THE APPEAL OF GRAPHIC NOVELS

Whether you consider trade paperbacks and graphic novels the same thing or not, the point is that format is becoming increasingly popular in modern times.  And by that format I mean more pages than a typical comic book bound with a spine as opposed to stapled.  More and more comic fans are moving exclusively to the format of graphic novels, and graphic novels are more appealing to the non-comic fan as well.

For years and years the standard format for comic books was 22-32 pages stapled together in what some refer to as floppies, while others refer to them as funny books (even when they're not comical).  And even though comics originated in magazine format, many resisted the change to the format of graphic novels for a long while.  It is something special to get that short serial every month and anticipate the next month's arrival with bated breath.

Had graphic novels been prevalent in the days of old, though, before comic shops were popular and comics were typically only found in spinner racks in the local drugstores, then I'd imagine that tune would change.  More times than not, one would pick up a comic and read it and never see the next issue.  Had they been in the format of graphic novels people would have been able to keep up with the story instead of being left at a cliffhanger eternally unresolved every time they picked up a comic.

With trade and hard cover collections of classic comic books these days many old time fans can go back and read all the issues they missed, but it isn't quite the same.  It's not fresh and pertinent anymore, even if they are still good stories.

Another reason for the shift of fans to the format of graphic novels and trades is the cost.  Trades or graphic novels are typically anywhere from $8-20, and hard covers $16-50 give or take a few dollars.  With trade collections usually 4-6 issues worth of a serial comic are collected, and the same amount of pages for original graphic novels in some cases.  At the current standard of $3-4 per issue for a floppy, you stand to save anywhere from $4-16 for buying in the format of graphic novels!

There will always be proponents of the monthly single issue serials as opposed to graphic novels, just as there will always be proponents to printed comics as opposed to digital comics.  But one cannot argue the advantages of collecting graphic novels and trade paperback collections.