Shadows exist everywhere in our daily lives, whether on a sunny day or sometime in the evening. However, that being said, people often don't notice these shadows they pass by. However, we see shadows integrated into movies, storybooks, or graphic novels as a way to heighten a certain scene or add a bit of suspense. In the graphic novel Red by Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner, shadows play an important role as evidenced by the significant amount of times they are present in the panels. The use of red shadows emphasizes the sensations that the panels try to convey. There are some frames in red which play the role of adding suspense to the story. Near the beginning, Paul Moses is seen having a flashback to the murder of a man and a woman (Appendix A). The transitions from the first frame to the second and from the third frame to the fourth create a feeling of suspense because of the way the images are produced: so direct and sudden. It demonstrates the concept of cause and effect where the action that is about to occur is shown first and then the consequences follow. In the first sequential frames, the man is seen begging for his life while Moses holds a gun to his head; the next frame shows blood gushing from the victim's head: the aftermath of the gunshot (Appendix A). Undoubtedly the suspense rises between the two frames as what is expected to happen happens, suddenly. The sudden shift in shadow that occurs in the second frame also helps to increase the suspense by hiding the victim's emotions through the use of shadows that only emphasize the action. Using black is more effective than using many colors because it makes a particular figure stand out. Scott McCloud points... to the center of the paper... it's important to analyze each frame specifically so that the small details help identify which parts of the shadow bring the effect. In short, without the use of shadows in graphic novels, the characters and setting would not be accentuated in their portrayal as dominant, mysterious, or suspenseful. Works Cited Ellis, Warren, and Cully Hamner. Red. La Jolia, CA: WildStorm Productions, 2003. Print.McCloud, Scott. Understanding comics: the invisible art. New York: HarperPerennial, 1993. Print.Mitchell, W.J.T. “Showing the Vision: A Critique of Visual Culture.” The reader of visual culture. Ed. Nicola Mirzoeff. London: Routledge, 2002. 95. Print.Victor Fuke, et al. “Teenagers and “Autographs”: Reading and Writing Coming-of-Age Graphic Novels.” Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy 54.8 (2011): 601-612. Premier of academic research. EBSCO. Network. 14 July 2011.