Combined Spatial and Temporal Transitions in The Eighth Seal

In The Eighth Seal, published by Thrillbent and created by writer James Tynion IV and illustrator Jeremy Rock, the reader advances from one frame to the next by clicking or pressing the right arrow button. The transitions are simple cuts from one image to another. We still read time from left to right as in a traditional comic, but each new step can introduce visual changes across the entire field of view and all of its panels simultaneously, an effect that takes advantage of the temporal qualities of the screen. We see clever use of this approach here as a woman transforms into a hideous creature, and the subsequent reveal that the change is only occurring in her mind, even as the danger she poses to herself is all too real. This technique requires no animation or sophisticated interactivity, but still takes advantage of the potential of comics on screens.