The Private Eye: Eyes, Angles, and Masks

The second issue of The Private Eye plays a lot with the angles of their panels and the expressions of their characters in order to convey unspoken emotional cues to the readers. With the series's emphasis on the symbolic image of the mask and the overall theme of concealment and deception the subtle cues invoked from the angles and facial expressions of its character's really lends a lot to The Private Eye's emotional depth. For instance the facial expressions can dictate to the reader the truthfulness of any given character.

Here we see the down turned and solemn expression of sister mourning her loss, although this issue has much stronger examples of angles and expressions this image sets up a contrast within the same page.

Note the sudden change into a rigid expression shown from a side angle. When contrasted with the natural expression from the previous image, this is an obvious indication that she does recognize the name “Patrick Immelmann”. This is reinforced when combined with the extra panel the creators gave to her reaction to the name.

This next series of images shows another deception this issue portrays using a combination of angles and the theme of the mask. At this point in the issue the reader already knows that the usual owner of the tiger mask is deceased and the current user is her murderer. The deception lies from character to character.

Note that the tiger masked character is depicted tilted in an almost dutch angle or concealing his eyes. At least until his deception is revealed and the mask comes off. The dutch angle is a technique used in both film and comics in order to indicate to the viewer that something in the scene is wrong somehow.

Here we finally have a straight on look at this character, no odd angle and no mask, although he is in a sense hidden partially from the viewer by the knife the reader can still clearly see his eye. The combination of factors in this image give the reader the picture of this man's character. Calm, Cold, and Dangerous.

This straight on look into a character's eyes happens again in this issue underlining its importance as a symbol.

Indicating an honesty of character, our hero Patrick Immelmann is in fact wiping away the last remnants of his mask depicting in a straight on angle, both character's are mask-less and staring into each others' eyes. This is an interaction free of deception.

I would have show more images of eyes and angles showing the various intricacies of the character's emotional states and the overall theme of deception this comic has but I've been instructed to keep these blog posts short.

Until next time Everyone!

- Blake