While people may often use the terms interchangeably, there are specific differences between a comic book, a trade paperback (TPB), and a graphic novel. The main difference is usually about length and scope. A standard comic book is typically an individual issue that tells one small part of a story or several short stories in one sitting. These are meant to be read quickly as single installments.
A trade paperback is different because it collects multiple issues into one physical book. For example, if you have ten separate monthly comics from the same series, they might all be bound together in a single trade paperback volume. This makes them easier to keep on a shelf and allows readers to see an entire story arc at once without having to collect every individual issue first.
A graphic novel is generally considered a complete story contained within one book. It has its own beginning, middle, and end, much like a traditional novel but told through illustrations. Because they are often longer and more complex than standard comic books, many people view them as “books” rather than just magazines or periodicals. They can be fiction stories for all ages, such as the children’s series InvestiGators, which uses mysteries to teach kids about history.
Graphic novels also include non-fiction works that use illustrations and panels to tell real-life stories. A great example of this is They Called Us Enemy, which tells a true story using a graphic format. Sometimes you might even see these concepts overlap with novelizations. A novelization is when a comic book or movie story is turned into an all-text book without any pictures at all.
So, are graphic novels comic books? While they are both visual stories, a comic book is usually a single installment, a trade paperback collects many issues together, and a graphic novel is a complete story in one volume.