Courtney Crumrin creator Ted Naifeh talks to Comic Book Resources about moving away from pamphlet comics toward longer, more durable publications.This is based on a lame aesthetic. Show me one flabby "graphic novel" with the raw power of Zap #0. It's the same mindset that values concept albums over amazing singles, thinking that the longer form is "deeper".
via Heidi McDonald
Work in comics form which needs to be longer is another matter. I think that the challenge is to keep the energy extended over a longer work. Seth, Bros Hernandez, Satrapi all do this with great brio.
Measuring comics by the standards of other media is usually based on some fundamental fallacy. (Watchmen movie, I am looking at you!)