I don't know if graphic novels are a BETTER expressive medium, but I definitely enjoy them for the depth that the artwork adds to the text. My interest lies in the subtleties of the drawings - most of the time, the pictures don't directly depict the accompanying text. The art definitely provides a subtext - and so you can be reading two stories at the same time (what is being said and what is not being said, but shown). For example, when Skim is talking about her parents at the beginning of the novel, there's a panel with an upside-down mug that says "World's greatest mom" - which seems an ironic commentary.
As an aside: I read Paul Auster's City of Glass years ago and recently read the graphic novel version of it - it is amazing how much the drawing draw out the themes of the novel.
I also don't really liken reading Skim to watching a movie, because with a graphic novel, you can always flip back to the last page, or choose to spend more time on one panel than another. In that way, I think the graphic novel engages me more actively than a movie. It's an interaction.
I also had a question for people: do you read the text first or look at the pictures? I tend to read the text first and skim (no pun intended) the pictures and often have to read a graphic novel again, paying closer attention to the art.
I liked the usage of black and white rather than colorful images. When I read such stories, to respond to your question, I actually start by the text; nevertheless, I sometimes cast a quick look on the graphics. this happens only if I have no interest in reading the story for many reasons. It was a good, light experience with Skim, though.
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