Here's a breakdown of potential contenders:
Early Candidates:
* "The Yellow Kid" (1895): This comic strip by Richard Outcault is often cited as a pioneering example of sequential art with a complete narrative. However, it was originally published in newspapers, not as a bound volume.
* "The Katzenjammer Kids" (1897): Similar to "The Yellow Kid," this popular comic strip featured a continuous story but was originally serialized.
The First Bound Novel-Length Comic:
* "The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn" (1943): This is often considered the first true graphic novel, as it was a long, self-contained story published in a bound format. However, it was originally serialized in a magazine.
Modern Recognition:
* "A Contract with God" (1978): This work by Will Eisner is widely recognized as the first graphic novel in the modern sense. It was published in a single volume, and its mature themes and complex narrative were groundbreaking for the time.
In Conclusion:
The answer depends on how you define "graphic novel." If you're looking for the first bound comic with a complete, novel-length story, "The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn" holds the claim. However, if you're considering the modern concept of a single-volume, self-contained story with mature themes, then "A Contract with God" is the undisputed winner.