Should comic books be included in literary discussions?

[PrinceOfNaturism]

This is a question that just occurred to me: should comics be in the same kinds of discussions as The Great Gatsby or The Lord of The Rings, as in, the kinds of books you can just dissect and talk about for hours? Take for example, the ending of The Dark Knight Returns. For those of you who haven't read it, here's a brief summary of the ending: Batman faked his death and burned Wayne Manor to the ground, and then went into hiding with Robin, Green Arrow, and the various gangs that followed his ideals, albeit in a more violent and ruthless manner, to train them as his "army". So the question is raised: Is the hero triumphant? After all, Batman is still alive and well, training his successors, but he has to remain in hiding for the rest of his days (and he will, because The Dark Knight Strikes Again never happened), and all his friends and loved ones think him dead. This seems like something that could spark a discussion about what it truly means to be "Triumphant", but the fact that it is a comic book we're talking about could make some people think that no, comics are kid stuff, mindless magazines that you can't even consider as great literature. I personally think that regardless of weather or not the medium has a visual component, if it's a book that raises questions and is written well, it's great literature. But that's my two cents. What are your thoughts?

[NudieDaniel]

Yes the graphic novel is becoming quite popular now, they contain as much narrative and discussion points as text based novel so why not.

[Riot.EXE]

They fucking BETTER be included!

[lord_george]

As an English literature major, I say yes! Stories in comics and graphic novels are just as worth discussing as novels and other forms of fiction.

[pat9916]

Yep, the battle between good and evil is often represented in literature. Comic books are a great way to introduce that concept and make it fun for students.... Oops, is my teacher side showing?

[D289]

I'd say comics are literature! Some are as good as any novel - and plenty are as bad as any novel.

[The_Xenologer]

I'd say they're already being taken seriously by many people. For instance, Watchmen made Time Magazine's list of the top 100 NOVELS (not even graphic novels) published since 1923 (the beginning of Time...hur hur hur).

[lord_george]

Why did they pick 1923 as a starting point?

[The_Xenologer]

Why did they pick 1923 as a starting point?

That was when Time Magazine started, hence my parenthetical statement. 

[lord_george]

Oh... I get it now.