Graphic novels or comic books, whatever you choose to call them, have come a long way since the days when they were still being treated as a medium for children. Although once ridiculed as being trivial and shallow from both a visual and a literary stand, comics are now considered to be an essential cornerstone of modern literature. And why not? Gone are the days when comics were all about vanilla superheroes wearing shiny costumes and fighting colourful villains. Now we have riveting tales about complex protagonists involved in morally ambiguous situations; relatable characters who are more in tune with real humans. This kind of change does not take place overnight. There is the Silver Age of comics which progressed on to the Golden Age and so forth – but that is a topic for another article.
Although many don’t partake in the noble culture, there’s no denying that comics have had tremendous impact on modern pop culture. They gave way to legitimate icons (hint: Batman) which spawned numerous blockbusters and TV shows that seem to be all the rage these days. Comic books have not only blossomed magnificently into maturity, like no other medium has before, but has also seen groundbreaking changes within itself that helped evolve it to become what it is today. Here, I’ll discuss a few comic books considered important because they had something or the other, if not a lot, to do with the said evolution.
The Dark Knight Returns
by Frank Miller and Klaus Janson
All of you who fell in love with Batman because of the movies (both Burton’s and Nolan’s), Frank Miller is the man you thank. TDKR started publishing in 1986, the same year as Moore’s Watchmen. While Moore chose to invent a world from scratch to explore a ‘modern’ approach, Miller took one of the most iconic characters and gave him a reboot of sorts. The book features an old, retired Bruce Wayne who dons on the cowl again to save Gotham. Batman and the accompanying characters had never been more psychologically complex or seen such emotional depth. From the artwork to the writing, everything was given a fresh, gritty spin without altering the traditional tropes that made Batman work in the comics. Resultantly, we got a most well-known face shown in an entirely new form proving that modernisation of traditional characters was possible without ruining them.
Watchmen
by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
Although a cliché, no list of graphic novels is ever complete without the mention of Alan Moore’s magnum opus. Since 1986, when the first issue of Watchmen hit stores, it has been cited as one of the first works to demonstrate maturity in terms of content and storytelling. Having won several awards, including a Hugo in 1988 in the ‘Other Forms’ category, this book stands to this day as an example of everything that could be and has been done within the medium. It is impossible to overstate the importance and impact of Watchmen on the comic book. It is a dense and beautifully gloomy story that takes place in an alternate 1985. Nixon is still President of US and the Cold War is taking a toll on the world. Breaking the norm, the superheroes are simply masked vigilantes without any actual powers (with one exception). The social and political issues raised by their existence are studied in detail. This brought pragmatism and depth previously unheard of to the genre.
The Sandman
by Neil Gaiman
Many still claim that comics are silly and don’t count as “real books”. Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman is your answer to such high-minded snobbery. Gaiman created a powerful and, at times, ruthless world of dark fantasy that tackled sensitive themes like death, religion, philosophy, etc pushing the medium’s boundaries like never before. Having concluded its seven year run in 1996 with issue number seventy-five, The Sandman has probably won more awards than most comic books; these include a staggering twenty six Eisner Awards and two Bram Stoker Awards!
Preacher
by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon
This wild epic is an example of why some comics are absolutely NOT for ‘the kids’. Preacher’s narrative is bold, unapologetic and as grown-up as it gets. Preacher handles themes of biblical proportions without so much as a hint of delicacy. The story of the small-town minister Jesse Custer who ends up possessing the ‘Word of God’ is peppered with violent humour and pop culture references in frequent doses. Not only does this book go to show that comics can receive mainstream success and acclaim without superheroes but it also paves way for a whole new genre of stories in the medium.
Maus
by Art Spiegelman
Maus is a landmark in the comic scene for several reasons but mostly because it’s the first graphic novel to have received a Pulitzer Prize – the award for excellence in literature. The sheer power of such an anomaly forced mainstream readers to take comics seriously. Spiegelman visually re-tells his father’s experiences in a Nazi concentration camp. This comic book visionary used animals to depict the characters in this ‘non-fiction’ fiction. The Jewish characters were mice, the Germans cats and the rest were pigs. The genius lies in his approach of such a difficult subject matter through a medium that was considered inane for as long as its existence. Maus is a unique work of art – nothing like it has ever been written before and none after.