Graphic novels are in the schools, public libraries, and colleges. The New York Times includes graphic novels as a category on its booklists. Struggling students and erudite academicians laud the benefits of the new genre. The Scholastic magazine, a chief proponent and distributor of graphic novels, defines the literary form as “any book in a comic book format that resembles a novel in length and narrative development.” Graphic novels incorporate benefits and shortcomings of both novels and comic books.

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HISTORY
Graphic novels are akin to or the next iteration of the children’s comic book. The comic book, at its conception and infancy, had a wide variety of themes including superheroes. Yet, some people were concerned that comic books potentially would corrupt the young readers and retard their reading progress. These concerns led to the Comic Code Authority (CCA) tasked with ensuring the proper values were depicted in the comic books (Lloyd Sealy Library). The themes of the comic books and their values were strongly compatible with the superhero theme and, thereby, undergirded the success of the superhero morality plays of the good hero overcoming and conquering the evil villain. Comic books soon became a lucrative literary venture.

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In 1986, Will Eisner introduced a new genre -- birthed from the comic book --the graphic novel. The expanded “comic book” was a collection of stories about a neighborhood in the Bronx. The format appealed to a new expanded reading audience. However, it was Art Spiegelman who brought the new literary format into popularity (Lloyd Sealy Library). It resembled a novel in length and story line; however, the graphic novel’s story was driven by pictures and supplemented with only sparse text. Graphic novels not only differed from traditional comic books in their length but also subject matter. The topics ranged from classical literature to backstreet pulp fiction. Often, a graphic novel, then and now, departed from the innocence of the superhero’s overcoming the menacing, evil villain to more edgy subjects.

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RESEARCH
Current research of graphic novels overwhelmingly touts the benefits. Educators report that graphic novels promote reading for the reluctant and poor readers, for the non-native English speakers, the unmotivated readers, and the beginning readers (Reader’Advisory Guide to Graphic Novels). They claim pictures help reading comprehension, and therefore, are valuable tool for developing cognition. Graphic novels are not just for the reluctant or poor reader but are also popular with older fluent readers. Graphic novels make complex literary classics comprehensible. The story line is more easily understood with visual images, rather than words.
The Readers’Advisory Guide to Graphic Novels asserts that the genre promotes visual literacy for the 21 st century’s media demands. In addition to the academic advantages, emotionally, there is no shame associated with graphic novels as attested by the popularity with more skilled and older readers.

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FORMAT CONCERNS
However, like the parents who were concerned about comic books of the 1950s, parents have their reservations about graphic novels. Though many may concede that graphic novels appeal to and motivate reluctant readers and help them comprehend subject matter, many parents are apprehensive, even cynical, of graphic novels’ net benefits for developing skilled readers and thinkers. Words are the tools of thinking. Relying on pictures for context promotes guessing for word meanings. Vocabulary is developed through reading and writing. A picture-driven story undermines both basic cognitive skills. Graphic novels cultivate passive, feckless learning habits. The mind is developed much like muscles. Effective learning requires resistance. Synapsis and memories are made stronger when effort is applied. Processing information from the words “requires constant voluntary attention” (Rossiter & Silberstein, 2001), whereas pictorial information processing is passive. Graphic novels reduce literature to an arid, anemic story line. The art of good literature is lost in the pictorial Cliff Notes approach. Divergent thinking is starved by the lack of literary devices. Learning is hard work and a lengthy process. One must ask at what point is the reluctant reader weaned from pictures to text. When will the underlying problem of poor reading strategies be addressed for the reluctant reader?

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CONTENT CONCERNS
Sexually explicit pictures found in school library graphic novels incite emotional responses rather than reasoned ones. Being led by emotions (visceral responses) makes the reader easily manipulated. Often age-inappropriate, or sexually graphic novels have a low reading level (see Lexile Levels) and are accessible to younger children. Formats for comic books, graphic novels, and novels have cognitive relevance, but content should be the primary consideration for evaluating a book, not the conveyance. Content of graphic novels can be pornographic yet readily accessible for the youngest or poorest reader. Content is packaged to reach a certain audience. Judge the book by its format but then look inside and examine the content.

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