There are comic books that exist merely to entertain, and there are graphic novels which are a bit more artistic. Either way the medium is one that has gained newfound respect in recent years, with ever widening subject matter. Television shows are given virtual seasons beyond their last air date, popular heroes are given new adventures, and mythological figures come to life via paper and ink.
An interesting example of the latter is the Rostam Comic Book. Rostam: Tales of the Shahnameh is an interpretation of Persian (Iranian) legend in modern comic book format. (The Shahnameh, by the way, is the Epic of Kings, a collection of mythological stories from before Iran was under Islamic influence.)
The website: http://www.theshahnameh.com does not offer the actual graphic novels (you have to buy them) but it does have downloads of the featured characters, a history of the project, and news about upcoming works.
The site is worth checking out, and the comics themselves are a beautiful blending of history, folk lore, and modern media.
If you are a comic book art fan, you can actually view the artwork of the entire comic books on the website. The links are:
http://www.theshahnameh.com/flash/Rostam_Book_1/index.html
and
http://www.theshahnameh.com/flash/Rostam_Book_2/index.html
This comic book has won an international literature award and is being added to many Library collections around the world.
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