They have a few things in common that make it easy to mix the two. They are both works of fiction and have panel-style illustrations that do a large part of the storytelling. They are often tied to superheroes and villains, although many modern comics and graphic novels are experimenting with different story lines. But what sets them apart?
Many enthusiasts use binding as the determining factor in whether something is classified as a graphic novel or comic book. Comics, as many of you are familiar with, use traditional saddle stitching — meaning they are held together with staples in the spine. Graphic novels are bound either in hardback or tradepaper (soft cover) like a book, with a thick spine glued to hold the pages together.
