Waid's JLA: Tower of Babel by Holly Hatton

1. How is the work illustrated?
Tower of Babel has a realistic and artistic illustration type. The colors are varied and work well with the actual drawings. At times it can be cartoony, but it allows the reader to see when the concepts are intended to be less serious and more comical. This graphic novel in no way is meant to be funny, so the realistic artwork captures the tone of the grave situation presented within the text.
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  2. Why was this story written as a graphic novel?
This novel was meant to be written as it was. In a so called typical novel, the beautiful artwork would be translated into words that couldnt possibly hold as much weight with the reader. How could words say how J'onn's face looked as he was covered in fire? Details that would be crucial to the overall feel of the story would be lost in the words. A movie would be more a forgiving method next. But once again, things would be lost. How the words and images act together allow the story to capture the intrigue of the reader. A graphic novel is the only true option for this Justice League of America story.

3. Who narrates the story?
The story actually does not have a continuing narrator. Each character says what it needs to without one overlapping the others. Excluding the few pages when Talia recounts past events that she did to secure the information she needed. Besides that, the story has no narrator, but the people within the frame talking for themselves.

4. Describe one scene in the novel, either a single frame or a series of frames, that you feel is particularly significant.
Tower  of Babel was split into four parts. The frames I thought were significant were in Part 2: Seven Little Indians. We find a scene that shows Batman being confronted with a peice of Kryptonite, that he created. Finally at this point, Batman realizes the his friends were in grave danger because of the precations he found against each of the members of his Justice League. This scene is when the reader finds out how the assassins know exactly how to destroy the heros. The Detective, a.k.a. Batman, is ultimatly responsible for providing the information for our villian (even if he did not realize it) to immobilize the League.