Word Balloon Tail Help

[burvantill]

Hey there! I am on the SECOND TO LAST PAGE of my comic and I have run in to a tangle of word balloon tails. Could I, please, get your opinions on the versions I have scumbled together or if you have any advice on how to handle this particular speaking arrangement, I am all ears.

I have two characters speaking. One speaks then the other, then the first speaks again. They are in a tight spot in the dark so you can only see their eyes.

I do NOT like the tail pointing at the top of the first speakers head, but the other solutions (pointing at the mouth area) make the tails look awkward as well. I'm trying to find the least annoying solution. LOL
Thank you in advance for any help. =)x

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[Asyas_illos]

@burvantill personally I like the second one but I think you can adjust it a little I did a draw over that’ll help you visualize I shortened the tail of the first and last bubble a thinned the the connection ever so slightly

[Chantal Goetheer]

@burvantill I agree with @Asyas_illos. It's still clear at first glance what is the reading order to me like this.

[demotlj]

I agree with the others on the second.

[burvantill]

@Asyas_illos @Chantal-Goetheer @demotlj
Thank you! And thank you Asyas for the redraw!
Do you guys not think that it's wrong to have the tail pointing at where the top of the head should be? I've tried to always have the point near the speakers mouth so this is rubbing on my compulsion nerve a little. That being said it seems to be the less cluttered and easier to read, and because they are in the dark, maybe it's okay to have the point near the forehead. Thank you my bunny friends! You are loved. =)x

[Asyas_illos]

@burvantill you’re probably right generally speaking, I don’t read much graphic novels, but I think because it’s dark you can probably get away with it.

[Chantal Goetheer]

@burvantill When the mouth is not visible it's fine I think. Plus I just looked at some Donald Duck magazines my kids like to look at and they have it often that way.

[burvantill]

Hey there! I took a tip from @Chantal-Goetheer and looked into my comic books. [head slap for not doing that beforehand LOL] and I found this page.

The middle panel is almost my scenario, granted with a LOT more space, lol.
I adjusted and came up with this.

I think that this works. I thank you all again for your input. I would not have landed on a comfortable solution without you!

[randarrington]

@burvantill HI Lisa. I really like your last solution but I would caution you on breaking the panels plane. General consensus is that this will pull the reader out of the story and the is usually used with caution and only for a dynamic affect. Just a thought

[burvantill]

@randarrington Thank you. Just for clarification, do you mean the balloon or the pie, or both?

[randarrington]

@burvantill both actually. It's just something to be careful with. It can be used with great affect (Adams was a master at doing it but he was certainly pushing the boundaries of comics).