Holding the book, you feel the grit. The tactile experience—running your finger over a jet-black panel where the protagonist’s face is lost in shadow—is essential to the narrative. If you read a digital scan, you are missing half the point. The "better" is visceral.
For collectors, the phrase also applies to the physical production. Standard comics use glossy paper to make colors pop. Glossy paper ruins noir art because it creates glare. Volume 5 is printed on a matte, heavy-weight uncoated stock reminiscent of 1940s pulp magazines. The ink sits on the surface rather than reflecting light. comic loe vol5 noir better