A new mainstream
A new mainstream |
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Page 11 of 23  Arkham Asylum Why the graphic novel had lasted so long, albeit in a marginal capacity, and what made it appealing, both for readers and creators, was that it opened up fresh storytelling possibilities. Put simply, in a longer narrative there was more scope for building up tension, generating atmosphere, developing characters and so on. At the same time, the visuals could often be superior to the usual comics, because the status of the work was supposedly higher. Unsurprisingly perhaps, some creators actually preferred to work to graphic novel specifications than to those of ordinary comics. The effect of Dark Knight and Watchmen was thus not to revolutionize comics, as has often been supposed, but to introduce a new readership to these 'graphic novelistic' possibilities. Which is not to say that hype was not a crucial part of the process: as a result of the publicity given to the form in 1987, graphic novels were taken up in high-street bookshops and public libraries, where special shelves were devoted to them. At the same time, the many reviews in the literary sections of newspapers meant that the names of Alan Moore and Frank Miller became widely recognized. This was a cue for mainstream book publishers to enter the fray. In time, Penguin, Gollancz, Mandarin, Boxtree and many others launched graphic novel lines. As well as using comics creators, some publishers tried to adapt the novels of popular authors into graphic form (as happened in the case of Clive Barker and James Herbert), while others even attempted to commission graphic novels from authors such as Doris Lessing. Naturally, such strategies attracted the attention of the literary press, and graphic novels became even more widely publicized. However, unfortunately, the publishers' choices of material were not always wise, and few new titles from this source lived up to expectations.  The Punisher (1986). Art: Mike Zeck. A much less thoughtful tale about a muscular vigilante: strong on gun fetishism, weak on plot. |