Both comic books and graphic novels tell the story with the help of pictures, but there are countless differences between the two. For starters, it is easy to notice that a comic book is much thinner than a graphic novel, and the outer cover of a comic book is also made with lower quality paper, when compared with the graphic novel.
A comic book is a serial with unceasing narrative which generally continues with a story that was left in the last edition. However, in a graphic novel the story is often complete, beginning and finishing in the same book. To confuse matters, there are many comic stories that have been republished as single books which gives the impression of a graphic novel. On top of this, many comic stores offering graphic novels, which makes it tricky to tell the difference between the two.
However, one thing is certain: graphic novels are always available in greater stock. Graphic novels can also be found at various bookshops. However, comic books are normally only offered at comic book stores. There are very few comic books that are distributed through booksellers. Graphic novels are given a standard book number. On the other hand, a comic book is given a standard serial number.
A graphic novel is often written in a more mature tone than a comic and meant for an adult audience. Comic books are written for kids and teenagers, whilst many graphic novels are not appropriate for young readers. Some of the novels may constitute of violent and sexual content through pictures and text. Therefore, graphic novels are not recommended for kids. Or, if they insist on having one, it is at least worth reading through first before giving your children nightmares.