It's not often that my interest in comics and my writing about disability issues and advocacy cross over, so this is something I definitely want to share.
I was re-reading the second volume of Guarding The Globe, a spin-off of Invincible, both great titles from Image Comics.
Pretty standard comic book stuff: super-beings, aliens, robots, etc. Then at about two-thirds into the story, I read something pretty awesome. The whole moment centres around the character Brit (sort of a Captain America type). Earlier, he and his wife learn that their son has been diagnosed with autism. Both parents spend a fair bit of the story worried about the boy's future. Then, the awesome part happens.
After being accused of not caring about his son's diagnosis, Brit takes his wife to the scene of a battle between some of the story's heroes and a monster. His wife plays off the sight, thinking it means their son's autism doesn't even come close to one of the worst things her husband has seen. Brit counters by first describing some of his fellow heroes to her (most of whom aren't even human) and tells her that when he sees these characters, who are far less normal than their son, accomplish great feats, it gives him hope for what the boy will be able to accomplish, rather than what he won't.
This comic just used some of the following characters as a way for a couple to accept their child's disability:
- A girl who transforms into a monster
- And a super-powered bulldog
I've seen a lot of comic books tackle disabilities, but I've never seen it done with this much care and originality. There weren't any of the usual stereotypes used when this kind of subject matter comes up, like bitterness, goofiness, or (thank God) transforming wheelchairs. It was just a nice moment accented by really cool, different characters. I'm glad I noticed it, and I applaud the writers for including it.
Cheers!
