Graphic Novels: What are graphic novels?

Graphic novels are like comics, but usually bound in a thicker format, and telling a complete story - rather than an issue at a time.  Graphic novels can be about superheroes, yes, but they can also tell the story of the Civil Rights movement, the Holocaust, be a cookbook, or even talk about and show average people with normal lives.

Graphic novels usually break down into 5 categories:

• Superhero (Superman, Spider-man, Batman, Wonder Woman, etc.)
• Non-superhero (a catch-all covering everything from horror to sci-fi, but still fiction)
• Manga (Japanese, or told in a manga/Japanese style. Usually reads back-to-front)
• Non-fiction (like Maus, a Holocaust memoir told with mice standing in for people)
• Personal Narratives (this crosses over with non-fiction, like George Takei's They Called Us Enemy

The Saint Paul College Library has a dedicated Graphic Novel Collection.