For those who enjoy both reading books and watching videos, you may find a whole new genre to explore and experience in the form of “Graphic Novels.” And for those who take pleasure in more mature topics aimed towards adults, we are all in luck, because the publishing world has exploded in the past 15-20 years with a vast array of graphic novels for adults… and our local library system has a great selection of them!
Do you like reading and/or watching non-fiction? If so, there are graphic novels about biographies, memoirs, history, and most scientific disciplines. If you prefer fiction, you can find graphic novels of classic literature, cutting edge fiction, mysteries, and romance.
Graphic novels cover the whole range of themes you would find in print books and Netflix videos, including: LGBTQ topics; pioneering women from the past who have been overlooked; Native American experiences and answers to their current challenges; sacred text-based such as Biblical stories; mental health issues in the world of modern medicine; persistent effects of slavery down through the generations; and all the latest political developments such as refugees, climate change, war zones, or women’s rights.
Foodies can read about travels abroad that focus on cuisine or growing up with a chef for a mom; arm-chair wanderers can go all over the world and even time-travel; WWII buffs can read about the war from the points of view of The Greatest Generation’s heroes, Holocaust survivors, Hiroshima survivors, or boomer kids of shell-shocked warriors.
There are even graphic novels about comics, their history, their effect on society, how to create them, and even philosophical and academic expositions on comics/graphic novels.
I’ve not yet mentioned men in tights or busty women. If you want those, there are graphic novels with hero themes for the adult, too.
Adult-oriented graphic novels are usually printed by small independent publishers who feature cutting edge writers, artists, inkers, and letterers. Many of the creators are women, people of color, LGBTQ, and other marginalized people. The sheer breadth of topics covered by graphic novels is as wide as any other river of art, and the talent runs just as deep.
Two different adult-oriented graphic novels I recommend cover topics mentioned, and both are available through the Eureka Springs Library. One is Amazons, Abolitionists, and Activists, by Mikki Kendall. It has clean lines, good coloring, legible lettering, and tells an incredible history of women’s advances toward social equality through one-page biographies of women throughout history and geography.
The second is a graphic adaptation of The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood and adapted/drawn by Renee Nault; the art supports the theme of this classic novel.
Now go on a scavenger hunt in your local library for the topic you want to read about… and see!
Visit webonbooks.com for more articles by William E. Beaver