Another literary fiction genre with a somewhat narrower mass appeal is the graphic novel, or comic book. This form, like other fiction novels, is structured around perennial themes of human struggle and usually features as hero some type of social outcast. The genre is beset by controversies concerning just what it should be called, as many adult connoisseurs prefer the more mature sound of graphic novel. To many, though, they remain comic books.

These books are fabulously illustrated stories that come either in serial or self-contained form and in a variety of bindings. The interplay of characters and conflict can seem simplified on the surface, with the balloon dialogues and frequent action. But a deeper reading can reveal concise ruminations on the dilemmas and challenges of life. Stan Lee, of Marvel Comics fame, is widely credited with giving comic books their added depth, as Comics historian Peter Sanderson observed.

'There was a new audience for comics now, and it wasn't just the little kids that traditionally had read the books...Marvel was pioneering new methods of comics storytelling and characterisation, addressing more serious themes, and in the process attracting readers in their teens and beyond.'

The cultivation of this audience proved fruitful to Hollywood studios. Modern cinematic graphics capabilities do justice to the artistic vision of the original creators. The film and print versions of X-Men and The Fantastic Four and legions of others continue to popularise the genre. They entertain people and maybe even get them to think about some of the more profound themes of human reality.