Comics: narrative design?

Do you read comics or graphic novels or manga? Until recently I didn’t get why you would. Having not read any, I thought they were all ‘pow’, ‘pop’, ‘bang’ alien/superhero fight scenes. And of course there are many classic comics that are all of these things. Though even these, once I started flicking through a bit more (I admit, I haven’t actually gotten round to reading a full X-Man comic or anything similar), one can’t help but be impressed by the illustration, and how much energy and narrative can be conveyed in those static boxes. 

What I have started getting really into (early days yet, so my reading list has hardly been exhaustive) are the graphic novels, especially ones that tackle quite serious, unusual or literature themes. Maus by Art Spiegelman is a tale about his father’s experiences as a Polish Jew and Holocaust survivor. Jews are depicted as mice, Germans as cats and so on. It is an incredibly moving story, that is somehow more real for being in pictures, but more universal for playing with how this familiar story is shown. The words become stronger in their succinctness.

American Splendor by Harvey Pekar is another well-known classic that sounds uninviting – a narrative about the author’s ho-hum, dead beat life – but actually becomes a fascinating insight into a private life, and musings on the world. 

A new book, 1001 Comics You Must Read Before You Die, turned up on my desk and I’ve been reading through the exhaustive tome, looking for more graphic novels to read. Everything is in here from the turn of the century to very recent works, and includes things from Calvin and Hobbes to niche, graphic works that are more art than comic. Worth a look if you are just getting into anything of this genre, or if you are a comic fiend, it will surely have a number of suggestions you haven’t heard of and should seek out.

What comics or graphic novels have you enjoyed?