If you ask this question to any professional, they might say no. But, again, this is quite a controversial topic. Graphic novels, despite being popular among the young generation (and even for adults), have often been denied the tag of literature. Why? Mostly because of its genre. However, if you are into reading comic books or related content, you would know how some of these books have such incredible stories that could possibly give neck-to-neck competition to absolute classics.

If you ask people about it, they wouldn’t say that it’s a bad read. However, they would definitely be a little skeptical to consider it as literature or “important” just because it’s a graphic novel or comic book.

Moreover, when it comes to graphic novels, it’s not just the storyline but also the character development that interests people. Just take any popular character from a graphic novel or a comic, say, for example, MCU Iron Man or CW Oliver Queen; both have evolved to be such fantastic personas. Yes for some, the style may or may not be as traditional as it’s usually required for it to call it literature. But yet again, it usually has the attributes to be taken under consideration.

Comic books and graphic novels have evoked reading interest among people, especially the younger generation. As per the 2022 statistics, the global comic book market was valued at USD 15.35 billion in 2022. It also forecasted that the growth from 2023 to 2030 will be USD 16.05 billion to USD 22.37 billion. Additionally, the CAGR was projected at 4.85% during the forecast period. So, it’s doing the job perfectly, but still, the journey to be considered under the literature or “utter importance” genre is a long way to go.

It’s high time that we start considering at least deserving graphic novels and comics as literature. What do you think?