For as long as I can remember, I have enjoyed stories.

When I was young, I read a lot. I was a connoisseur of The Hardy Boys and Goosebumps, and I went through a big Kurt Vonnegut phase as a teenager.

At some point, though, I became incapable of reading fiction. Now my mind wanders so frequently when staring at the text that I tend to lose the story completely.

I always realize I haven’t retained anything from the last several pages and then start over.

Incidentally, for several years, I’ve only been able to read biographies and other types of non-fiction.

I in no way intend for this column to be a cry for help, but the void of fiction in my heart that was once only satisfied through “lame” (awesome) video games and science fiction movies has now been filled beyond its capacity.

To fill this void, I have adopted the graphic novel.

The art is interesting enough to keep me into the story without losing my attention and often substitutes the bland narratives that can take several pages to explain how a character looks or dresses, and the pacing is excellent.

While many people think graphic novels operate solely within the superhero realm, that is entirely untrue.

The list of non-superhero graphic novels goes on and on. You’ve got Sandman, Jimmy Corrigan, V for Vendetta - even Edgar Allen Poe’s The Raven has been turned into a graphic novel.

Graphic novels are capable of taking on the same plot and tone of any other book out there. They don’t even have to be fiction.

A good example of this is the graphic novel Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi.

The book is an autobiography depicting Satrapi’s life during the war between Iran and Iraq during the 1980s.

But even though graphic novels are capable of telling the same stories that any novel can, the art in each frame can operate as a storyteller in itself, giving the graphic novel many unique possibilities.

A great example of this is the non-fiction Maus, by Art Speigelman. Maus tells the tale of Speigelman’s father, a Jewish man who survived the Holocaust.

The interesting part of this novel is that Speigelman, who also drew the art, depicted the Jews as mice and the Nazis as cats.

This wonderfully ambitious decision creates an exceptional tone within the story.

It is amazing that someone is gifted enough to write an awesome novel and illustrate it as well.

But don’t forget my favorite genre: superhero graphic novels.

Most who know me well know I’m a Batman fan, and I won’t hide that here.

I have found so many great Batman graphic novels that the only trouble I have is picking out which one to read next.

That doesn’t mean, however, that there aren’t good graphic novels featuring other superheroes.

Anyone partial to the Flash, Spiderman, X-Men, Green Lantern, Superman, Wonder Woman or any hero who is well-known can find several solid novels about their personal favorite.

Still, some graphic novel super heroes are original.

This includes Watchmen.

There really isn’t anything new I can say about this incredible story that hasn’t already been said.

If you are at all intrigued by the novel, read it before the movie comes out in March.

Graphic novels turned me from a non-reader into someone who reads frequently and enjoys it a lot.

If you have given up reading, don’t hesitate to look into graphic novels.

It worked for me, and there are so many different genres that I’m convinced anyone could find something they like.

Jordan Rogers is an industrial engineering senior. His column appears every other Wednesday.