Page Composition and Visual Rhythm

The BD page functions as both a sequence of panels and a unified visual composition. This dual nature – the "rhetorical" function of guiding reading and the "aesthetic" function of creating visual harmony – distinguishes BD from comic strips or manga. The larger European album format encourages artists to consider each page as a complete visual statement.

Masters of page composition like Guarnido (working with writer Canales on "Blacksad") create pages where panel arrangements form abstract patterns that complement narrative content. Geometric compositions might suggest order and control, while chaotic arrangements reflect narrative disorder. The tradition of the "splash page" – a single image occupying an entire page – achieves different effects in BD than in American comics, often serving contemplative rather than spectacular functions.

Double-page spreads in BD represent the format's ultimate compositional challenge. Artists must create images that function across the book's gutter while maintaining visual coherence. Schuiten and Peeters' "Cities of the Fantastic" series features architectural spreads that transform albums into spatial experiences.