Is this a comic?

I have shown these images to my students before. Some believe it is, others no and they explain their reasons. Many expect an explicit narrative. Others might argue that a Peter Greenaway film is still a film even though the "story" is tenuous at best. Others dismiss it because it has no words. Others infer their own narrative by connecting the images.

For those of you that think it is a comic:
Would you feel the same if photographs were used instead of pen and ink drawings.
For those that think it is not
Would you think differently if the panels were in a more traditional 'comic' like grid (three even tiers, 1-3 panels a tie).