I love graphic novels. Comic books are just another one of those nerdy things that have become more mainstream with the expansion of independant publishers and the wider circulation of Manga and Anime.

Graphic Novels hit different. The visuals and color tell a story in a way that books and television can’t. The still frames full of action connect emotionally and paint beautiful nostaligic scenes. But there are 3 specific attributes that I want to highlight today.

#1 Dialogue.

When I was growing up, I had Spider-man action figures, Lego sets, pillows, and bedsheets. When Marvel’s Ultimate Spider-Man (2000-2011) rose to success in my teenage years, I was completely engrossed and bought every single volume in its 160 issue run.

Today I am still impressed with its pacing and dialogue.

Especially in the early arcs, the pacing is more drawn out than many action & superhero comics, which allows more character development and excellent dialogue, especially amongst the side characters.

It feels realistic and (while occassionally more mature than actual high school) very unique to each character.

[Excerpt from Issue #1]

Spider-man has always had snappy dialogue as part of its draw, and seeing how characters react, their facial expressions, alongside their words makes it that much more relatable. Its an inspiration because as a writer I’m always thinking about ‘okay, how does the character look while they’re saying that?’ And this is simply an excellent example.

#2 Art/Aesthetic.

Low (2014-2020) is a beautiful post-apocalyptic sci-fi from Image Comics with a female protagonist, who is trying to discover if the surface of the earth is still inhabitable.

I cannot emphasize enough how gorgeous the art is with its vibrant watercolor pallette, its apocalyptic underground and undersea architecture and character design, and its casual sensuousness.

From start to finish, its excellent story is told through emotionally charged art. Every page drips with aesthetic and intent.

[Excerpt from Issue #3]

I am a slut for a good aesthetic because its about world building. As a writer, aesthetic is almost as important as plot because it grounds the reader and gives them a world to explore alongside the characters. In books, it’s often more about word choice and lore, but in comics, its all spread out in an even more tangible way.

#3 Approachability.

Saga (2012-current) is a sci-fi fantasy epic from Image Comics that starts with a sort of Romeo & Juliet premise, but what if they survived and had a kid; and now both sides of their families want them dead because their romance could stop their quite profitable war.

This series rose to fame almost immediately because of its colorful art, mature themes, and of course Lying Cat, who pretty much has his own cult following. The story is a fabulous space opera, but it was designed to be approachable to an audience outside of the normal comic book nerds.

It is fresh, edgy, and humorous. The world is so well put together even in the first issue that the entire story is extremely easy to read.

The premise is simple, the family dynamics are comical and endearing, and each page is an excellent show-don’t-tell example.

The world unfolds with perfect pacing, and no knowledge is needed outside of each all-encompassing moment that builds into an incredibly complex set of characters.

Of the three graphic novels here, I recommend this one the most (though it is still unfinished) and hold it as one of my greatest inspirations.

What graphic novels are inspirations for you?