by Ryan Kirby, Kyle Public Library
Graphic novels, or novels in comic format, are no longer just for children. They are now a place not only for superheroes and villains but a forum through which discussions of serious issues and themes takes place.
The term “graphic novel” became popular after Will Eisner published A Contract with God in 1978. The phrase entered mainstream vernacular with Art Spiegelman’s 1992 Maus, winner of the first Pulitzer Prize for a graphic novel. Other seminal early graphic novels include Frank Miller’s 1996 The Dark Night Returns as well as Alan Moore and David Gibbons’ 1987 collaboration Watchmen, both of which helped usher in the modern era of graphic novels.
In creating graphic novels for adults, inadvertent accomplishments have surfaced: The Dark Knight Returns inspired Christopher Nolan’s dark and wildly popular Batman film trilogy, and war reporting found a new voice through the graphic novels of journalists like Joe Sacco. Sacco’s works on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and ethnic cleansing in the Balkans have won him copious international recognition and awards.
Other essential graphic novels for adults include the powerful epic about the loss of freedom and individuality in V for Vendetta by Alan Moore, the abstract artwork and H.P. Lovecraft-style horror of Hellboy by Mike Mignola, and Brian K. Vaughan’s dystopian Y: The Last Man. Works with a realistic setting include the potent story of Jack the Ripper in From Hell by Alan Moore, the coming-of-age story Blankets by Craig Thompson, and the exploration of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer when he was just a seemingly normal high school student in My Friend Dahmer by Derk Backderf, who was his friend at the time.
The graphic novel has truly grown up. The Kyle Public Library has an expanding, professionally selected inventory of graphic novels for adults that are sure to please. Come join the conversation and delve into the fast-paced art and dialogue adults can’t get enough of.
