by Nathan Quinn Opinions Editor
Any library “teen section” comes filled with colorfully illustrated tales of heroes and villains. Are comic books—or, as those in the know deem them, “graphic novels”—real literature? Or are they simply frivolity: time wasters with no real value?
Many adults, those who are not themselves into the world of “graphic novels,” tend to ascribe to the latter view. In the seventies and eighties, when the parents of today were growing up, comics came in two flavors—superhero and Sunday morning; Batman and Calvin and Hobbes. While these two genres are entertaining (and often blatantly political) they are not the only things available to the modern reader.
The lesser known side of the graphic novel craze is composed of works like Neil Gaiman’s Sandman, a long, fantastic, genre-changing epic, or Mike Carey’s Lucifer series, a rather unique take on a certain fallen angel. Many graphic novel authors—such as Neil Gaiman—also have successful prose careers and treat graphic novels as merely another venue for their talents.
Much of the debate about graphic novels centers on their status as glorified picture books, complete with basic vocabulary and juvenile subjects (and blatant political indoctrination from many mainstream writers). The key, however, is not to look at graphic novels as replacing traditional books, but as a different art form entirely.
It is not a coincidence that the ranks of graphic novelists contain just as many screenwriters as they do prose authors. That is essentially what a graphic novel is: a prose-movie hybrid. It is like watching TV with captions and freeze frames.
Comics are changing and evolving, and like many relatively new art forms, are often mocked. They have not gone away. Instead, they have branched out. Movie adaptations? Check. Original fantasy plots? Check. Satire? Double check. Superheroes? …Check x 1024.
Don’t hate the pictures, just recognize the artistic talent that went into drawing each frame. Graphic novelists are people too.
