Distinguishing the graphic novel from other types of comic books has presented problems due to
the fuzziness of category boundaries. Against the backdrop of prototype theory the author
establishes the graphic novel as a genre whose core feature is complexity which again is
defined by seven gradable subcategories: 1) multilayered plot and narration 2)
multireferential use of color 3) complex text-image relation 4) meaning-enhancing panel
design and layout 5) structural performativity 6) references to texts media and 7)
self-referential and metafictional devices. Regarding the subcategory of narration the
existence of a narrator as known from classical narratology can no longer be assumed. In
addition conventional focalization cannot account for two crucial parameters of the comics
image: what is shown (point of view including mise en scène) and what is seen (character
perception). On the basis of François Jost's concepts of ocularization and focalization this
book presents an analytical framework for graphic novels beyond conventional narratology and
finally discusses aspects of subjectivity a focal paradigm in the latest research. It is
intended for advanced students of literature scholars and comics experts.
