Do try Gaiman, especially Sandman. Maus by Art Spiegelman is also very good and thought-provoking.

I agree with most of what you say about Watchmen. I think maybe it has been lauded so much because it is not about superheroes (except Dr. Manhattan, and he seems to be included mostly to allow another unnecessary character to move around very fast), but about real people playing at being superheroes and the very real problems they face while doing so. The story does bring up one philosophical question, namely whether it is acceptable to sacrifice a minority to save the majority. Unfortunately it then leaves it unanswered.

Volume 3 of Sandman is a good place to start. The 4 tales in it are all stand alone short stories that don't involve the arc of the series. I say this because the 1st volume, while good, isn't the best intro to Gaiman for someone not inclined to appreciate comic books anyway.

Do you think, perhaps, a comic book aficionado brings more of his own fantasy to fill out the narrative than the average reader?

I think they are comic books.
But if you want to try Gaiman, try the original illustrated Stardust. This is more like a illustrated book than a comic book and -- the Charles Vess watercolors & sketches are fantastic, imo.

I started experimenting with graphic novels partly because I enjoy the funnies in the paper and like the use of drawings to convey a story. It stimulates a different part of the brain than a regular book.

I'm not big into the superhero types myself, or ones that are graphically sexual or violent.

Maus is a very good one to try. I convinced my book discussion group to do it, and everyone seemed to appreciate it and enjoy the foray into a different genre, even if they didn't think they would read another one. My favorite author is Will Eisner. I love the quality of his art and his portrayal of New York City life.

Others that I have enjoyed are Pyongyang by Guy Delisle, which tells about the time he spent in North Korea, and The Rabbi's Cat by Joann Sfar, for its unique characters.

I think graphic novels are a bit of an acquired taste in some ways. I have read some very good ones, and some not-so-good ones, so the quality can vary greatly.

Maus, as already mentioned, is a good one to start with. Also Persepolis is a good one. Sometimes, I think people expect these graphic novels to be "funny-haha" when actually, they are quite serious topics in some cases.

Haven't read the superhero ones as I am not really into that, but have read quite a few autobiographical ones which are completely different.

But as I said, I think it's an acquired taste.

Perhaps it's just Watchmen being overhyped.

I made the statement above that I'd not read any graphic novels, but I've realized that's not true - I love Raymond Briggs. One of the most touching books I've read in recent years is Ethel and Ernest - it's the story of his parents, from their meeting, getting married, having a child and eventually dying. And it's all drawn, in his own inimitable style. I also found When the Wind Blows very moving.

(But I still think referring to things like this as "graphic novels" is a bit precious.)

I'll try Sandman or Maus.

Graphic novels are not my favorite genre and I agree with Lemonhead that they are an acquired taste, especially for those of us past our twenties or so.

I work for a large library system and both the purchase of graphic novels as an addition to the collection and the circulation of the these books have really taken off in the past several years. My son, who is in middle school, will pick one up as easily as he picks up a traditional novel and he is an avid reader. Graphic novels have a range of topics just like any other fiction; while the Superhero stuff is popular with a certain crowd, more serious works like Shaun Tan's The Arrival about the experience of immigration, are also popular.