A new study published in School Library Monthly argues that comics have the same value for learning as other forms of literature.  The study, by Carol Tilley, a professor of library and information science at the University of Illinois, found evidence that comics increase vocabulary and instill a love of reading, according to the Telegraph. 

“If you really consider how the pictures and words work together to tell a story, you can make the case that comics are just as complex as any other kind of literature,” she said.

The news of this study is tearing up the Internet on high traffic sites including Slashdot, so there’s hope in this quarter that it will continue the growing use of comics in schools, which has the potential to expose new generations to comics at earlier ages than has been the case for decades.