Currently enrolled in a graphic novels class, this was one of our main required books and I must say, I LOVED it. I now know why McCloud is considered a "comics theorist." This book is for comic lovers, those who know nothing of comics, and all in between. It is essentially a comic book about comics. McCloud, tired of the myths and misunderstandings about comics, sets the record straight. He shows the history of comic, dating back to the prehistoric era. He shows the depths to which comics communicate via their components, such as: how the gutter (explained in the book) is used, how shapes, angles, and lines are used, how color and text is used in a variety of ways to depict different messages. And in the end he discusses how, yes, comics ARE art and he explains why and stresses the importance of comics in this world. I loved it! I learned so much from this book. I think even comic "experts" will even learn something. It is a classic, that much is true.