Final comic book analysis project.

1. Marvel Knights The
Fantastic 4- Wolf at
the Door: Part 2
By: Jackie Decker

2. Abstract:
• The comic book that I have chosen to analyze is titled "Marvel
Knights Fantastic 4, Wolf at the Door.” The Fantastic 4 is a very
well known comic book series and was the first superhero
team created by the legendary writer Stan Lee, as well as
famous artist Jack Kirby. The four main characters within this
comic are the Invisible Women (Sue Storm), Mr. Fantastic
(Reed Richards), The Thing, (Ben Grimm) and the Human
Torch (Johnny Storm). They all received their super powers
after they were all exposed to cosmic rays during a mission in
space. They each discovered their own individual powers once
they were back on earth. Together they form marvels first
family.

3. Summary
• During this issue of the Fantastic Four, you discover that the characters
have lost all of their money. Due to the damage they have caused
throughout the city they have been ordered to turn over the Baxter
building to the city to help pay off their debt. This in return makes
them homeless. The comic book begins with the group looking for new
apartments to rent, however no one will take them. They eventually
find a hotel that will let them stay, however it is a dump. This does not
sit well with The Human Torch and The Thing.
• Each of the members of the Fantastic Four team set off to make
their best to fix the situation they have been placed in. Mr. Fantastic
disappears in his books, The Invisible Women starts a new job as a
teacher, The Thing gets a job in construction , and The Human Torch
seeks comfort in his girlfriend. While Sue is at work, The Things
girlfriend comes to inform her that Franking (their son) was left waiting
after school for several hours; Mr. Fantastic forgot to pick him up. This
leads to a big fight between Sue and Reed. In the end the team works
out their issues but still have no idea how to fix their situation. They
are in trouble and the episode ends to be continued.

4. Theme/Focus of the comic
• Theme: distress and real world issues
• The main characters of this comic are faced to deal with real life
issues of bankruptcy, homelessness, and trying to find jobs
• The focus within this comic is on what is the
overall solution to their problem
• Each member of the team has a different problem they are trying
to face, so the comic jumps from story line to story line to give
you a true feeling of the distress and worry that each different
character feels about their current situation.

5. Panel Transitions: Moment to
Moment
Moment to moment: is
described by McCloud as a
single action portrayed in a
series of moments
This action is clearly seen through a
moment to moment transition with Mr.
Fantastic looking at this picture frame
throughout several frames.

6. Action to Action
Action to Action: is a single
subject, such as a person, object,
etc.. In a series of actions.
In this image Mr. Fantastic, is doing many
different actions from moving boxes, looking
for stuff, as well as organizing his clothing,
demonstrating an action to action panel
transition

7. Subject to Subject
McCloud describes subject to subject
as a series of changing subjects within a
single scene.
Subject to subject is clearly seen
within this frame of comic,
because of the different
conversations that are taking
place, from person to person.

8. Scene to scene
Scene to Scene Panel transitions are
when there is a transition across
significant distances of time and or
space.
This scene to scene is seen
through Franklin waiting at
school and The thing ordering
coffee at a completely different
area in this comic book world.

9. Aspect to aspect
Aspect to aspect panel
transition happens when there
is a transition from one aspect
of a place idea or mood to
another.
This is seen through the Thing, as
your vision transfers from the car,
to the Things face, to the spilled
coffee, to him ordering more
coffee.

10. Choice of image
Choosing an image is important in all comics it creates a
picture to fill frames and bring the world to life visually. You
want to make sure you show specific features of the
characters, such as disapproval through facial expressions .
This specific features of facial expression can
be seen through this image above, it is clear
through her face she is frustrated.

11. Room description in drawing
Within choosing an image you must make
the drawing come to life. Being able to show
the interior of a room with detail to describe
the type of place you are in without words. It
can give you an idea of who lives there and
the conditions of the area surrounding the
characters.
This image clearly shows
a run down
place, showing disgust
and low socioeconomic
status.

12. Words Take Center Stage
Choice of words are very important within
the world of comics. They can be used to to
give more detail to the images, in many cases
words take center stage on the comic. They
are used to create conversation between
characters for more details then just images
can provide.
This image shoes Mr. Fantastic and The
invisible woman talking about serious
issues within the comic, stating things
that simply pictures can not show.

13. Choice of Flow
Choice of Flow is how
the reader is able to be
guided through the
scenes within a comic.
They direct you from left
to right and how to read
the comic.
This group of panels has you
reading the comic from top to
bottom, and left to right.

14. Showing our five senses
Acknowledging that readers are also
human and connect to different thing
that your characters are reacting to.
One example of this is demonstrating
your five senses through your scenes.
This scene shoes The human Torch
starving and the Thing bringing him
food. The expression on his face
shows his hunger. This also shows
the theme of distress throughout
the comic.

15. Establishing Shot
An establishing shot sets the
scenes for the readers to know
where the characters are
specifically and to start the
sequence.
This is a clear
establishing shot
because it shows
the city in the
beginning of the
scene to show its
dark and
depressing, also
showing the
overall theme of
the comic .

16. Intensity
Making sure your comic has
visuals that show the dramatic
effects and feelings of your
characters is important. This
helps to give clarity to the comic
and show exactly how the
character is feeling in that
moment.
This photo shows a clear amount of
intensity within the comic.

17. Depth Cues
Adding different
angles and frames
within the comic help
to make it more
diverse and better
flow within the comic
itself. Depth cues can
be used to make great
distances or extreme
closeness be shown
through the
characters and story
line.
This can be seen through the
different angles within this
scene where The Human
Torch rescues a falling window
painter.

18. Birds eye View
Different views within frames can make
the character seemed different and
make you feel differently about the
characters. A birds eye view in many
ways can be used to make the
character seem weak or small. This is
shown in the fantastic four comic,
when looking at Mr. Fantastic, looking
at a picture frame of his family. At this
point in the story he feels defeated and
doesn’t know what to do.

19. Character Expression
Having different emotional traits shown within a
comic allows the reader to know the emotional
territory of each character. One way to show this
is through body language. McCloud suggests that
a slouch or defeated look can help to show these
emotions.
This can be seen
through the
Thing after the
ruins the coffee
run he went on
for his coworkers.

20. Visual Communication
McCloud uses visual communication as another
form of facial expressions. Having compulsive
facial expressions of fierceness for example can
help the reader better understand and connect
with the character. The invisible woman shows
this through her extreme rage at Mr. Fantastic.

21. Facial emotions 83-85
There are so many different expressions that can be shown through art. Many think
the ones shown above are the only ones you can show, however McCloud says
differently. There are numerous equations of adding these key emotions together to
create even more facial expressions. This is important when creating clarity for the
reader.
You can
clearly
see
sadness
shown
through
Franklins
face due
to the
fact that
no one
picked
him up
after
school.

22. External sources within facial
emotions
When dealing with human expression
they can be less balanced and
predictable, meaning you need to use
all aspects of a person to make sure
they show the correct emotion.
This panel shows a lot of different emotions
of The Invisible Woman’s disgust of being hit
with a spit ball

23. Conclusion
• Overall theme of this comic is distress
• This was due to the fact that the fantastic four were now
homeless and trying to figure out a solution to their issues
• Each character had different things happen to them throughout
the story that added to their horrible situation.
• Through McClouds concepts it was very easy to
see how the comic was able to use different art
and word distribution to portray the theme
displayed the comic.