▁used ▁as ▁an ▁un count able ▁n oun ▁and ▁thus ▁takes ▁the ▁singular : ▁" com ics ▁is ▁a ▁medium " ▁rather ▁than ▁" com ics ▁are ▁a ▁medium ". ▁ ▁When ▁com ic ▁appears ▁as ▁a ▁count able ▁n oun ▁it ▁refers ▁to ▁instances ▁of ▁the ▁medium , ▁such ▁as ▁individual ▁com ic ▁stri ps ▁or ▁com ic ▁books : ▁" Tom ' s ▁com ics ▁are ▁in ▁the ▁bas ement ." ▁ ▁Pan els ▁are ▁individual ▁images ▁containing ▁a ▁segment ▁of ▁action , ▁often ▁surrounded ▁by ▁a ▁border . ▁ ▁Prime ▁moments ▁in ▁a ▁narr ative ▁are ▁broken ▁down ▁into ▁pan els ▁via ▁a ▁process ▁called ▁enc aps ulation . ▁ ▁The ▁reader ▁puts ▁the ▁pieces ▁together ▁via ▁the ▁process ▁of ▁closure ▁by ▁using ▁background ▁knowledge ▁and ▁an ▁understanding ▁of ▁panel ▁relations ▁to ▁combine ▁pan els ▁ment ally ▁into ▁events . ▁ ▁The ▁size , ▁shape , ▁and ▁arrangement ▁of ▁pan els ▁each ▁affect ▁the ▁timing ▁and ▁p acing ▁of ▁the ▁narr ative . ▁ ▁The ▁contents ▁of ▁a ▁panel ▁may ▁be ▁asynchronous , ▁with ▁events ▁dep icted ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁image ▁not ▁necessarily ▁occurr ing ▁at ▁the ▁same ▁time . ▁ ▁Text ▁is ▁frequently ▁incorpor ated ▁into ▁com ics ▁via ▁speech ▁bal lo ons , ▁ca ptions , ▁and ▁sound ▁effects . ▁ ▁Spe ech ▁bal lo ons ▁indicate ▁dialog ue ▁( or ▁thought , ▁in ▁the ▁case ▁of ▁thought ▁bal lo ons ), ▁with ▁t ails ▁pointing ▁at ▁their ▁respective ▁speak ers . ▁ ▁Ca ptions ▁can ▁give ▁voice