Panel Transitions in Maus

In the graphic novel Maus, Art Spiegleman uses a wide range of panel transitions. As explained in Understanding Comics, by Scott McCloud, there are 6 different types of panel to panel transitions commonly found in comics.

From what I have read in Maus, Spiegleman uses nearly ALL of these transitions (with the exception of Non-Sequitur).  On pages 62 and 63 alone, Spiegleman uses 4 different types of transitions. These pages are when Vladek is explaining a night when he had to go outside of his tent to pee and someone shot at him. Since the story is based around Vladek recollecting the events of his life during World War II, flashback transitions occur frequently. Page 62 starts with one of these panels, the Old Vladek, explaining an event.

This first transition is a Scene-to-Scene transition. In the next panel, Vladek recalls a conversation. Between the two panels we see an Action-to-Action transition, one that requires more closure from the reader. When Vladek is getting shot at, the Subject-to-Subject transition is seen from Vladek leaving the tent, urinating, then diving back under the tent. On the next page, after transitioning back to the Old Vladek with Scene-to-Scene again, a Moment-to-Moment transition is clearly seen in three consecutive panels with Vladek speaking to Art.

Art Spiegleman uses a wide variety of panel transitions in his novel. These help to keep the story more visually entertaining for the reader.  Since his story is based on flashback storytelling, Spiegleman almost has to use Scene-to-Scene transitions on about every other page.  Other than the frequent use of this transition, Spiegleman’s novel, Maus, uses an engaging and varied number of transitions throughout.