Frame Usage for “Essex County Book Two: Ghost Stories” and “Batman: The Dark Knight Returns”

     Jeff Lemire's "Essex County" and Frank Miller's "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns" both have very unique structures with their frame usage. Both use a wide variety of different frames. As well, both possess an interesting and varied usage of transitions.

Jeff Lemire's "Ghost Stories"

Lemire's second installment, "Ghost Stories" is a story of recollection and memories of past events.  Many of the frames correlate with this mode of narration. The frames are somewhat standard of comics but are often interrupted to aid in the display of flashbacks and flashforwards.

Jeff Lemire's "Ghost Stories"

Frank Miller's "Dark Knight Returns"

     Frank Miller's "Dark Knight Returns", uses a very unique style for its framing.  Often times the standard format of framing is as per the example on the left. However oftentimes, the normal format of framing is interrupted by segments in which the frames resemble TV screens viewing the news. The example on the right displays how this format typically repeats throughout the novel.

Frank Miller's "Dark Knight Returns"

     While at times each novel has similar standard frame formatting, both novels use their own unique formats to help aid their narratives. "Ghost Stories" relays dissonant and dreamy sequences with its frame usage to tell a flashback/memory based story.  In "Dark Knight Returns", the story is very much based in chaos. The frame usage helps reflect the anarchy and tense conflict that the story is based on.