Inalternative comics an emerging literature charles hatfield establishes the parameters of alternative comics by closely examining long form comics in particular the graphic novel he argues that these are fundamentally a literary form and offers an extensive critical study of them both as a literary genre and as a cultural phenomenon. In alternative comics an emerging literature charles hatfield establishes the parameters of alternative comics by closely examining long form comics in particular the graphic novel. Alternative comics an emerging literature by charles hatfield 391 rating details 64 ratings 8 reviews in the 1980s a sea change occurred in comics fueled by art spiegel man and fran oise moulys avant garde anthology raw and the launch of the love rockets series by gilbert jaime and mario hernandez the decade saw a deluge . In alternative comics an emerging literature charles hatfield establishes the parameters of alternative comics by closely examining long form comics in particular the graphic novel he argues that these are fundamentally a literary form and offers an extensive critical study of them both as a literary genre and as a cultural phenomenon