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There’s an old cliché that goes something like this, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” So what happens if you mix both words and pictures? Does it increase to two thousand words? Probably not, but it’s an interesting question.
Novels as we know them are a dying breed. For years they have been becoming simpler with less substance but perhaps, more style. Blame it on our fast-paced immediate satisfaction attitude, but written works have by and large become much more action packed, less descriptive. If Dickens were alive today, he wouldn’t make a buck much less sell a book.
Who in their right mind would sit through the vast descriptions and inner turmoil of young Pip in Great Expectations if it went into production for the first time today? Well I know I have, but then again I have a lot of free time on my hands. Though Dickens created a world that abounds with imagery, it isn’t readily accessible. It takes paragraph after paragraph to get it all down. I might even go so far as to say, long-winded, but I wouldn’t say that about Charles.

“I took her hand in mine and we went out of the ruined place; and, as the morning mists had risen long ago when I first left the forge, so the evening mists were rising now, and in all the broad expanse of tranquil light they showed to me, I saw the shadow of no parting from her.” –Great Expectations pg, 493

You can almost see this scene painted in your mind. The language is that good. You could paint a picture, or at least draw one, of this very scene. Any amateur could do it. Dickens’s works could in be reproduced today, and enjoy marvelous success, but not in the traditional format, but perhaps something revolutionary, a genre that blurs the line between tradition and experiment.
So I will offer this up, Dickens could in fact survive, and thrive if he worked in the modern world in the graphic novel format. You might be saying, don’t you mean a comic book? And I might be saying, “Hell, no!” A graphic novel is what it sounds like; it combines pictures and words to create a synthesis between the written word and the painted picture. It cuts away the fat, leaving only the choicest pieces.
Comics and graphic novels have been gaining popularity in the past couple of years. We have Hollywood to thank for that. In the past four years, countless movies based on these genres have come out, many of them to much acclaim. Spider-Man, Batman and Superman are the three most obvious. But then you have Hellboy, Sin City, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and the yet to be released V is For Vendetta.
Graphic Novels are by no means for children. They deal with adult themes, and that doesn’t even have to mean sex and violence. One’s like Maus and Persepololis deal with the Holocaust and the Islamic Revolution in Iran, respectively. They are not comic, but through the use of a well chosen wording, and often times stark imagery, they deal with subjects in a way that makes them accessible to everyone. From a high-school global studies student, to a thirty-five year old professional with little leisure time, could not only read these rather quickly, but come away with the same, if not heightened sense, of the gravity of the situation as some one who just finished reading a 300 page book on the subject.
The graphic novel is an art-form like no other. It requires concise language, and appropriate art. This appropriate art could range from simple black and white drawing like those found in Maus and Persepolis, to full blown painted artwork, like those from acclaimed artist, Alex Ross or anywhere in between.
So now you’ve been convinced that maybe you should check out this genre, but don’t know where to begin. Well you’re in luck. These are some of the representative works from the vast array out there:

1.) Kingdom Come- Writer: Mark Weid, Artist: Alex Ross.
This is an Else-Worlds tale from the DC universe. So yes, it does have Super-heroes in it. But the subject matter is very deep. A normal man is contracted to decide the fate of the entire earth. So we get a different perspective on the super-hero/villain universe as a whole, that of the average man. It raises many interesting questions, like what makes someone a superhero, to what kind of justice is due a criminal? Weid doesn’t hold anything back. He gives a full well rounded story that would make anyone think.
If the description of the story doesn’t interest you, read it for the artwork alone. There is no other artist like Mr. Ross. His paintings are so realistic; they could be mistaken for photographs. There is no cartoonish quality to it, just pure unadulterated art that fits the seriousness of the story perfectly.

2.) Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood- Writer: Marjane Satrapi Artist: Marjane Satrapi
Persepolis follows the life of a young girl growing up before and then during the Islamic Revolution of Iran. It depicts some serious scenes, such as torture, bombing, and demonstrations, without being overly graphic. This fits the mood of the book very well. Ms. Satrapi does not want her message to be drowned out because of the images, they are to enhance the story not overshadow it. The running narrative, panel to panel, is interesting and makes the story flow along very smoothly.
The art is black and white, a very simplistic approach. This is part of the appeal of the art. Its simplicity allows her to show some of the more gratuitous scenes, without fear of disgusting or driving anyone away. This and Maus, are must reads for anyone who is looking for a realistic/historical story portrayed in this format.

3.) The Sandman Series- Writer: Neil Gaiman Artist: Various
Neil Gaiman cut his teeth writing various comics for DC. It wasn’t until he was asked to do a mini-series on a long retired character that he really came into his own. The Sandman story is by no means a comic book. It transcends that completely. The story is adult, dealing with life, death, love, and almost anything else you can think of in a unique way. Neil is one of the best writers of the later 20th, early 21st century. His use of language is so consice yet original that it really is something to beheld. Authors such as Stephen King have begged to be allowed to write stories for his Sand Man universe. He has one numerous awards for the series. I cannot recommend highly enough any work by Gaiman. Aside from his comic book beginning he has gone on to find success with three bestselling novels, as well as several independent graphic novels.