The complexities of ‘Closure’

ABSTRACT In both content and form, the comic ‘Closure’, written by Laura Findlay and illustrated by Zuzanna Dominiak, advances a notably complex view of the subject of trauma, and of the way comics can best portray this subject. Far from offering straightforward, easily summarized data on trauma, the creators enact a conflict between word and image, and between writer and illustrator, to explain how and why the topic of trauma resists easy summary, and to present comics as a powerful medium for expressing this complexity. Referencing the work of Art Spiegelman, especially his use of gag humour and satire, ‘Closure’ claims a place for comics, not as an easy way to absorb difficult information, but precisely as a way to capture and amplify its difficulty.