How do we define splash page - I always took it to mean the first or title page of a story, as long as it was a full-page panel. Or is it just any full or double-page spread, no matter where it appears in the story?

berkley


Splash Panel. A panel that takes up the space of several panels in the comic in order to introduce or highlight an action or character. Splash panels are similar to splash pages, which takes up the whole page of a comic to help introduce or give special attention to battles or particular events.


Splash page (comics), a comic book page that is mostly or entirely taken up by a single image or panel


Hope this helps.

As for the more traditional splash page, i.e. the first page of the comic when you open it up, some of my classic favorites...







ok so not page 1 but the credit page here...







this one is a personal favrotie form when I was a kid and trying to learn how to draw, I took tracing papaer to this page more times than I can remember trying to get how Perez drew...



I'll stop here as I could go on and on and on with this...

-M

I haven't been able to find the image; but, my favorite for emotional impact, is from Starman #19, "Talking with David, 96." There are two of them, near the end. This was the second Talking with David, as Jack fills David in on the events of the past year, his further evolution as a hero and family stuff. David arranges a pirate adventure (borrowing heavily from Howard Pyle's illustrations) and then gives Jack a present at the end. As they near the docks, Jack spots a figure on the pier. He can't quite make it out until they get closer. Jack asks who it is and David, smiling from ear to ear says "Look," Jack sees and his eyes grow wide and he stammers "Oh...oh...m....." Then, you turn the page and (on the splash page in question) see a woman, and the word balloon..."Mom!" The woman is beautiful and vibrant and is waving to the boys, just as Jack always remembered her. Jack vaults over the side and down a gangplank, calling back, "Oh, Davey, thank you man! Thank you!" We get a closeup of the joy on Jack's face and see David just behind his shoulder, smiling, saying "Anytime bro." We turn to the last page, another splash, with David standing there, grasping the ship's rigging, one foot resting higher, wearing his Starman costume, cape billowing in the wind, a grin from ear to ear, adding, "Any time." In that moment, David is more of a hero than he ever was in life. It took death to bring David and Jack back together to let go the petty squabbles of youth and find familial love again. Last time, they buried the hatchet. This time, David gave Jack a reward, to let him know how proud he was of his brother, as a hero and let him know how much he loved him. Tony Harris uses the splash pages perfectly, accentuating the monet. As the ship nears, the men talk of the fun they've had and Opal's past. David reminds Jack that it's his birthday and he has a present. Harris builds the joy visually, while Robinson does it in the dialogue, pulling closer and closer to the wharf until, in the last panel, we see the wide eyed Jack. Then, bam, you see his long departed mother. It's a perfect moment and it brings tears to my eyes every time I read it (which is often). It's much like the scene in Field of Dreams, where the catcher takes off his mask and Ray realizes it is his late father, and he has a chance to make up for lost time, introduce his family to his father, and just have a game of "catch." Jack gets that moment. We can all relate; who wouldn't love to be able to spend even just a few moments, with a departed love one, again?