Despite not wanting to read graphic novels I’m totally fascinated by them. I love the artwork but can only look at art for a short time. I can see how they could get some people reading and that’s considered a good thing. So when I found myself in a bookshop in the States looking at a book about graphic novels I bought it.

Weiner talks about graphic novels in the 1950s and 1960s as well as the fans and how a network of comic book stores opened in the States and fans suddenly found themselves at home. It talks about important books such as Maus and Sandman and then goes on to talk about understanding comics. This book is mostly USA centric, there is little about other countries. I would really like to read about places outside the US to see how things have happened there.

This is a fairly short book at only 61 pages and this briefness indicates much is missing. What this little tome gives you is a very good overview of graphic novels and follows this information with a bibliography so you know which books and authors you need to read to increase your knowledge. If you’re planning a dissertation on graphic novels this is a really good place to start, it’s a pity there are so few copies in Australia.