What makes a good graphic novel?
Just like there are novels more suited for study than others, so too with graphic novels. Before we explore what elements scholars have said make a graphic novel suited for the classroom, let's first discuss what makes a graphic novel a graphic novel.
The above black-and-white page is an excerpt from Craig Thompson's Blankets*. Like most graphic novels, it has a high readability, and its accompanying prose is often poetic. The novel follows the life journey of a young boy who falls in love and grows up, exploring his path away from religion and hypocrisy, as he seeks the comfort of his childhood once more. The themes in the graphic novel (isolation, love, hurt) make it suitable in its entirety for an English classroom, but the critiques of religion also make selections perfect for a social studies class or unit. Versatility, depth, and richness (both visually and textually) make Blankets a strong example of a 'good' graphic novel to use in the classroom, but like most graphic novels, its willingness to explore the darker edges of human life make it appropriate for grades 11-12, but not younger. Parents may object to its anti-religious overtones; in fact, because graphic novels tend to push the boundaries of the acceptable, scholar and teacher Paula E. Griffith (2010) encourages all teachers to be prepared to stand up for any graphic novel they intend to use, not only because of the content, but also just because of its form.
*In case you're still doubting whether or not graphic novels are literature, Blankets and Thompson were the 2004 winner for the Harvey Award for Best Artist, Best Graphic Album of Original Work, and Best Cartoonist. Additionally, the novel was the winner of the 2004 Eisner Awards for Best Graphic Album and Best Writer/Artist, and the winner of the 2004 Ignatz Awards for Outstanding Artist and Outstanding Graphic Novel or Collection.
- A graphic novel has a beginning, a middle, and an end. Experimental forms, like in novels, may yield non-linear narratives, but unlike a comic strip (which uses different panels, typically 3-5, to tell a short, episodic vignette), a graphic novel tells a complete story.
- Graphic novels tell their story through images augmented by text. The graphic novel may be in color (such as American comics) or may be in black-and-white (such as Japanese manga) or a mixture of the two.
- Color, negative space, font type/size, positive space, line art, foreground/background placing, borders, gutters - these are the sorts of elements that graphic novels employ to tell their stories.
- Unlike novels, but like film, a graphic novel can be written or scripted by an author and then drawn by an artist or group of artists. For instance, Neil Gainman's famous graphic series "Sandman" was illustrated by more than 15 different artists, in addition to having a separate colorist and letterer, all of whom played a key role in the final production.
- Graphic novels are often bound in single collections, or, if too large, in volumes, but chapters may be released individually as issues prior to collected publication. Teachers are encouraged to use collected, trade-paper back editions in their own classrooms.
The above black-and-white page is an excerpt from Craig Thompson's Blankets*. Like most graphic novels, it has a high readability, and its accompanying prose is often poetic. The novel follows the life journey of a young boy who falls in love and grows up, exploring his path away from religion and hypocrisy, as he seeks the comfort of his childhood once more. The themes in the graphic novel (isolation, love, hurt) make it suitable in its entirety for an English classroom, but the critiques of religion also make selections perfect for a social studies class or unit. Versatility, depth, and richness (both visually and textually) make Blankets a strong example of a 'good' graphic novel to use in the classroom, but like most graphic novels, its willingness to explore the darker edges of human life make it appropriate for grades 11-12, but not younger. Parents may object to its anti-religious overtones; in fact, because graphic novels tend to push the boundaries of the acceptable, scholar and teacher Paula E. Griffith (2010) encourages all teachers to be prepared to stand up for any graphic novel they intend to use, not only because of the content, but also just because of its form.
*In case you're still doubting whether or not graphic novels are literature, Blankets and Thompson were the 2004 winner for the Harvey Award for Best Artist, Best Graphic Album of Original Work, and Best Cartoonist. Additionally, the novel was the winner of the 2004 Eisner Awards for Best Graphic Album and Best Writer/Artist, and the winner of the 2004 Ignatz Awards for Outstanding Artist and Outstanding Graphic Novel or Collection.