Why I consider Comics to be Books + Gwenpool Giveaway

This THORsday I want to talk about why I consider comics to be books. After that, you can take part in my birthday celebration Gwenpool giveaway. But, let’s start with literature. When people think about literature, we tend to picture books in our mind. Books that have tons of words, and possibly, a lot of pages. However, I argue that comics are also books. They have visual art in their pages, and the stories can be as complicated as any Tolstoy out there. So, why diminish comic books to childish endeavors?

Depending on the genre, books are also doomed. Fantasy has a lower status than drama. Why are we so keen on disapproving of a book just because it belongs to a certain genre? The issue goes farther away when we compare books and comics. There are literary and visual masterpieces out there, but because they’re comics, some people regard them as childish readings. Why do we have the need to be so elitist?

So, for me, there’s no distinction between books and comics. I read them because I like them. I prefer I genre more than others (fantasy, superheroes), but that doesn’t mean that I will consider the rest of books and comics to be less important.

Comics like Maus by Art Spiegelman pose a dilemma: is it literature? Maus won the Pulitzer Prize back in 1992. Within the comic book community it’s regarded as a graphic novel; thus, it has more status than a mere comic. When we fragment everything like this, we lose. In being so elitist, we miss the opportunity to read and enjoy great literature. And when I say literature, I refer to both books that contain only words, books that include both words and pictures, and books that have visual art inside and explain a story.

We expand our vision when we read. When we close ourselves to the possibilities that are out there, we lose sight. That’s why reading, no matter what, is good. So go on, pick a favorite book, a favorite comic book, and devour them!

Now, the giveaway! This 21st is going to be my birthday. To celebrate it, I decided to give away some digital comics:

• Gwenpool Holiday Special
• Gwenpool #8, #9 and #10
• Choose from Civil War II, Captain Marvel and Wolverine, Old Man Logan
• Choose from Axis, Power Man & Iron Fist, and the New Mutants

That’s a total of six digital comics for one winner! Follow the instructions on the widget below, and good luck! I’ll pick the winner on April 21st! The last day to take part in this giveaway is April 20th.

Note: this post contains an affiliate link. At no extra cost to you, you can give a book or a comic book a new home. Thank you in advance!