Trace the action
Identify the main direction of movement and the points where the eye pauses. Diagonals and overlapping figures can suggest urgency, but a readable scene also needs a clear spatial relationship.
Read the graphic shorthand
Look at captions, sound effects, uniforms, and symbols as narrative devices. Distinguish what the image explicitly shows from information that the reader supplies through familiarity with a genre.
Keep the context visible
Consider the publication's audience and tone when evaluating an image. Treat heroic or dramatic conventions as choices to analyse rather than neutral descriptions of real conflict.