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Are comic books considered literature?

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Are comic books considered literature?

I consider it Literature
14
93%
you cant learn anything from them
1
7%
 
Total votes: 15

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GUITARWORX
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Are comic books considered literature?

#1 Post by GUITARWORX »

So this became a head debate at my house over the weekend.
My Son who is 22 started to get into collecting/reading comics a little bit heavy.
When Both my kids were younger they both read novels but both fell out.
They do read magazines from time to time but they just do not care for novels anymore.( I think Davinchi code was the last)
So getting to what happened ...He came home on Fri night with his collection and started reading and telling me what was happening in the DC universe etc...and my wife turned around and said "why dont you read a novel ".
After he left I asked her ..."You dont think comics are literature"? and she said no. I told her she was totally wrong ,that reading was reading and the comics today are not full of BS they actually have story lines etc.
Of course it got heated and we went back and forth .
So I thought I would take a poll
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beaveren
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Re: Are comic books considered literature?

#2 Post by beaveren »

Simply a matter of opinion. I find it to be less "funny book" and more graphic novel but then again I read things written by the likes of Jeph Loeb and Neil Gaiman, both accomplished writers in many mediums.

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Joseph Osborn
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Re: Are comic books considered literature?

#3 Post by Joseph Osborn »

My BFF is an English professor, and he says, "Yes, most definitely."

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Zeiram
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Re: Are comic books considered literature?

#4 Post by Zeiram »

Four words - Neil Gaiman's "The Sandman."
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Re: Are comic books considered literature?

#5 Post by derekc62 »

If you believe the following definition...

"works of imagination characterized by excellence of style and expression and by themes of general or enduring interest"

... then comics are as valid a form of literature as any other.
Many - if not most - novels don't qualify as "literature" and in the same vein neither do many or most comics.
But thankfully there are exceptions and it's those exceptions that spring to mind easily.
My personal favorites include Miller's original Dark Knight, Alan Moore's Watchmen, Dave Stevens' The Rocketeer, Neal Adams' and Dennis O'Neil's work on Green Lantern/Green Arrow, and V for Vendetta. There are others, but these are the ones that come to mind first.
Derek Conlon

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