A 22-page comic gives you about 110–140 panels if you average 5–6 per page; a double-page spread halves that instantly. Every decision panel count, page turns, where the splash lands changes how readers feel the story beat by beat.
If you’re searching for how to write a comic book script, here’s the short version: plan your page economy, map beats to panels, communicate clearly for the artist and letterer, and respect the physical constraints of the page. The rest is discipline and iteration.
Pick A Script Format And Control Page Economy
Most writers use one of two formats. Full Script describes page-by-page, panel-by-panel action with dialogue, giving precise control and easier editorial review. The “Marvel Method” (plot first, art second, dialogue last) grants the artist more freedom and can produce dynamic pages, but it risks story drift and requires tight collaboration and time for an extra pass. For a first project or a remote team, Full Script is usually safer because it reduces ambiguity and helps you estimate scope.
Scott McCloud: “Comics” are juxtaposed images in deliberate sequence, used to convey information and produce an aesthetic response.
Single issues commonly run 20–22 story pages; anthologies vary; original graphic novels span 60–200+ pages. A practical panel density is 4–6 panels per page. Fewer panels (1–3) feel “decompressed” and cinematic but consume your page budget quickly; denser pages (7–9) accelerate information delivery but can overwhelm art and lettering. Use density as a dial: slow moments in fewer, larger panels; detective work, montage, or banter in tighter grids.
Plan for page turns. Surprises work best on the first panel of an odd-numbered page (right-hand page), because the reader can’t see it until they turn. If you script a double-page spread, it must start on an even-numbered page so the spread lands across facing pages. Print specs vary, but many US comics trim around 6.625 × 10.25 inches with 0.125-inch bleed; letterers keep balloons inside a safe area. Confirm with your printer early, because wide caption blocks near edges risk being cut.
Map Story Beats To Pages And Panels
Outline first, then convert beats into a page map. As a rough budget for a 22-page issue: 4–5 pages to hook and introduce the problem, 10–12 for escalation and complications, 4–5 for climax, 1–2 for denouement or cliffhanger. There’s no law that enforces this, but constraining your beats guards against a saggy middle. If a scene runs beyond 6–8 pages, check whether the setting or goal has changed; long static scenes usually read slow in comics.
Translate the page map into a panel map. Assign each page a micro-goal: a clue discovered, a relationship turn, a physical breakthrough. Reserve one “anchor” panel for emphasis on each page often the largest panel. Rule of thumb: one discrete action per panel. You can show “John kicks the door,” then “John enters, gun raised,” as two panels; combining them into one sacrifices clarity. Time perception in comics is proportional to panel size, detail, and balloon count: bigger, quieter panels slow time; small, successive panels speed it up.
Use silent panels deliberately. A silent reaction after a twist can land harder than another balloon, and one silent exterior after a noisy fight resets pace. For chases and fights, think geography: if the hero starts on the roof and ends in an alley in five panels, show at least one panel that orients the reader. Thumbnailing tiny stick-figure layouts (even rough ones) quickly reveals whether your beat flow and eye-trace work before anyone draws finished art.
Write Visual-First Panel Descriptions
Each panel description should specify who is present, what they’re doing now, and how we see it. Useful fields are: subject and action; camera angle and distance (wide, medium, close); mood or lighting; crucial props; and any text present (balloons, captions, SFX). Two to four sentences per panel usually suffices. Avoid describing invisible facts (“she feels guilty”) unless you show them via acting, body language, or visual metaphor. If a detail must be accurate (a service pistol model, a 1998 sedan), provide reference images to the artist separately.
Concrete example: “Panel 3 Medium shot. MIA, soaked, braces her shoulder against a warped apartment door in a rain-lashed hallway. She shoves; the chain strains. A dim EXIT sign glows behind her. Caption: ‘Third floor.’ SFX: CHNK.” Contrast with an impossible panel: “Mia runs down the hallway, forces the door, and sees the thief flee.” That’s three actions across time; split it into at least two panels so the artist can stage cause and effect clearly.
Direct without strangling. If a precise angle is story-critical (a hidden gun visible only from below), say so. Otherwise, suggest intent and let the artist solve staging. Establishing shots one or two per new location save confusion later and reduce the need for expository captions. Track continuity with care: if a mug breaks in Panel 2, don’t have it intact in Panel 7 unless you note a reset. Flag visual payoffs early: “Introduce the red scarf here; it becomes a tourniquet on page 18.” Those notes prevent costly redraws.
Craft Readable Dialogue, Captions, And Sound Effects
Lettering space is finite. A reliable ceiling is about 20–25 words per balloon and 120–150 words total per page, including captions and SFX; beyond that, balloons crowd art and slow reading. Three balloons per panel is a practical maximum before the panel becomes talk-heavy. Break long sentences across multiple balloons to create beats and eye movement. Captions handle narration, time jumps, and internal monologue; balloons are for live speech. If every page has heavy captions and dialogue, consider whether the scene should be prose or whether you can convert statements into visuals.
Comics reading order is left-to-right, top-to-bottom in Western layouts. Help the letterer by numbering balloons in your script per panel (A, B, C) and keeping speakers positioned consistently within the panel description. Avoid scripting crisscrossing conversations unless the art clearly stacks speakers in reading order. Most mainstream lettering uses all caps and limited punctuation; shouting can be bolded or oversized by the letterer, but don’t over-prescribe fonts. For SFX, provide content and intent (“BOOM,” low rumble vs sharp crack) and placement if vital (“behind the door”), then let the artist and letterer integrate it into the composition.
Conclusion
To master how to write a comic book script, impose constraints early, test them visually, and communicate for collaboration. Before drafting, allocate pages; before finalizing, thumbnail; before sending, count words and track reveals. If a beat doesn’t fit within the page turn math, adjust the script not the reader’s patience.
