Gothic Graphic Novels

            My experience with graphic novels was very limited up until Gaiman’s The Sandman. To my surprise, I enjoyed it very much. Usually, when I read a novel or short story my imagination paints a picture as to what the characters and setting look like. The authors of graphic novels are able to relay much more information to the reader via the pictures. The audience is able to take a glimpse inside the authors mind as to what the thought when writing the story and developing the characters and scenes. I really enjoyed the vivid pictures to go along with the story in The Sandman. I would read through the text bubbles and then go back and carefully examine the details of each picture.

            Gothic and horror genres are often considered to be one in the same but they are separate genres and yet they are actually intertwined. There are gothic influences in horror movies and horror does make up an aspect of the gothic. The difference is the gothic adds more to the story than just scary situations and frightening scenes. One examples of what is added in the gothic genre is irony. Unlike a lot of horror stories, in gothic literature we are able to get to know the characters. Often times we see the innocent characters suffer tragic fates. That is a prime example of irony and how it fits into the gothic genre.