A graphic novel is a novel that tells a complete story through illustrations. It contains a beginning, a middle and an end, and offers the kind of resolution you expect from a novel. It reads like a book, delving into the plot lines of the characters and the story, not just the action. Comics, on the other hand, are serialized stories that are usually relatively short and tell the story of the book's heroes and heroines over a long period of time.
The length of the graphic novel allows it to present stories of greater complexity and depth than a comic book. So what's the real difference between comics and graphic novels? Graphic novels are produced monthly and usually have a good amount of action that moves the story forward to the next issue. They are collected and reprinted from newspaper strips containing comics that date back to the 1920s. Comics are recognizable as regularly published periodicals that feature sequential works of art.
They don't focus entirely on action, and Japanese comics, especially, have very long exposure panels and moments by moments. Many enthusiasts use binding as a determining factor in determining if something is classified as a graphic novel or comic book. Some popular comics include Batman, The Incredible Hulk, Superman, The X-men, Wonder Woman and The Fantastic Four. The terms 'graphic story' and 'graphic novel' were first used in 1964 by Richard Kyle in an article about the future of the comic book medium for a self-published fanzine or fan magazine.
It's clear that comics and graphic novels have their own unique characteristics that set them apart from each other. Graphic novels are more revealing in writing, but with a lot of images to make everything more fun and accessible, while comics are more drawings that tell the story with added text. In conclusion, comics and graphic novels are two distinct forms of storytelling that have their own unique characteristics. While both forms can be enjoyed by readers of all ages, they each offer something different in terms of storytelling.
