The dynamics of cultural transfer can be perceived in the movement of works, authors or references, but also in the circulation of categories used to qualify works. The graphic novel label offers a good illustration of these processes. Emerging in the United States in the 1960s, the label evolved among various critique and production spaces before moving from one country to another. An analysis of the “Marvel Graphic Novel” collection (1982-1993) and its various translations by French publishers (Lug/Semic, Comics USA, Arédit/Artima, Panini) reveals that the reception of this label in France was diverse, ranging from re-semantization to abandonment. This diversity results from both contextual effects and from strategies of the people involved: the meaning of an identical format varies from country to country, and the motivation of those wanting to use the label depends on the editorial strategies they adopt.