What Makes Graphic Novels So Great?
July 13, 2020
Many think that graphic novels, otherwise known as comic books, are just for kids, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Graphic novels are a fantastic way to take fiction or nonfiction and combine prose and images to create something wholly new and unexpected.
You may remember reading comic strips in your daily newspaper as a child, eagerly awaiting the full-color Sunday edition. You may have even been a die-hard DC or Marvel comic book collector and read them all as part of a series.
Whatever experience you've had with graphic novels, here are a few more reasons to check them out next time you're at the library or bookstore.
Fast-paced Read
One of the greatest assets of graphic novels is how easily and quickly you can read them. With short, snappy dialogue interspersed with longer text and beautiful images, you absorb a story much faster when you read it in graphic novel form.
Graphic novels are a perfect remedy to our increasingly hurried lives that disallow much time for pleasure reading. Engaging stories packaged in digestible booklets allow readers to enjoy a full narrative arc and still be able to get to work on time.
Images Don't Replace Words
Some consider graphic novels to be glorified picture books, with images included in place of words, but this is patently untrue.
Authors and artists collaborate to create these novels, recognizing that the words and images act in concert to tell a compelling story. The complementary use of written and illustrated storytelling creates an impact on the readers that pictures or words alone could not.
Reluctant Readers Enjoy Graphic Novels
Graphic novels have grown astronomically in popularity, which some critics attribute to youth fascination with Japanese anime. Others point to awards created for graphic novelists and educators who use graphic novels as teaching tools to explain the graphic novel renaissance.
Readers intimidated by the word-filled pages of traditional books often prefer to read graphic novels. Graphic novels can introduce young readers to the pleasures of reading by providing a new way to comprehend stories through words and images.
A New Look for Old Classics
Many young people and students have trouble sitting down with Moby Dick or War and Peace. Now, however, they can have access to these weighty tomes through graphic novels.
An excellent way to reinvent some old classics is to put these stories into the graphic novel form, thereby opening them up to new audiences. Layering compelling pictures with quick dialogue and vibrant colors gives tired plots new life.
These classics look new, and different meanings surface through the combination of visual images and words.
The Last Word
Graphic novels are a fantastic way to engage with stories and plot lines. If reading isn’t your strong suit, graphic novels may assuage some of your trepidation. The artistry characteristic of graphic novels can invigorate classics and relate compelling, modern stories.
If you would like to develop your own inspired ideas into a graphic novel, Comix Well Spring is here to guide you. We can help you coax your concept into a fully realized graphic novel, step by step.