Graphic Novels vs. Comic Books

Even though they have many similarities, Comic Books and Graphic Novels are two different book genres. Since many people have difficulty differentiating the two book styles, here are some definitions and examples.

What is a Comic Book?

A comic book is a group of illustrations formed on a comic strip. These strips can come in different shapes and sizes, depending on the plot and art style. These illustrations use speech balloons to signify speech and action cues within the story. 

Most comic books include advertisements within them. These ads are mostly targeted towards children, as they are the ones mainly purchasing comic books. However, there are ads targeted toward an older audience. 

The standard comic book can be very short, page-wise, with the average being 32 pages. Due to this short length, many comic books are straight to the point and can sometimes leave questions unanswered. Comic books get away with this by creating a lot of issues, or sequels, within a volume, or series. There can be many renditions of a comic book due to many artists picking up a series and creating their own stories from them.

The most popular comic books consist of superhero comics, with publishers like Marvel and Detective Comics producing some of the most popular comic books. 

Popular Comic Books:

Amazing Spider-Man  

Justice League

The Mask

What is a Graphic Novel?

A graphic novel can be defined as a combination of a comic book and a novel. It has an illustration similar to one of a comic book and a story that is similar to a novel. Unlike comic books, graphic novels typically do not contain advertisements within them.

The stories in graphic novels tend to have a heavier or darker theme than those of a comic book. This is because they are often aimed at an older audience and are longer page-wise, with some graphic novels being in the hundreds. Graphic novels tend to give readers more background about the story that comic books sometimes do not offer. And many graphic novels tend to be more concise, meaning they usually stick to one plot per volume. Comic books can have multiple plots within a series and can sometimes contradict themselves. 

Popular Graphic Novels:

Amulet: The Stonekeeper

Maus 

Arkham Asylum

Many readers tend to gravitate towards graphic novels if they are looking for a longer story to engage in. While many readers turn to comic books for quick entertainment. It is entirely up to a person's preference. It is good to know the difference between the two to help choose which book is best for your reading style.