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Comic Book: 22 pages w/o the ads, usually not self contained, ie will continue next issue. With the growing industry of independent comic books some of these rules have been put aside.

Prestige Format Comic Book: usually at least 48 pages, self contained story. it is easy to confuse this with the graphic novel(see below) but ask any comic store owner that has been through the turbulent 80s and 90s and they will tell you there is definitely a difference. At one time you could not purchase prestige format books in most book stores, only comic stores.

Trade Paper Back (TPB): a compilation of comic book issues that have previously been released individually. The ideal TPB is a self contained story, but this is not always the case.

Graphic Novel: very similar to a prestige format comic book, but larger and always self contained. The main difference between TPBs and graphic novels is that the material in graphic novels is always the first way it has been printed, anything else falls into a different category.

Digest: A digest is the Scott Pilgrim type of format. They have grown a bit over the years but you can still see the roots at the checkout line in grocery stores, with Archie books. Digests are pocket sized books that are much thicker than a regular comic and also come out on a regular basis.

Anthology Comic Book: Just like a TPB, but it is not bound. Just like a regular comic book it is also stapled.

Those are the basic categories, free of charge.

Comic Book: 22 pages w/o the ads, usually not self contained, ie will continue next issue. With the growing industry of independent comic books some of these rules have been put aside.

Prestige Format Comic Book: usually at least 48 pages, self contained story. it is easy to confuse this with the graphic novel(see below) but ask any comic store owner that has been through the turbulent 80s and 90s and they will tell you there is definitely a difference. At one time you could not purchase prestige format books in most book stores, only comic stores.

Trade Paper Back (TPB): a compilation of comic book issues that have previously been released individually. The ideal TPB is a self contained story, but this is not always the case.

Graphic Novel: very similar to a prestige format comic book, but larger and always self contained. The main difference between TPBs and graphic novels is that the material in graphic novels is always the first way it has been printed, anything else falls into a different category.

Digest: A digest is the Scott Pilgrim type of format. They have grown a bit over the years but you can still see the roots at the checkout line in grocery stores, with Archie books. Digests are pocket sized books that are much thicker than a regular comic and also come out on a regular basis.

Anthology Comic Book: Just like a TPB, but it is not bound. Just like a regular comic book it is also stapled.

Those are the basic categories, free of charge.