user207: In terms of audience, graphic novels appear to be on-topic. Most any store I go to to buy manga will have graphic novels nearby. That said, it will also likely share a wall or a storefront with Marvel and so forth.

How should scope be defined around graphic novels? 
Is the limiting factor the presentation style or culture-based?
What is the difference between graphic novels and manga in terms of audience, and does that matter to scoping the site?


user98: Jiro Taniguchi and Moebius (a French artist recently passed away) worked together to make Icare. This can be called a graphic novel and a manga and this is absolutely on-topic. Not all graphics novels are Western comics, there are even important collaborations from a Japanese artist and a Western artist like this. 
Agreeing to a by origin definition or a by external reference definition (here about anime) will solve this question, because excluding graphic novels will be ambiguous as ambiguous is the definition of "graphic novels": a more "literary" and appealing term for comics or manga, but not a term to distinguish between manga (Japanese comics) and comics (Western comics).
In answering this question, graphic novels should not be excluded because many manga could be defined as graphic novels.

user62: No, graphic novels should not be on-topic. Comics such as Watchmen, Batman, Bone, et cetera are not manga, and should thus be ruled off-topic. See this related meta here: How should manga be defined? 

207: <p>In terms of audience, graphic novels appear to be on-topic. Most any store I go to to buy manga will have graphic novels nearby. That said, it will also likely share a wall or a storefront with Marvel and so forth.</p>

<ul>
<li>How should scope be defined around graphic novels? </li>
<li>Is the limiting factor the presentation style or culture-based?</li>
<li>What is the difference between graphic novels and manga in terms of audience, and does that matter to scoping the site?</li>
</ul>
 98: <p>Jiro Taniguchi and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Giraud" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Moebius</a> (a French artist recently passed away) worked together to make <em><a href="http://www.nonsolomanga.it/manga4/taniguchi_icaro.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Icare</a></em>. This can be called a graphic novel <em>and</em> a manga and this is absolutely on-topic. Not all graphics novels are Western comics, there are even important collaborations from a Japanese artist and a Western artist like this. </p>

<p>Agreeing to a <a href="https://anime.meta.stackexchange.com/a/266/98">by origin definition</a> or a by <a href="https://anime.meta.stackexchange.com/a/189/98">external reference definition</a> (here about anime) will solve this question, because excluding graphic novels will be ambiguous as ambiguous is the definition of "graphic novels": a more "literary" and appealing term for comics or manga, but not a term to distinguish between manga (Japanese comics) and comics (Western comics).</p>

<p>In answering this question, graphic novels should not be excluded because many manga could be defined as graphic novels.</p>
 62: <p>No, graphic novels should not be on-topic. Comics such as Watchmen, Batman, Bone, et cetera are <em>not</em> manga, and should thus be ruled off-topic. See this related meta here: <a href="https://anime.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/265/how-should-manga-be-defined">How should manga be defined?</a> </p>
