I'm enjoying this PT strip, but today's instalment does show the limitations of the medium when it comes to detective stories. The panels all too easily become a succession of headshots and speech balloons. Explanatory sequences are a must with a whodunit plot, and with no hard action or movement, an artist is hard-pressed to add visual impact.
It's the comic strip equivalent of the drawing room finale of many a "cosy" detective yarn where the detective gathers everyone together and lays out the solution to the murder. In comic terms, it's more acceptable here, I think, where I'm running a number of episodes each day, rather than in its original appearance, which would last ten or twelve days of just talking heads.
I also enjoyed this Paul Temple story. When I read this part, no. 14, I didn't mind seeing a few strips of talking heads because the story at this point was so exciting. The story had been mysterious up till then, and it was interesting to learn what Jeremy Wright had to tell.
I'm enjoying this PT strip, but today's instalment does show the limitations of the medium when it comes to detective stories. The panels all too easily become a succession of headshots and speech balloons. Explanatory sequences are a must with a whodunit plot, and with no hard action or movement, an artist is hard-pressed to add visual impact.
ReplyDeleteIt's the comic strip equivalent of the drawing room finale of many a "cosy" detective yarn where the detective gathers everyone together and lays out the solution to the murder. In comic terms, it's more acceptable here, I think, where I'm running a number of episodes each day, rather than in its original appearance, which would last ten or twelve days of just talking heads.
ReplyDeleteI also enjoyed this Paul Temple story. When I read this part, no. 14, I didn't mind seeing a few strips of talking heads because the story at this point was so exciting. The story had been mysterious up till then, and it was interesting to learn what Jeremy Wright had to tell.
ReplyDelete