Artist Research - Frank Miller

 Frank Miller and Onomatopoeia

In comic books, artists use not only drawings and speech but also sound words called onomatopoeia. These are words like BAM!, CRASH!, or BOOM! that show sounds in a visual way. One artist who used this and todays research is Frank Miller in his Daredevil comics. 

Frank Miller worked on Daredevil in the 1980s. He makes comic like in a dark style

daredevil

and black, white background. His pages tells story like you see in a action and so dramatic.

Frank Miller used big, bold sound words in his panels. For example, a large BLAM! was written to make the reader understand how hard is the punch or an explosion. These words are making the picture and helps the story.

Sometimes, small sound words like tap... tap... show something quiet but scary, like someone walking in the dark. Onomatopoeia adds feeling and rhythm to the comic.

Onomatopoeia Example in Batman Comic

This image is one of my favorites in comic books of Batman, even in the tv series this part is so cool, even they use for memes, but in comics the effect is still same you can feel the feelings 

The writer of Batman: The Killing Joke comic is Alan Moore. The graphic novel, which was first published in 1988.

Batman: The Killing Joke

This is the link of the comic scene in cartoon Joker cracks the joke at "3:11" I love this part because you never seen Batman laugh in any time and now I learned that they made this seen in comic by using onomatopoeia style.

Sound words in comics are not just for fun. They help readers feel what’s happening. Miller used them to show action and emotion. His use of onomatopoeia made his comics more powerful.

marveldaredevil

This panel from Daredevil by Frank Miller shows a fight scene. You can see big sound words like BAM! and CRASH! in the panels. They make the punches and explosions feel strong. The words are part of the art and follow the movement of the characters. You can use this idea for your water character by adding sound words like SPLASH! or WHOOSH!

soundofcomics

In this example you see comic panels with sound words like SPLASH! or WHOOSH! that follow the movement of water or motion. These words help you feel the flow and speed of what’s happening. For water‑character design I might add a big SPLASH! when she strikes water or a soft glide.

* Use sound words to show emotion, not just noise

* Try bold, fun fonts for the words

* Make the words part of the art, not just next to it

References:

Guy, T.C. (2006-2007). Daredevil – The Devil Inside and Out Vol. 1-2. GetComics. [online] Available at: https://getcomics.org/marvel/daredevil-the-devil-inside-and-out-vol-1-2-tpb-2006-2007/ [Accessed 13 May 2025].

https://www.facebook.com/ChristopherKokoskiWriter (2025). 400+ Onomatopoeia Examples (Bang, Crack, Pow) - Writing Beginner. [online] Writing Beginner. Available at: https://www.writingbeginner.com/onomatopoeia-examples/.

DC Comics. (1988). Batman: The Killing Joke. [online] Available at: https://www.dccomics.com/graphic-novels/batman-the-killing-joke [Accessed 13 Nov 2025].

Lambiek Comiclopedia. (n.d.). Frank Miller. [online] Available at: https://www.lambiek.net/artists/m/miller_frank.htm [Accessed 13 May 2025].

Blue Kryptonite. (2021). Batman and The Joker laugh together | Batman: The Killing Joke. YouTube. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-DWTA7ylBk [Accessed 6 Jan 2025].

to, C. (2024). Onomatopoeia (New Earth)/Gallery. [online] DC Database. Available at: https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Onomatopoeia_(New_Earth)/Gallery?file=Onomatopoeia_002.jpg [Accessed 13 May 2025].

Miller, F. (1980s). Daredevil Comics. [online] Available at: https://www.marvel.com/characters/daredevil/on-screen [Accessed 13 Nov 2025].

“Sound Effects | Sound of Comics”. (n.d.). [online] Available at: https://soundofcomics.sdsu.edu/sound-effects/ [Accessed 13 Nov 2025].