Why You Should Read Graphic Novels

Posted by neilramsden from Cardiff - Published on 24/08/2010 at 21:06
9 comments » - Tagged as Art, Creative Writing, Culture, History, Movies

A friend of mine recently griped to me: why is that if you’re into wine you’re a ‘connoisseur’, if you like your films you are a ‘buff’, but if your field of expertise is graphic novels or videogames you are a ‘nerd’?

This prompted me to wonder why these two forms of entertainment are looked down upon. Personally I do not consider ‘nerd’ a derogatory term, but clearly it doesn’t sound as prestigious as the other two mentioned. If you were recruiting a quiz team and someone introduced themselves as a food / drink connoisseur, or a film buff, they would be snapped up. But who has ever said “we need him, he’s a massive nerd”?

I’m going to try and put forward an argument for graphic novels being not just a valid art form, but one of the best. I might address videogames sometime soon…

I have been getting into graphic novels for four years, ever since I started university and had money to fritter away in the form of a loan. I am heavily into all things Batman, though I appreciate that costumed heroes are not for everyone, so I will try and stick to those graphic novels which I think are important, and leave the wittering about Batman to bore my friends with. I have also tried to read some of these ‘important’ works, and they have largely been stunning.

While not everyone will be interested in the superhero group of books, they inevitably form a massive chunk of the material. One of them, Alan Moore’s Watchmen, changed the entire superhero concept permanently, with its incredibly ambitious alternate history, Cold War satire, and psychological profiling of how ‘real’ people could become costumed vigilantes. Watchmen is a real landmark, featuring in Time Magazine’s top 100 novels of all time (that’s novels, not just graphic novels) and deserves to be tried by anybody who enjoys an uncompromising and intelligent story. Incidentally, the 2009 film does the book no favours so do not be put off if you have seen it.

Moore himself has been described as the most important comic book writer ever, and even one of Britain’s most important writers of the last fifty years. He also wrote V for Vendetta, which again people may know from the 2006 film. Written in the 80s about the 90s, like 1984, it made some very savvy predictions about how government would evolve in Britain (especially regarding surveillance). Frightening due to the ease with which you can see these events unfolding, Moore seemed to predict the age of fear of terrorism in which we now live.

These two are fantastic stories, but it would be difficult to argue that they could not have been written as regular novels, at least for me, as I am not an expert in the production of such things. Obviously I do not feel that you have to justify why a story should be a graphic novel as opposed to a regular one, but if you were to talk about justification, artwork is a huge factor.

I have recently visited the Tate Modern in London, as I have an interest in art, especially the sort of work that divides people. I know that my parents feel that “if you could do it yourself, then it’s not art.” Judged on this (harsh!) line, most graphic novels are works of art. But some stand above simply being illustrated. Some, like the Batman story Hush by Jeph Loeb (sorry, I had to go there) are so detailed as to be like watching a movie rather than reading illustrations.

And some are truly artistic. My favourite for artistry is 300 by Frank Miller, and illustrated stunningly by Lynn Varley, whose use of oversized panels mean that some fill an entire page with one gorgeous painted work, and would not look out of place hung on a wall. Another Miller work, Elektra: Assassin, is unique in its style thanks to being done in watercolours, giving an odd, dream-like quality.

Lastly, I want to encourage everybody to read the book which has made me write this article: Maus by Art Spiegelman. It is the heartbreakingly personal account of the writer’s father, who survived being interned in Auschwitz during World War Two. It is one of the most praised graphic novels I have read, with quotes such as “an epic story told in tiny pictures” (New York Times) and “The most affecting and successful narrative ever done about the Holocaust” (Wall Street Journal). It is also testament to the ability of graphic novels, as it would not have worked in another medium.

The best example of this is one tiny panel. Spiegelman draws himself struggling with how, and even if, he should write his father’s story, dealing with terrible inner turmoil (he is visiting a psychiatrist and fighting depression whilst writing). He has represented the Jewish people as mice, and the Nazis as cats, and in this section he shows himself wearing a mouse mask. You could write a whole article on how this portrays his feelings of identity: does he feel less Jewish when compared to his father, that he can only wear a mask of being Jewish? To communicate such a talking point in one drawing shows the power of graphic novels.

Maus also utilises its medium by including diagrams, photographs (real and illustrated) and maps, and the artwork, like the story, is utterly candid and brutal. It does not seek to dramatise events, it simply lays them out as Spiegelman’s father does, completely matter-of-fact, and is all the more moving for this.

I encourage everybody to give graphic novels a try, and if you are unconvinced, try Maus if nothing else because it deserves to be read. It and most of the others I have mentioned should be in libraries.

Please comment below if you have an opinion!

Image: John Kannenberg

9 Comments – Post a comment

Sambow

Commented 21 months ago - 24th August 2010 - 21:32pm

I agree with you completely!
I haven't read many graphic novels but my favorite would have to be the X-men series. The principals involving graphic novels and paper-back novels are basically the same. I mean you can have a talent for writing but is a talent for drawing and use of dialouge any less different?
Me and my sister are also big fans of manga, which is very similar, and reading the likes of InuYasha and Naruto is just about as gripping as a full-fledged peice fiction.
Great Article! :D

CLICdan

Commented 21 months ago - 24th August 2010 - 21:40pm

I was at a party recently where a guy was explaining to everyone why the graphic novel of Watchmen is a million times darker and more brilliant than the film. He then told us all about Maus and terrified us. I've been itching to read both books ever since!

neilramsden

Commented 21 months ago - 24th August 2010 - 22:26pm

Thanks for the comments! I'm just about to start on Mark Millar's Utimate X-men. Looking forward to it as I loved the cartoon as a kid, and love Mark Millar's work!

neilramsden

Commented 21 months ago - 25th August 2010 - 11:58am

www.totalfilm.com/features/7-movie-stars-favourite-comic-books

(I think I love Kristen Bell) (more than before)

untamedclare

Commented 21 months ago - 25th August 2010 - 13:11pm

I agree, Graphic Novels are not getting their due. Whilst people swan on about having read War & Peace or anything deemed as classic by the literati, not many people admit to reading graphic novels or comics in fear of being branded as a geek, nerd or some other blanket term for someone who knows about the stuff other people know nothing about or fail to understand.
I think a lot of the misunderstanding lies in having pictures with words, we tend to associate this with children's books and so people assume that reading graphic novels must also be a juvenile thing too. On the contrary, some of the darkest things I have ever read have been comics or graphic novels. An author can bring you further into his world with a graphic novel, there is less misunderstanding as to what world the characters live in, maybe you could never imagine a world so bleak if described only with words, with graphics you are there.
For me a graphic novel is about art and literature, its about enhancing one thing with another to make it better. It's also a great way to get people interested in books if all they've done for most of their lives is watch telly.
The good thing now though is that libraries are starting to stock graphic novels. The Central Library in Cardiff does have a growing selection and they're pretty happy for suggestions on what they should stock so if you can't see something there, just let them know.

neilramsden

Commented 21 months ago - 25th August 2010 - 15:55pm

Yep, agree entirely. Cardiff's range has really impressed me actually, I've been searching through trying to read all of the graphic novels which are popular/ seen as important/ generally well regarded, and the libraries have had most of them. Interesting that they'll take suggestions as well...?
As for the art describing the dark setting more than a book ever could, The Sandman books do this better than most. They really are stunning.

Biscuits

Commented 21 months ago - 25th August 2010 - 16:29pm

I recently read my first graphic novel, which is called Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. It is about the Islamic revolution in Iran and it completely blew me away. I found it much easier to read than a 'proper' novel and the pictures conveyed so much emotion; you would need lines of writing to equal the feelings that one little picture can summon in the reader.