A Case for Comic Books: Why They Should be Recognized as Literature

Comic books are all the rage these days. Superhero movies, video games, and even cartoons are more popular than ever, but are they really literature? Take a look at the graphic novel, Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, and you may be surprised to find yourself enjoying the story and fully understanding the plot (even if you’re not familiar with the characters). In fact, one of these comics was even ranked higher than Moby Dick on Amazon’s list of best novels! So why don’t we recognize comic books as literature? Is it just because of their unconventional format?

The Language of Comics

A panel of comic book writers and illustrators discuss why they think comics should be recognized as a serious art form. The following questions are addressed: What makes comics different from novels, film or any other form of literature? Are comics an art form? How are artists able to get such powerful emotions across in a comic? How is working with words different from working with pictures when creating a comic story? Are there differences between writing and illustrating a graphic novel, compared to writing and illustrating a prose novel?

How Emotions are Shown

Facial expressions, body language, and dialogue can help your characters convey emotions to readers. Dialogue is a great way to show how characters feel about each other and what’s going on in their lives. And an internal monologue—where a character thinks things aloud—is often effective in revealing a character’s thoughts and feelings. An internal monologue is kind of like a second voice; if you want to write one well, think carefully about your character and what they want to reveal or hide from others.

The Story Telling Method

The primary appeal of comic books, and what sets them apart from other forms of literature, is that they are a visual medium. That’s not to say comic books don’t contain story; in fact, it is precisely because they do that so many people gravitate towards them. A novel or short story may tell a tale better than its comic book counterpart, but an individual has to read all words on the page (or screen) in order to comprehend said plot.

The Formal Considerations

A comic book is a relatively new medium that, until now, has been ignored in mainstream literary circles. It consists of sequential pictures and text panels to tell a story, just like classic literature. In fact, many comics—especially graphic novels—are often longer than a novel (roughly 400 pages), more complex, and tend to focus on more serious themes than your average comic strip.