If you are one of those who think that, "comics are meant for kids", well, think again! Browsing through a bookstore can be quite enriching, especially when you realize that the Batman and Spiderman you've known for ages are novels! Whoa! I was quite stumped! "Weren't they supposed to be comics?" I thought! Harrowed by my sheer ignorance, I ventured into the world of graphic novels. One Google search and I was mystified by the history and "cult" of graphic novels. Something we know so much about and yet know nothing. These graphic novels are a phenomenon, considering that they have a dedicated fan following and a strong foothold on the bestsellers list. And Chennaiites sure know how to catch up with the trend.

Step into the dark side , as you venture into the world of graphic novels .If racy illustrations and gripping stories is what your looking for , graphic novels is the answer . Alan Moore's "Watchmen" is considered a classic by graphic novel fans. One of the earliest graphic novels, it set the trend for years to come. These are much more complex unlike comics. These novels have given us our all -time superheroes like Spiderman, batman and phantom; classics like Asterix and Obelix and history's favorite boy detective TinTin.

Chennaiites have also quite caught up with the huge graphic novel hysteria . Mohammed Aftab, Head of Books, Landmark says that graphic novels are a favorite with teenagers and more and more people are buying these novels. . He said that of the superhero comics Phantom moves the fastest. Even other books like the life of Buddha, Commando comics, Lone wolf and cub are bestsellers.

These novels have a cult following spanning years "I love graphic novels. My favorite would have to be superman. The art tells the story as much as the words and its just fantastic re-imagining of superman mythos in the real world. My other favorites would have to be Dark knight returns, Justice League: Terra incognita", says Poorva Chakravarthy

Sharath , Graphic novel enthusiast says , "I am a big fan of graphic novels like Batman , TinTin , Asterix .Batman though is an all time favorite when compared to his counterparts like Superman and Spiderman , since he is a normal human like all of us .Graphic novels are also an excellent way of portraying one's creativity"

Novel heroes turn movie heroes:

If the movie 300 sent a chill down your spine, and if V for Vendetta vowed you, attribute it to the world of graphic novels .Umpteen number of these graphic novels have been adapted onto the big screen. They were successful and how! Movies like Spiderman, Superman, The Blade trinity, Ghost rider, and the fantastic four are all adaptations of popular novels , and they sure did get the cash registers ringing . The popular TV show "Heroes", turning to its graphic form has taken the popularity of graphic novels to an all new level.

Indian Graphic Novels:

Though quite late in coming , touted as the first Indian Novel ,"Corridor" by Sarnath Banerjee , gave quite the kick start to the Indian graphic novel scene. It set the ball rolling for others to foray into the world of graphic novels. Today Indian graphic novels like River of stories, the believers, Kashmir Pending and Deepak Chopra's Buddha have all released with positive reviews. Abhinaya Rao, Student," I' ve just started reading Indian Graphic novels, and I must say that I'm really liking them. It's nice that we finally have Indian novels. I read corridor by Sarnath Banerjee and was quite impressed. I m glad we have finally gotten over the notion that all comic books are funny .And these books are definitely not for kids ".

There are quite a few skeptics who believe that we have a long way to go. Poorva Chakravarthy , Student ," graphic novels are becoming much more popular- you will find originals in the store instead of the low-quality reprints you used to get .So the situation is definitely improving .I would read an Indian novel if I found it fascinating enough but unfortunately we're just not there yet , maybe in the future".

With more and more people grabbing these novels , the trend is sure here to stay!

S. Asha