[...]
Ang Lee's monster mess was an insult to the very language of comics. He made these vague pretensions towards incorporating what he saw as comic book grammar into the film by featuring split screen effects, but of course, this removed the basic language of film even further from the language of comicbook storytelling. Simply put: comic panels aren't simultaneous; the passage from one to the next is an indication of the passage of time. Just like the flow of normal, single-screened shots in a normal film. The split screen goofery smacked of intense arrogance and ignorance on Lee's part.

For a good taste of how the language of comics would appear on screen if filmed, the opening sequence of American Splendor offers up some clear possibilities. Of course, the languages are different enough that moving images can never truly match still ones.