Help With Value Assignment in Inks (Comics)

[Knight Owl]

I'm working on the fundamentals of lighting, currently working through How to Render where Robertson emphasizes the importance of a 1-2-3 read in all renders. I understand a comic is far from a singular render, but I'm confused by some of the value decisions made in otherwise god-tier artwork.

Here are three examples of what's confusing me in Buscema/Alcada's Sword of Conan:







If anyone could provide me technical insight in how these decisions are made. I am trying to apply what I'm learning about value and lighting to inking comics but can't understand the logic of light here.
Is it masterful rule bending for visual communication? If so, what axioms and principles could I identify at work there to replicate and apply? I really would like to add more values via the brush and economical hatching but don't understand many value decisions like those above.

Thanks everybody.