Acknowledging the flaws in our dataset and its potential biases, we understand that we have only begun to scratch the surface of the complexities of the graphic novel industry. Through our visualizations, we gleaned more insight about the history and popularity of graphic novels from the 1970s and onward (Viz. 1). Visualizations 2 through 4 revealed the polarization of the graphic novel industry and its explicit bias towards White authors. Visualization 5 offered more insight into popular works as the number of mentions of particular graphic novels positively correlated with average rating. A closer inspection of Viz. 5 showed Maus as an outlier, with the highest number of mentions as well as the highest average rating, which speaks to the significance of graphic narratives in the production of alternative accounts of history. Through Viz. 6, we acknowledge the number of translations for particular graphic novels and the implications of its use as a tool to demystify differences, engage in unfamiliar identities, and promote multiculturalism.

     As we have examined through “The American Wartime Propaganda During World War II: How Comic Books Sold the War,” creators of the Captain America and Wonder Woman comics set out with a pointed agenda to unite Americans in support of the war effort—an initiative that caused racial profiling and stereotyping against Asian Americans to proliferate. With the power of their platform, the creators of these comics directly contributed to the oppression of countless Japanese Americans. Our analysis of “A Content-Analysis of Race, Gender, and Class in American Comic Books” further investigated the biased leanings of the graphic novel industry towards White authors and their need to appeal to White audiences, with a particular focus on White males. A closer look at “Critical Literacies and Graphic Novels for English-Language Learners: Teaching Maus” supports that substantive graphic novels have the power to affirm the experiences of marginalized individuals. Being aware of the inequality within the industry, marginalized authors and audiences have and continue to engage in movements to cultivate culturally rich narratives that place their own histories, experiences, and identities at the forefront.

     Reflective through our analysis of our dataset and the accompanying literature, it is evident that graphic novels contribute to the creation of history; this reason in and of itself supports that graphic novels play a significant role in establishing power and silence in society. With its ability to appeal to our anxieties and aspirations, the narratives that graphic novels champion can directly shape our understanding of the world.