Comic Splash + 5

Splash panel above a 5-panel grid Splash panel above a 5-panel grid

A hybrid comic layout. One full-width splash panel on top followed by a 2 by 2 grid of supporting panels below. Common when one moment carries the page.

About this size

The splash-plus-grid layout is the workhorse for hero moments. The top splash panel does the heavy emotional or visual lifting; the smaller panels below carry the surrounding narrative beats. Used heavily in superhero comics for action openings and reveal moments.

The ratio matters: a splash that takes one-third to one-half the page works; a splash that takes more than half the page leaves the smaller panels feeling cramped and afterthought-y.

Comic art
Hybrid layouts
Hero panel pages

Pro tips

1 The splash carries the moment. Make it count: composition, lighting, and pose all have to land.
2 The smaller panels are not afterthoughts. They carry the surrounding story, and weak panels here drag the whole page.
3 A splash takes about one-third of the page in this layout. Larger splashes need fewer or differently-shaped supporting panels.