Fables: Legends in Exile Volume 1 is created by Lan Medina, Steve Leialoha and Craig Hamilton. The paratext offers the reader a little bit of information on what the story will be about. The title "Fables" suggests to the reader the graphic novel will be about fairy tales that the reader may be familiar with in North America. The images on the cover also offers the reader information since the image shows the fairy tale creatures on a subway. The reader automatically can understand that the novel will be about these fictional characters in 21st century modern society. The paratext suggest the genre of the graphic novel will be a type of science fiction rather than the mystery novel it will be.
The art style seems "aged" because of the harsh dark lines and faded colours which mirrors the idea of fairy-tales since fables are old stories that have been passed down and retold for ages. The art style and colour also make identification hard for the reader. Scott McCloud would suggest that the more intricate a character's feature are, the harder it is to relate. In this case, the context of the story and the characters make the story harder to relate to for the reader.
Establishing shots are used every couple of pages to set the scene for the readers. These establishing shots mimic how mystery movies and TV shows function to engage the audience. These establishing shots happen every time a new character or a new dilemma is introduced.
The non-diegetic world contributes to the reader's understanding of the graphic novel. The reader has preconceived notions on what the characters will be like through the paratext and the reader also has some expectations on how the interactions between the character will go. The reader expects the Big Bad Wolf to be a villain because of his reputation while he turns out to save the day. The reader also excepts Snow White and Prince Charming to be living "happily ever after" while they are separated.
No comments:
Post a Comment