Panels 3-4: Thanks for clarifying what just happened with a line of helpful dialogue, Emp! In all seriousness, I often find myself annoyed and baffled by the work of comics writers who slather on the ol’ dialogue wholesale for their beloved scenes of witty repartee, but then “go silent” and dialogue-free for their action scenes, likely because that approach strikes them as “more cinematic, maaaaan.” This act of narrative negligence puts all the responsibility of clarifying action scenes on the shoulders of the artist, many or most of whom just don’t have the very specific skill set to handle the depiction of complex action in a coherent manner without the aid of dialogue.

If the writer gets a peek at the comic’s artwork and realizes that the artist’s pages are unclear about the unfolding events—which don’t necessarily have to make up an action scene as such—then he or she has a responsibility to break out some kind of clarification by dialogue, caption, sound FX or whatever the hell else might help make matters clearer.

Panel 5: Yeahp, Emp was using the severed (pseudo)tongue of the horrifically damaged Superdead heroine “Mother Tongue” as an impromptu lasso to snag Deathmonger. (Presumably the animated (pseudo)tongue was cooperating in the lassoing process to help pull off Emp’s tactical gambit.)

Today’s Patreon update: Not sure, but today’s post could be another installment of Failed-Project Friday or Comics Riffs I Love! Click the link after 9:00am East Coast time and find out, Patrons!

-Adam Warren