1 Here is a list of vocabulary related to comic strips Match the words with their definition: 1) Script: a) a panel that takes up the whole page (to introduce stories, for special battles) 2) Panels: b) panels without frames/borders to show dramatic effect 3) Word balloons: c) to show when people are thinking 4) Thought balloons: d) rectangles/squares where the action of the script will be drawn 5) Narratory blocks: e) the written directions and the dialogue for the comic 6) Open panels: f) to show where people speak 7) Splash page: g) squares where the narrator or a character shares special information with us Analyse the extract from Superman's comic strip: Wh- questions: Characters, Setting, Time and Events The characters' super-powers The different parts of the comic strip Circle the best adjectives that describe the two characters: Superman: powerful fearless frightening brave helpless nasty good-looking clever The Robot: gentle dangerous weak colossal terrifying destructive strong invincible altruistic handsome KEY: 1e, 2d , 3f , 4c , 5g , 6b , 7a This document is a comic book entitled “Superman” and created/designed by Carmine & Stan, as we can read at the bottom of the page The first page is a splash page, used to introduce the story The title is written in bold letters at the top, on the right From the naratory blocks on the left, we find out that the action takes place in Metropolis, in winter Although winter is a time for holidays, Superman stays in town to fight the villains This time he faces a mechanical villain as we find out from the thought bubbles (“chrome-plated sleeve”) On this first page we can see Superman flying above the rubble of destroyed buildings, in search of the robot On the second page we discover the villain, a gigantic robot which is walking through the buildings, destroying everything on his way We can see pieces of concrete flying in every direction and passersby running away, terrified/frightened by the monster The traffic is blocked, and cars are abandoned on the street From the speech bubbles/balloons we find out that the robot is glad/delighted to see Superman He was actually expecting him, to show off his dreadful/terrible powers Indeed, it seems that it won't be a piece of cake/easy to defeat this monster since he is equipped with a lead shield which protects him from S's x-ray vision On the third page we see the robot shooting laser at S and blowing up part of a sky-scraper The concrete chunk is falling down and is about to crush the passers-by But S is there to protect them, so he flies and manages to catch the concrete and save those people There are two onomatopoeia displayed on the page to dramatize the story On the fourth page there are frames, more than on the other ones so/therefore we expect to see more events In the first frame S is using his infra-red vision to short-circuit the robot but it doesn't work/it's no good The robot defends himself/strikes back with his inertia ray and blasts S down While S is falling, the robot removes/tears up the roof of a building as if it were a simple carton top From the naratory blocks we find out the building houses/contains the S.T.A.R Laboratories so we may suppose the villain wants to steal some deadly virus and contaminate the population or help his villain friends escape from their cells, or again steal a gene which would transform people into mutants But we know for sure that Superman, “The Man of Steel” will manage to defeat him and protect/save the inhabitants From the four pages we've seen the ingredients of comic strips: a hero and a villain, a terrible threat to innocent people, a battle/fight involving amazing superpowers All these elements form the plot of the comic book The layout is also very important: the drawings illustrate the action, the text in the speech or thought bubbles the character's words or thoughts and finally, the naratory blocks give details about/specify the plot Onomatopoeia are used to dramatize the action and render the events more vivid/lively Comic strips are very rich/complex works of art, mixing drawings with text and onomatopoeia