Describing the panel in the panel

I am so happy we are looking at the X-Men this week! One of the most interesting topics we have analyzed in class in the graphic representation of action sequences. As we learned from McCloud, they obviously involve a lot of action-to-action transitions, but things like onomatopoeia inserts and emanata lines can be used  in creative conjunction to create (with the help of closure) movement. 

With the X-Men, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby were depicting mutants with fairly complicated abilities and were forced to create new and unique ways to draw, for example, magnetism and telekinesis.

Some of the most informative panels are those that explain the powers of each of the X-Men. In these crucial panels, the reader develops a mental framework of the teams abilities, and becomes intrigued by the development of the individual powers and corresponding character traits. One byproduct of these new powers however, is slightly awkward panels that overly describe what is going on inside the panel.

Take for example page 28 of Kirby and Lee's X-Men. As Magneto takes control of a missile project, Lee writes in narration boxes: "An instant later, invisible waves of pure, powerful magnetic energy flow irresistibly into an under-ground silo" [...] "And then,  manipulated by a sinister intelligence, many hundreds of yards away, the magnetic force lifts the silo head, activating the mighty missile. Demonstrating a power which the human brain is almost unable to comprehend...etc. ". It takes the combined word choice of Stan Lee and graphic representation of Kirby to get the full effect of Magneto's power. It makes for a very crowded spread, but makes sense in the context of the genre.

The last point that I would like to make is that, for me, X-Men is more akin to a science-fiction piece, rather than an action/adventure story. The clutter in Superman is a nuisance because it impedes the development of the action. In X-Men, I yearn for more detail on how the intricate powers work because I am invested in the intricacies of the world.

Dope comic, and I welcome dissent :)