It is, however, an effort to promote comics by shaping its perception, which is understandable since most people who enjoy something would speak of it in high regard. Much of this is semantics and doesn’t really add or take away from the enjoyment of comics. He also uses a very broad definition of art to try and bring comics into its sphere. Interestingly, he doesn’t discuss the topic of commercialism beyond the origin of comics from the early days of print. He goes in depth to compare comics to art, referencing history, and visually maps out the many ways in which art and words are expressed. He wants comic books to be seen as an artistic medium and for it to be taken more seriously. In reading Understanding Comics, it is clear that Scott McCloud wants comic books to be more then what it is. He also does a great job of unpacking issues and concepts that I would have deemed to complex to properly explain, but he presents it in a logical and simplified way that is well organized and easy to digest. Scott McCloud goes into great detail discussing the many ways in which comic books can be read and interpreted. Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud was informative, very thorough and entertaining to read. The mandate for my essay was that it be argumentative and so I narrow in on McCloud’s claim that comics is an art form: It makes a great reference for anyone who is new to comics or for those who are trying to break into the biz. As the title suggest, McCloud thoroughly explains how comics work, from history to art expression. If you’ve ever browsed around a book store in the comics section, you’ve probably stumbled upon Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud. Here is the second review I did in the more traditional essay form. My previous post was a book review that I did for my graphic novels class.