Visual Metaphor in Comics. An Incomplete Taxonomy

Abstract

In comics, images are much more than merely a component of a narrative. Sometimes they are also conceived to channel metaphorical information. They are built to express a kind of poetry. Visual metaphors, however, have often been studied without making a clear effort to define a taxonomy following precise and clear criteria. This commentary seeks to address that paucity and establish some guidelines towards classifying different types of visual metaphors found in comics.