Sales of comics have been declining for some time, yet collected issues and graphic novels are as popular as ever. Graphic novels are not just superhero stories either. They can often touch on very serious topics. Using an illustrative format can make them easier for many people to digest. Safe Area Gorazde by Joe Sacco and published by Fantagraphics, for instance, uses comic book writing as a form of journalism.
From personal stories to superhero antics, this art form is finally being accepted into the mainstream. Even better is that reading them can benefit your mental health. Below, we discuss why reading graphic novels is actually good for you.
Easier to Understand For Visual Learners
Reading is enjoying a resurgence in all its forms. According to Private Internet Access, eBook sales alone hit a staggering $1 billion in 2020. This has continued apace, in part down to the growth of social media book influencers. Trending book clubs and influencer accounts have popped up all over online, increasing sales exponentially. Reading is cool once more.
One of the benefits of graphic novels, in particular, is that the illustrations make the stories accessible to all kinds of audiences. Each person learns differently, and not everyone finds it easy to read lines and lines of text. Many people are visual learners who want to see what is going on. Having illustrations can help them understand context and subplots much easier than simple words, and this is where a graphic novel can help. You can find most classics now transferred into graphic novel format, from Dracula to 1984.
When it comes to graphic novels, electronic versions have yet to take off. While both DC and Marvel have their subscription services, physical graphics novel sales are much higher. However, with the rising popularity of eBooks, we can expect that digital libraries will only continue to expand their graphic novel collections moving forwards.
Help Aid Your Vocabulary
Learning new words is not easy. You may follow the same social accounts and talk to the same people each day, so taking in more language becomes tough. Like CGMagazine has pointed out, engaging in activities like word games is a reliable way to train your brain and learn at the same time as destressing. Similarly, when you engage in reading graphic novels, you learn a whole host of new words as characters talk in different ways and with different accents.
The misconception is that fewer words mean less reading. However, good graphic novel writers will know that they have to make these words count. As a result, you can often find some quite advanced dialogue depending on the graphic novel you read.
Inspires Creativity
Graphic novels spark the imagination. From their outlandish artwork to the characters within, this medium gets people thinking and creating. As they have different ways of telling a story, it can result in non-linear thinking. This may involve imagining their characters or story arcs. These are just a few reasons why reading graphic novels can help you. However, any chance to put down the mobile device and turn away from a screen will be beneficial. Order a stack of your favourite comics and have some downtime. You may just start to feel better after it.
