Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art

Pros: It will be hard to catalog everything that is laudable about this work and keep this review to a readable length. I hesitate to call any work obligatory reading, but I can think of no manner of person who would not be better off having done so. The simplicity, clarity, thoroughness of this examination of comics as a medium is instantly apparent, and, combined with its impeccable organization, makes it as perfectly entertaining as it is educational. This work does more than dispel misconceptions about the comics medium; it acts as a fundamental guidebook for any study of art. McCloud’s visual and literary metaphors help the reader unpack dense concepts and the depth of his research shows through on every page.  

I don’t doubt that this work can and will be the conduit through which many comic creators dive into the medium, and I cannot think of a force of more potential growth for an entire art form. On a personal note, I always find the illustrated narrator incredibly charming and uplifting to the point where I feel convinced that my own meager artistic skills could, with enough patient effort, be brought to a level that could produce a serviceable comic. 

Cons: I’m struggling to find much of anything that can be brought to the level of complaint. On occasion, notably the discussion of the triangle of meaning (representation, abstraction, meaning) I can find myself struggling to follow McCloud’s train of thought, but that is more likely a failing on the part of the reader than it is in the writing. Also, in some discussions, particularly those involving recreations of the works of other artists, the quality seems to suffer somewhat (this is minutiae for sure).

I enjoy everything about this book; the art, the information, the window into the human experience. I cannot think of a person to whom I would not wholeheartedly recommend this work.