Comic books: Do they deserve literary merit?

Recently I did a video post on female superheroes from comic books and their lack of fame in the movie industry. And while I was doing some research on it I dove back into reading some of my favorite comic books.

In the midst of reading some of my favorite comic book trades a question came to mind: How many people out there give comic books literary merit?

Often when I have heard people refer to comic books they are not given literary merit. Comic books are often considered an art form because they are based primarily on the visual aspect of drawn photos to depict the action and ultimately tell the story. They are typically short reads, no longer than maybe 20 pages per story (though if you purchase trade books the way I do they are typically longer because they encompass an entire plot over the course of 6 or more short stories).

So here is my disagreement: Comic books are in fact BOOKS. They tell a story. They are complex story lines that are diverse and intriguing and make the reader feel invested. That is why they continue to build onto the story with future comic book story lines. In fact, because they have so much flexibility within the creative space, a story about one comic book superhero for instance can be used by many different authors and the story is able to branch into multiple stories all surrounding the original character.

I actually find comic books far more complex than a novel because of the fact that really they are able to keep a storyline alive forever. Even in one story where our hero may die, in another he/she may still be alive or have been resurrected in some amazing way.

Yes, they rely greatly on the visual aspect which does make comic books an art form. I agree with this. But that does not mean that the story itself is unimportant and take away from its literary merit.

So, for those of you who just can't find the time to invest in something like a novel (whether it be a classic or more contemporary work) I would highly recommend comic books as a great source for entertaining reading material.

COMING SOON: Some of my favorite characters and books from comics