Shelf Space: Comparing Graphic Novels and Comics - Manga Life, manga reviews, manga news, manga information, manga comics, manga webcomics, manga artists, Dark Horse, TokyoPop, Viz, Digital Manga Publishing, CMX, CPM, Central Park Manga, Broccoli Books, Del Rey

Shelf Space: Comparing Graphic Novels and Comics
Written by Lisa Anderson

Not all decisions are based on numbers though. Comics do have a few specific draws that graphic novels are currently lacking. One major point is location. While anyone can go to a large chain store and buy that volume of Oh My Goddess, there’s something to be said for seeking out a local independent comic shop. A small store tends to have a more personal atmosphere, a place fans can mill about and meet other fans. Owners are more likely to talk to the customers as people instead of purchases as well. Many a small store will also handle custom requests, searching for a certain manga title that might not otherwise be available. In many ways the entire system can be compared to the dealers room at an anime convention, only on a far smaller scale.

Alongside that advantage is another, shop hours. Many chain stores, from malls to bookstores, keep a set schedule. Since they are all tied together, if one is closed, on average the others will be as well. With small shops being run by a wide variety of people, you can find at least one shop open at almost any hour. If the local shop closes at midnight, another local shop across the street may just be opening. Also, if you arrive just as a place is closing, a small shop owner is more likely to re-open that extra ten minutes for you to make your purchase. However, with the growing popularity of 24 hour stores, such an advantage is swiftly being lost. In the end it usually comes down to convenience, and buyers will get their manga at whichever store can meet their level of convenience first.

In the end, it’s safe to say that graphic novels are quickly replacing their older comic counterparts. Both can still be seen on store shelves, but with each passing month more comics are phased out for the rising popularity of the graphic novel. Convenient-minded fans seem to happily follow the new trend, though there is a small faction fiercely devoted to the old ways. They are fans as well, though not simply fans of the manga title itself. They follow the idea behind it all, the basic idea that many an anime or manga gathering grew out of.

Just as the two types of fan form a much-needed balance, so do the two styles of manga. Graphic novels meet the growing demand for quick delivery with a lot of content. Comics are still needed for people that want to pick up a singe issue for testing, or for people that care as much for the surrounding atmosphere as they do for the manga title itself. It’s a big industry when all is said and done, so here’s hoping that there will always be room for more than just the one style. Convenience is great, but quality and atmosphere should be just as important. After all, they help form the difference between a casual reader and a fan.

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