Tintin In Tibet As A Graphic Novel Can Tintin In Tibet Be Called A Comic Novel? A graphic novel or a comic novel is a book that tells a self-contained story in comics form. Just like any other novel, a graphic novel has an introduction, a main part where action happens and a culmination. Unlike comic periodicals, which do not tell the whole story in one go, a graphic novel tells a complete story. The term 'graphic novel' was first used by Richard Kyle in an article. Later DC Comics started using the term in 1970s. In 1980s, Marvel too started bringing out lengthy, self-sufficient comics and termed them graphic novel. The term 'graphic novel ' is used to attach a tag of seriousness to the comics form which are generally regarded as children's entertainment. There are many features of a graphic novel that sets it apart from comics. A comic book uses a saddle stitch, whereas a comic novel looks like a traditional book with soft paper cov