Understanding Visual Literacy and Sequential Art
You have to start with the basics, and these three books are the be-all and end-all for understanding and analyzing graphic storytelling, style, and comic narratives
Called "the Strunk and White of visual literacy," this classic breaks down all of the things happening in a picture that our minds process as meaning. Even the abstract stuff gets read and plays a part in getting a message across.
Bang, M. (2016). Picture This: How Pictures Work (25th anniversary ed.). Chronicle Books.
Acting as a one-stop resource for breaking down how sequential art gets crafted, perceived, understood, and studied, Scott McCloud's work has proven invaluable since its publication almost thirty years ago.
McCloud, S. (1994). Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art. William Morrow.
Telling one basic moment in time in 99 different ways demonstrates how comics can tell, show, reveal, and contribute to meaning, just by choosing a particular style and narrative device. This text's demonstrative powers should not be underestimated.
Madden, M. (2005). 99 Ways To Tell A Story: Exercises in Style. Chamberlain Brothers.