Misconceptions about graphic novels.

The cover of the Winter 2005 issue of Young Adult Library Services, which is a fine periodical for YA librarians, shows Barbara Gordon walking down a hall, and the reflection in the window illuminates her alter-ego, Batgirl. Great cover; unfortunately, it's wrong. Barbara Gordon hasn't been Batgirl for years. The Joker shot her through the spine, and she's been in a wheelchair ever since. Ms. Gordon is now a white-collar crimefighter (she does most of her crime-busting through computers) who uses the nom deplume of Oracle. She made her debut as a member of The Suicide Squad, moved to The Justice League, and then settled into Birds of Prey.

Am I nit-picking? Sure, but that's what librarians do. Detail-oriented is a nicer way of putting it. So what's my point? Well, there's lots of inaccurate information about graphic novels out there, and the point of this article is to try and correct some common misconceptions. So here goes:

1. Purchasing older titles is a good idea.

Please note that I define old as over a year; in my New Jersey public library, graphic novels have a short shelf life. They circulate a lot in the first few months, and the borrowing slows to a trickle when the newer titles arrive. This is because the vast majority of graphic novels--the superhero titles and manga, anyway--are episodic, just like soap operas, and like soap operas they often end in cliffhangers. Characters die, lose their powers, switch minds with their archenemies, and fly off into the Sun. What happens? You better buy the next book...

The Dark Knight Returns, which appears on many graphic novel core lists, is a classic example of an older title you don't need to purchase. The Dark Knight Returns is a wonderful graphic novel, but it's almost 20 years old. A lot has happened since: Batman has suffered two (by my count) broken backs, his alter-ego is accused of murder, Gotham City is annulled from the United States, and there is a hot romance with Catwoman (they kiss, which is about as explicit as Batman's relationships with women get). My library's copy of The Dark Knight Returns started collecting dust the minute it hit the shelves (3 circs since June 2002).

Ah, you say, but The Dark Knight Returns is a revolutionary storyline! Yes it is, but so is Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's Galactus Trilogy (just ask anyone who works in the comic book industry), and I've never seen it on a core list. The late Will Eisner's The Spirit is also an undisputed classic; however, it doesn't make many lists because The Spirit features one of the most politically incorrect sidekicks in comic book history.

People who read graphic novels for pleasure want to read the newest material. This is common sense--don't you get excited when a favorite author publishes a new book? The lifeblood of any good graphic novel collection is a constant stream of new material tailored to your patrons' tastes.

2. Graphic novel core lists are the best way to build a collection.

The comic industry is huge; not surprisingly, most of the graphic novel core lists I've seen reflect both their authors' strengths and weaknesses. Translation: authors will push personal favorites, be well informed in the areas they like, and weak (or nonexistent) in the areas they aren't familiar with. I've been reading superhero comics for 25 years, and I've been reading manga for less than five years. What do you think I know more about?

However, my real problem with graphic novel core lists is that the people who write them have no idea what your patrons want. What good is a title like Brian Michael Bendis' Torso, a riveting crime thriller, if most of your patrons are manga-hungry teenage girls? Would you include Alan Moore's From Hell, a bloody tale of Jack the Ripper, in a school media collection for middle schoolers?

How about an example? Alan Moore's The Watchmen is a staple of graphic novel core lists. However, I myself would not recommend The Watchmen--it is old; it is nihilistic; and it contains buckets of bad language and graphic violence, including a bare-ass rape scene--unless you have a collection that caters to older readers or are determined to collect as many titles in the "Life Sucks and Then You Die" genre as possible. I'm not disputing The Watchmen's greatness; however, 1 do dispute its suitability for some graphic novel collections.

Am I saying to never use a core list? No. Subject and age specific core lists are out there, and they can be quite useful. However, keep in mind that no core list can tell you what your patrons want. That's your job.

3. Graphic novels are for all teens.

American superhero comics are marketed towards 14-year-old boys. I can give you two reasons: sex and violence. Actually, superhero comics contain almost no sex at all, but they do have lots of skin. Pick up a Marvel or DC graphic novel (the two biggest publishers of superhero comics in the US) and see how many times the female characters appear in a bikini/ short skirt/thong. The violence issue is more troubling, and I'm not talking about who would win in a fight between Superman and Thor (settled definitively in JLA/ Avengers #2). The treatment of women in superhero comics is not good. Take a look at Women in Refrigerators (http: //www.the-pantheon.net/wir/), a website that lists the various abuses suffered by women in comics. This website gets its name from the notorious Green Lantern issue in which Alex DeWitt, the hero's girlfriend, is murdered and stuffed into a refrigerator.

My female patrons prefer manga. They like realistic, well-told stories about issues that are important to them, and manga delivers. Japanese comic companies are light-years ahead of their American counterparts insofar as marketing to different age groups, genders and interests. This isn't to say that manga is the be-all and end-all. In fact, there are manga titles that contain more sex and violence than American superhero comics. KLIATT wouldn't print my review of Battle Royale--a manga about a futuristic game show where the members of a high school class are placed on an island, given weapons, and the last teen alive wins--and who can blame them?

4. Your graphic novel collection will garner the praise and adulation of colleagues, co-workers, and parents.

If you plan to make graphic novels a part of your collection, get ready to deal with some nonsense, because I'm here to tell you that the news that graphic novels are hip, happening, educational, nutritious, etc. has yet to reach all four corners of Library Land. My co-workers have dubbed the graphic novels "the icky books," and I've had more than a few parents complain about how the female characters are dressed (this seems to be far more upsetting to most parents than the violence). I have a colleague who went on a job interview and bragged about how he started a collection of over 100 graphic novels from scratch; he was asked if he read anything besides comic books (he didn't get the job).

Obviously, this hostile attitude is troubling. But I also don't agree with the view that graphic novels are some magic elixir that will send patrons flocking to your section singing "Hallelujah!" Believe me, it doesn't work that way. It takes time and patience to build a good collection and change peoples' attitudes. That's the bad news. The good news is that if you persevere, you will be rewarded. The "icky books" are the top performers in my collection. My patrons love them, and whenever we ask for feedback, they always say they want more graphic novels.

5. Your patrons will like what you like.

I've been reading graphic novels since back in the dark ages when people called them comic books, so I'd like to think I know a thing or two about what's good and what's not. Thus, when I started my library's graphic novel collection I took special care to select quality titles (translation: stuff I liked). I did this until a definite pattern emerged--the titles I liked sat on the shelves counting sheep, and everything else I bought flew out of the library. I had an epiphany-my job is to give my patrons what they want, not what I think is good. My patrons don't care what I like, and seem especially fond of the stuff I think is crappy. But such is life.

A perfect example is Neil Gaiman's Sandman, which appears on graphic novel core lists everywhere. Librarians and freshmen philosophy majors love Sandman, but I would leave it unless you have a collection that caters to older readers or have a strong horror/dark fantasy faction in your library. Why is Sandman so universally beloved by librarians? Well, it's that 14-year-old boy thing again. Sandman is written for an older audience; librarians are an older audience; therefore, Sandman is widely recommended by librarians.

The same holds true of many highly recommended graphic novels. I'm not saying that reviewers hold their noses when they review superhero and manga titles, because that's not true, but I do think they tend to highlight titles that are more to their tastes. These titles often target relevant social issues, featuring realistic storylines and complex characters; and in my library, they usually bomb. I myself loved Ghost World (6 circs since 05/31/2002), Maus (6 circs since 06/08/ 1993) and The Watchmen (3 circs since 03/08/2002), but the undisputed top performer in my graphic novel collection is Ken Akamatsu's Love Hina (Volume 1 has 23 circs since 05/12/2003), a manga that features lots of girls in bikinis. Any permutation of the X-Men (New X-Men Imperial has 28 circs since 10/8/2002), a group of misunderstood teenagers who happen to possess awesome superpowers, comes in second.

Am I trying to insult your patrons? No. This is what's true at my library; probably it's different at your library. My point is: take the trouble to find out. Teens are a diverse lot--some of my patrons are applying to colleges and busily planning the rest of their lives while others come in to play on the computer and kick holes in our walls. Find out what your teens like, and give it to them. This takes time and work, and it doesn't happen overnight. There will be lots of trial and error. But in the end, it's worth it, and your patrons--the people who really matter--will thank you for your efforts.

NOT A CORE LIST

The following is not a core list; it's a list of graphic novels I've read in the past year that I've liked. A few have not been released yet; all should be out in the next month or two.

American Elf 189183049X. A daily journal in comic book form by artist/rock superstar James Kochalka.

Astonishing X-Men. Gifted. 0785115315. Superhero comic written by Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Bleach. 1591164419. Action manga series featuring a 15-year-old boy named Strawberry who becomes a Soul Reaper and fights evil ghosts.

Bone: Crown of Horns. 1888963166. The Lord of Locusts finally gains his freedom, and it's up to Fone Bone and Thorn to stop him.

Carnet de Voyage. 1891830600. Illustrated travel diary by Craig Thompson, the author of Blankets.

D.N. Angel. 159182799X. Romance/ adventure manga series starring 14-year-old Daisuke and his alter ego, that infamous art thief, Dark.

Fantastic Four. Rising Storm. 0785115986. Johnny Storm, The Invisible Man, becomes the Herald of the mighty Galactus.

From Far Away 1591165997. Fantasy manga series starring Noriko, an average high school girl, who is literally blown into another world.

Graphic Classics." Robert Louis Stevenson. 0974664804. An illustrated collection of the tales of Robert Louis Stevenson.

Here is Greenwood. 1591166047. Comedy/ high school manga series set in an all-boys dormitory.

Imadoki! Dandelion. 1591163307. Romance/high school manga chronicles the trials of Tanpopo, as she tries to fit in at her super-snooty high school.

JLA: Trial by Fire. 140120242X. The Justice League gets scorched by the Martian Manhunter's evil alter ego, The Burning Martian.

JSA: Prince of Darkness. 1401204694. The Justice Society of America battle the Princes of Darkness--Mordru, Eclipso and Obsidian.

Less Than Heroes. 1891830511. The adventures of Threshold, "the officially sanctioned super-team serving the Delaware Valley."

The Metabarons: Othon & Honorata. 1401203620. First of a swashbuckling sci-fi series that chronicles the adventures of the Metabaron clan.

New Avengers: Breakout. 0785118144. The "new" Avengers must stop 80 + super-villains from breaking out of prison.

Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return. 0375422889. Continues the true story begun in Persepolis, telling about a woman's childhood in Iran.

Plastic Man: On the Lam. 1401203434. The stretchy superhero is framed for murder.

Same Difference & Other Stories. 1891830570. Semi-autobiographical stories about friendship, honesty and loss.

Sgt. Frog. 1591827035. Comedy/sci-fi manga series featuring invading frogs from outer space.

George Galuschak is a YA Librarian at the Montvale Public Library in Montvale, New Jersey.