It seems like people don’t use thought balloons as much as they used to in comics. That may not be a bad thing, as a poorly used thought balloon can be a real writing crutch. On the other hand, a well-purposed thought balloon can help the reader to get to know a character more clearly (and quickly) than anything that could be gleaned from the expression on their face.
In the last couple of pages I’ve tried it both ways. The last panel of the previous page could have had a large thought balloon with an exploration of all the mom’s mixed emotions and anxieties, but I ended up letting the artwork speak for itself. On this page, I considered doing the same thing, but I didn’t feel like the image conveyed how mom and daughter are emotionally running parallel with one another. And so they’re sharing a thought balloon on this page. Is it effective? I kind of like the idea, but it may be a little heavy-handed.
It may be awhile before the next thought balloon gets put to use….
“Great minds think alike” – this is not how this should work.
I feel like both cases did a very good job and were necessary in the panel they were used in. I think the connected thought bubble is also very good here because it reminds us that they are get across a door that only needs to be opened for the so communicate their issues properly (in the literal and metaphorical sense).
This is a well done moment, showing both sides. I like how this is going so far, I just hope it doesn’t end up ripping the family apart. The parents really do care about their kids and are trying to protect them from a world of supering that can mess their lives up far worse than the kids, as teenagers, can imagine yet. Are they being secretive and overprotective? Yes, but it’s not for selfish reasons. I hope the kids can learn how much their parents care about them before anyone gets hurt too badly.