Specific Guidelines to Writing a Graphic Novel Thesis Introduction

Let’s step back real quick before moving on and take stock using an example of a potential research question. The one I offered in class, building off a simple generic template I often give to students who use this particular graphic novel is:

Is Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons a work of literature?

If this is my research question, let me flip it to begin making my thesis. To do this I simply reword the question above with the decision of whether I am going to argue FOR considering Watchmen a work of literature or AGAINST it being a work of literature. It looks like this:

Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons is a work of literature because…

OR

Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons is not a work of literature because…

Either way, I now have the first part of my thesis statement, my claim.

To finish this and make it a complete thesis I would, after “because” offer reasons that would become the elements and reasons I would expand upon in my paper to help make argue my claim to my audience.

Getting back to it, let us assume I am going to go with option 1.

If I look back on my research question, I can now generalize it and use it to open my introduction paragraph and therefore my paper.

I might say this:

Can a graphic novel be a work of literature?

This is not too specific but just general enough to start us out on the road to getting us to that thesis statement at the end of the introduction.

To continue on, I am going to use a template from They Say, I SayCh. 1. For purposes here I want to use the generic template: “Many people assume that ____________”

I am going to say: Many people commonly assume that comic books and graphic novels are just for kids.

Let’s put that together with our question now:

Can a graphic novel be a work of literature? Many people commonly assume that comic books and graphic novels are just for kids.

I have a start now, but it would be good for me to fill it in a bit more to give us a good introduction and give us some more information to lead up to our specific thesis statement. So, let me attempt to “correct” the assumption I have introduced:

This may have been the case in the past, but since the mid-1980s, comic books, and graphic novels in particular have “grown up.” Graphic novels like The Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen began a revolution of taking comic book characters and having them deal with deeper and more adult themes. In particular, Watchmen is on a list and considered one of the greatest novels of the 20^thcentury by the New York Times. Not graphic novels, novels, as in literature.

At this point I could add a bit more, but I have generally reached the point where I can now probably and comfortably present my thesis. So, let’s take this and my earlier parts and put them all together:

Can a graphic novel be a work of literature? Many people commonly assume that comic books and graphic novels are just for kids. This may have been the case in the past, but since the mid-1980s, comic books, and graphic novels in particular have “grown up.” Graphic novels like The Dark Knight Returnsand Watchmenbegan a revolution of taking comic book characters and having them deal with deeper and more adult themes. In particular, Watchmen is on a list and considered one of the greatest novels of the 20^th century by the New York Times. Not graphic novels, novels, as in literature. Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons is a work of literature because…

The only thing I left off here was the reasons on my thesis statement, otherwise, this represents a pretty good start for a research paper.

Can a graphic novel be a work of literature? Many people commonly assume that comic books and graphic novels are just for kids. This may have been the case in the past, but since the mid-1980s, comic books, and graphic novels in particular have “grown up.” Graphic novels like The Dark Knight Returnsand Watchmenbegan a revolution of taking comic book characters and having them deal with deeper and more adult themes. In particular, Watchmen is on a list and considered one of the greatest novels of the 20^th century by the New York Times. Not graphic novels, novels, as in literature. Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons is a work of literature because of its use of strong poetic intention, spirit of the times it was created in, and development of flawed, tragic characters.

Notice here that after the “because” I provide at least THREE potential elements of literature I feel are amply present in Watchmen and from these I will expand upon in order to make my case in the argument section later.

Let’s look a little closer at the reasoning I offered:

1. strong poetic intention,
2. spirit of the times it was created in,
3. and development of flawed, tragic characters.

Each of these reasons will form a pillar aimed at supporting my claim the precedes them, that Watchmen is a work of literature.