How readers navigate comic book pages

Evidence from eye movements

Bibliographic Data

ID22003247
AuthorsPaul A Aleixo (Sheffield Hallam University), Paul Aleixo (0000-0002-7745-7469, Sheffield Hallam University, corresponding author), Jane L Morgan (0000-0001-8024-028X, Sheffield Hallam University), Diarmuid Verrier (0000-0002-4148-3948, University of Limerick)
Year2025
Pages1-15
Publication date2025-11-25
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Graphic Novels & Comics (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2150-4857 • E-ISSN: 2150-4865
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/21504857.2025.2591045
OpenAlexW4416647265
LanguageEN
References cited18

While a z-path is intrinsically part of how typically formatted text is read, it is less clear that this same approach is used when reading comics. Previous evidence for the z-path is limited to self-reported preferences from readers. The main aim of this paper was to objectively confirm that readers do use a z-path when navigating a comic book page by using eye-tracking technology. We examined the eye-movement behaviour of 90 participants when reading a textless page from the comic Watchmen. Participants were a mix of novice and expert comic book readers. Results indicated that the z-path was an accurate prototypical descriptor of how participants navigated the comic book pages, but that there was a great deal of variation from that prototype. In particular, it was shown that readers commonly demonstrated regressive saccades, where fixations moved back to the previous panel rather than to the next panel in the z-path order. These findings provide a strong first foundation for future work in this area that looks at reading behaviour in comic book pages

Comic strip · Comics · Eye movement · Comics and Graphic Narratives · Gaze Tracking and Assistive Technology · Mind wandering and attention

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access