I think I should stop making my titles into questions, but this is quite an issue we are talking about. While surfing the web for some manga news, Lori Henderson from Manga Xanadu posted an editorial that ranted on the School Library Journal’s choice for “Best Books for 2009″ (though Henderson pointed out that the list’s title was actually “Best Comics and Manga for 2009“). Somehow the discussion in the rant led to a concern for children reading comics over books. For some reason when it comes to the comparison of novels to comics, there is some biased agreement that novels are a “superior” form of reading to comics. I’m sure this isn’t new to anyone, especially those who read comics or manga. However, this biased thinking really needs to stop.

Novels and comics are two different mediums. Just because reading is the main interaction readers have with the two doesn’t meaning comparing one to the other is fine. No one would compare a film to a television show just based on the fact people watch what’s happening (if you do, you really shouldn’t). All the mentioned mediums execute their stories in a different structure from the other. Focusing back on novels and comics, one uses only words to move the reader through the story while the other uses a juxtaposition of pictures and words to progress the story. But as said before, because reading is the main sense people use for both mediums, the two are automatically compared and placed under a ranking or status. And we know who is ranked where.

There is only one reason why I think people still view comics as an “inferior” reading material to novels…

There’s Pictures

*Insert Sarcasm* Novels don’t need pictures to move a story. The pictures are visualized in the mind, “painted” by beautiful sentence structures and details. There is no need for pictures when words will do just fine. *End Sarcasm*

Pictures somehow degrade comics into a lower reading status, somewhere behind children’s books. It’s seen as elementary, something meant for kids. People still think this way even though the medium appeals to adult audiences as well. But pictures, or artworks as it is more appropriately called, are used with words to move a story. It’s an art form that specializes in this type of juxtaposition, one a novel cannot do.

There could be other reasons to the degrade comics gets, like terrible storylines or writing (which I’m sure novels have as well), but the picture issue seems to be the main one. If others want to add their take, comment as well. Would like to hear from you.