The human brain works in such a way that information is accessed from the ground up. In terms of stories, this means that narrative is only as effective as the foundations upon which it is built. Without a conscious effort to competently tell a story, a piece is just a pile of information, without context, movement, or ultimately, reader connection.
For Comic Books and Graphic Novels, this can mean any number of things. Comic Books begin with a thoughtfully crafted dramatic structure, but that is simply a guideline, more a tool for the writer to fully understand the story's thematic intention and how best to relay that message mechanically to a reader.
The Basics of Panels
Whereas films have shots and scenes, a Comic Book has panels and pages. They work in largely the same way, although a Panel is arguably more complicated.
A film's most unique property is that it moves, so shots and scenes are intended to provide a sense of emotional manipulation. Panels need to accomplish the same goal, but they have an added weight - they must effectively simulate physical movement and the passage of time, all on a static page.
This is largely done through a collaborative process between a writer and artist. It is a writer's duty to relate the emotional needs of a panel, whether a character is happy or frightened, static or frantic, moving or still. Some writers will draw crude thumbnails if they feel a compelling need to duplicate exactly the image in their head.
Otherwise, it is up to the artist to use their toolbox to properly capture the mechanical necessity of the moment. This is done in a variety of ways, only limited by the imaginations of both collaborating forces. There are, however, a few broadly painted tricks.
Panels as Movement
Superhero comics are the most profitable genre of Comic Books, which means that action and movement are two of the medium's most important dramatic techniques. Action is notoriously difficult to simulate within the confines of a static medium, because an artist can only do so much. They must hold the reader's hand by proxy, trusting them to understand the visual cues built in to the panels.
Angles are incredibly important, because they can manage to fulfill both an emotional and mechanical need. A running character drawn from a lower angle can be inferred to be moving faster, while creating an unnerving perspective to aid in implying fear or unease.
Should a figure need to be revered, or worshiped, a classic tactic is to situate the panel from over the figure's shoulder. If it is angled down, a reader can instinctively understand the character's station is higher than those objects and characters below.
The Space Between
The space in between panels is just as important as the panels themselves. A brain can fill in holes by assuming certain things from basic, shared experiences, not unlike a Wheel of Fortune puzzle. This is especially true for movement, or distance.
It's rather simple. If a character needs to toss an object into the air, it is the absence of specific action that actually tells the story. The first panel shows the character grab the object. The next one has the object soaring through the air, with the character's body twisted as if they've just made the throw. Their leg is forward, their waste twisted, their arms swung away from the object.
A reader never sees the actual throw. They only see the beginning of the action, and its immediate effect. The rest of the act is filled in subconsciously, since every human has seen someone throw something, and it is largely the same action.
Understanding Panels
The only way to truly understand a what makes a great panel is to experience them firsthand. An aspiring writer should pick a comic book they feel is particularly effective and give it a "story read", letting it wash over them as a pure story. Once they've got a handle on the story's intentions, go back and look at specific panels and sequences. A reader wouldn't be surprised by anything in the book, so every detail can be consumed separately, bound subconsciously by the knowledge of its ultimate relevance.
