Comic Books and Graphic Novels

Comic books and graphic novels today represent a significant shift in how society is feeling. Society as a whole portends what direction we are headed. Comic book companies recognize that. The graphic novel is an extension of a comic book in that it conveys content as a whole verses segmenting it. Graphic novels are typically longer in length and cater to a more adult audience since it deals with more mature content. If there is a mini series, in either Marvel or DC comic books, or it is well liked, they are more apt to put all the parts into one main book. That book is called the graphic novel.

Adding graphic novels to the comic book forum helps boost sales and augments customer loyalty. The customer loyalty in comic books and graphic novels are paramount for the small and big comic book publishers. It is an effective means to bring in more advertising income, boost readership and maintain the level of professionalism that is required. Within the framework of comic books and graphic novels, the genre is important. You have the fictionalized version, the science fiction, science fantasy, and real life stories. If you add all those components, you get a vast network of titles to read and or collect.

The fictionalized comic book and graphic novel encompasses a great deal of books. There are literally thousands of both types out there. The independent publishers are just as good as the mainstream ones. Graphic novels and comic books offer a slew of topics to choose. You can read about real life people like Malcolm X or made up characters similar to people you meet in the street. Some people who read graphic novels and comic books read all but the super heroes. They consider it a waste of time because of the unrealistic aspect to it.

In graphic novels that are not germane to super heroes, the reader gets the sense that they could relate better to them, if portrayed with a sense of realism. The younger readers are interested in stories and artwork that are totally outside the realm of what older people are in to. That fact produces some diverse comic books and graphic novels. A great many graphic novels foretell of an impending disaster and the main figure in the story (usually a young person) is the only one to avert the destruction. There is a plethora of graphic novels with this subject matter. For the same reason, comic books for the younger crowd do an excellent service providing content that are easily assimilated into their culture.

Comic books and graphic novels are dissimilar from each other. However, the dissimilarities are not necessarily that extensive. Both are creating what the discerning reader conveys, but in a different format. The graphic novel’s name implies the content is more mature in nature. However, the differences inherent in both products produce the same result. They attract an audience. The graphic novel may be longer and have variant content than the comic book, but both grant the audience entertainment.

Works Cited

1. Gabilliet, J.-P. (2010). Of comics and men: A cultural history of American comic books. University Press of Mississippi.
2. Hatfield, C. (2005). Alternative comics: An emerging literature. University Press of Mississippi.
3. McCloud, S. (1993). Understanding comics: The invisible art. Harper Perennial.
4. Duncan, R. B., & Smith, M. J. (2010). The power of comics: History, form and culture. Continuum.
5. How to Read Superhero Comics and Why. (2019). By Geoff Klock. Routledge.
6. Williams, P. (2012). Comics, Manga, and Graphic Novels: A History of Graphic Narratives. Bloomsbury.
7. Jacobs, D. (2008). The essential guide to graphic novels. Harper Paperbacks.
8. Gravett, P. (2005). Graphic Novels: Stories to Change Your Life. Aurum Press.
9. Wolk, D. (2007). Reading Comics: How Graphic Novels Work and What They Mean. Da Capo Press.
10. Reynolds, R. (2015). Superheroes: An Analysis of Popular Culture's Modern Myths. Bloomsbury Academic.