A Study on the Narrative Form and Visual Style of Graphic Novels—Taking Graphic Novels Of Mice and Men and Here as Examples

Abstract

Graphic novel is a composite narrative medium in which words and images work together to construct meaning. It has both visual literariness and visual artistry. Its core lies in generating reading experience different from pure text narrative through the interaction of "discourse" and "image". Based on this, this paper takesOf Mice and Men and Hereas research objects, and analyzes the formal organization and style presentation mechanisms of the two works in graphic narrative construction from two dimensions: narrative form and visual style. The study finds thatOf Mice and Menmainly takes character relationships and event progression as the main narrative line, and strengthens the emotional tension and atmosphere expression of literary narrative through scene scheduling, picture rhythm and visual style.Hereforms a narrative mode dominated by spatial structure and visual organization through time superposition, page segmentation and visual repetition in a fixed space. Thus, narrative form and visual style in graphic novels are not separate levels, but an expression system that works together around the core narrative concept of the work. They cooperate with each other to construct a graphic narrative mechanism centered on story experience and reading perception, and form their own unique aesthetic experience. The study on the relationship between narrative form and visual style of graphic novels helps to further understand the narrative strategies and visual expression logic of graphic novels.