Graphic novels usually combine text and images to develop plot and character. The sequencing and composition of images are deliberate, to produce an aesthetic response in the reader. This means that the presentation of a graphic novel is intended to appeal to you visually, while engaging you in the plot and characters in the story.

Graphic novels appear in a variety of forms, such as manga , satire, and fantasy. Many graphic novels have been adapted to film, like the films titled Watchmen , 300 , and V for Vendetta . Some graphic novels have won international acclaim. For instance, Art Spiegelman's graphic novel, Maus: a Survivor's Tale , earned a Pulitzer Prize for its allegorical depiction of the Holocaust of World War II.

composition: the details which form the entire image, including elements of focus, angle, lighting, texture, contrast, and colour

manga: Japanese form of cartoons and comic strips

allegory: a text intended to convey deeper meaning through its use of symbols

While some may regard graphic novels as comic books, graphic novels today are complex and can be studied with academic rigour.