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Graphic Novels Experience -- Blog Post #2

My experience and thoughts on graphic novels

My only real experience with graphic novels is with manga. I used to read a lot of it when I was in middle school and high school, particularly Fruit Basket and Chibi Vampire. These days I normally don't read any graphic novels on a regular basis save for the occasional excursion into one of Junji Ito's horror stories who are technically marked as manga. I can say that I've definitely grown into different genres of graphic novels over the years. I originally liked the fluffier slice of life ones like Marmalade Boy or sometimes a more supernatural take with Vampire Knight.

Junji Ito's work is all horror and some science-fiction. A lot of the material is darker but still just as mature as the content in some of the previous graphic novels that I've read. Despite it often passed off as simple cartoons, I've found that most graphic novels are not meant for kids. Just like my selection of standard fiction novels, I tend to prefer the darker ones in graphic novels. Particular stand outs in Junji Ito's collection are "The Human Chair", "The Bridge", and "Long Dream" because they explore themes that are popular in fiction - specifically in standard fiction novels written solely with words instead of pictures.

I think graphic novels definitely fit as a type of literature and are worth trying out. Not all graphic novels are great just like how not all regular novels are great and I tend to treat graphic novel anthologies just like any other anthology. Since most graphic novels tend to be short in comparison to the length of books that have only words. Still, I think that shouldn't deduct from a graphic novel's content as pictures can explain situations as well and still give a full story and immerse the reader.

I also think style is important in graphic novels for that as well and I've seen quite a few styles when it comes to graphic novels particularly those with good use of shading and sizing by the artist which really makes a difference in a story just as a description would in a regular novel. Overall, I'm not opposed to graphic novels despite my scattered experience with them and the right graphic novel would fit well into a class depending on its contents and atmosphere. I'm not avid reader of graphic novels but by experience I wouldn't turn one down simply because it's a graphic novel.

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