the entire right page, the reader quickly learns that it must be read as a two-page spread. This panel layout also changes how the reader experiences the story. The brick wall panel layout makes the reader feel closed in and trapped. The small panels do not give the reader’s eyes much room to explore. The black background also contributes to this. As Scott McCloud explains in Understanding Comics, the more we can relate to the character or see ourselves in the character, the better the story will progress, with the help of closure. The feelings created from this page layout are related to the character as the reader acknowledges that these feelings of being trapped and closed must be how Jessica feels as she is being interrogated in this scene.

            The use of word balloons is also a key element in this graphic novel. As explained by Gene Kannenberg, Eisner believed that effective comics had no more than 30 words occupying a word balloon. This limit is exceeded on the majority of pages due to the intertwining of word balloons. The word balloons partly cover other word balloons, stretching the space they take up in the panel. Some word balloons are side by side, indicating that the character is rambling on or talking quickly. Others are attached by a small white line, indicating that the thoughts are connected. In the example below, the narrative word balloons overlap one another. As found in Kannenberg’s piece, this sets the pacing of the narrative. The reader reads these word balloons quicker and the inner voice has a sense of urgency. This also shows the complexity and deepness of the character’s thoughts as it suggests that the thoughts are overlapping one another and happening so quickly they do not get their own personal space in her mind or in the panel.

            Alias is a great read and graphic novel to analyze due to the fact that it incorporates many effective techniques from use of colour to panel layout to the complexity of the word balloons.     

-         -  Stephanie Taylor