McCloud Part 2

I really liked Jennifer's comic that she chose to review for the first blog assignment.

Using McCloud's website she located a comic called "The Right Number" which is a comic in two parts, created in 2003. After reading Jennifer's blog description of the comic, I knew it was what I wanted to read for myself and then review. I didn't know until going to the site that this was supposed to also have a third chapter, but as McCloud states in the sidebar: "Note: The Right Number was originally presented in June 2003 using a micropayments system offered by a company called Bitpass, sold for 25 cents each. Since Bitpass ceased operations in January 2007, I'm offering Parts One and Two for free now.

Part Three was delayed due to severe hand strain problems on my part a few years ago and delayed again when I began work on my recent book, Making Comics. I do still hope to finish the third and final chapter and make it available at some point in the future. Part Three will also be offered free through this page. (Sorry for the delay!)

Although the The Right Number was an experimental story, in an experimental format using an experimental payment system, I do like it as a story. I hope you will too."

Reading that from the author helped prepare me before reading the comic itself.
Even before reading the comic, the notes from clicking the blue arrow really helped me, and I knew right away it was going to be completely different from the first McCloud comic I chose, since mine was complete on one page, while this particular web comic has one panel per page.

Here's my synopsis:
A man prefaces his story with a simple "I know something you don't know, and I'll let you in on my secret."

He states he was previously involved with a woman, whom he had met and was dating. He had called to meet her for dinner at their favorite restaurant, yet when he gets there, something seems different about her. Then he realizes that it isn't the same woman at all! He has misdialed her phone number by one digit. The new woman had yet to realize the mix-up, as she was waiting for a phone call for a dinner date from someone she had met online. They laughed off the situation, and she left.

Eventually, things did not work out for the "real" couple, and he calls the woman with the similar phone number. They begin dating, but unfortunately, things did not work out.

Thinking that there was a connection between someone's phone number and personality, our main character thinks he can find his perfect match by altering a phone number slightly. He begins testing his theory, but can't find the woman of his dreams. The question at the end of part two remains: Will he ever find the woman of his dreams by using his phone number theory?

I completely agree with Jennifer's point in her original blog:
"Since in “The Right Number” the frames transition from with in one another there is no space. The gutter can give ideas for time space and an idea of how to read the comic. With the web comics format the gutter is not seen but moving within the frame onto closeup for greater effect is available. At one point the frames move in from a complete setting to closer and closer to the main character, until we end on the single eye of the main character. Which creates a symbol of seeing things from the characters view for the next scenes."

This comic is just one of many from McCloud (and others) that proves comics just aren't a thing for children. In fact, this is a very adult comic, and I think this is a great example of chapter 5, Living in Line, in McCloud's "Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art". This chapter questions if emotions can be visible, without proposed text. I feel that they can be, and McCloud states that "the idea that a picture can evoke an emotional or sensual response in the viewer is vital to the art of comics." (121) I feel like this is true especially in "The Right Number", because this comic provides many different emotional reactions from the reader. This is a topic that can be explored in situations other than comics, but in this instance, the overall mood and reactions are different.

Finally, I think that all comics can be inferred differently, or at least have the reader receive the comic in many different ways. Jennifer and I read and reviewed the same comic, and while we both understood and agreed on certain aspects of the comic, there are many other little details that leave one to believe that comics can be like mystery novels--it's not always the same the second time around.