The Everything Guide to Writing Graphic Novels

Written by: Mark Ellis and Melissa Martin Ellis

First line: Comic historian, artist, and visionary Jim Steranko described the genesis of modern comic books as a "dream that instantly developed into a full-scale industry."

Why you should read this book: It's a generalist's guide, touching on, as the title suggests, everything. There's a little about the history of comics, a little about writing in general, a little about illustration, a little about publishing. It's a fast read, with plenty of illustrations.

Why you shouldn't read this book: It's hard to imagine that anyone who is interested enough in writing graphic novels to pick up this book would need a detailed description of genre and what superheroes are; this book seems to be geared to young teenagers or someone who has never read an actual comic, and the authors' gratuitous use of their own work, offering up the same inexplicable pages over and over again, is not terribly impressive.