The biggest selling titles in comics are those about superheroes. However, the comic book industry covers a lot more than caped crusaders fighting crime. Many comic book creators use the medium to tell stories about serious subject matters, and some produce comics about mental health.
These comics vary from autobiographical accounts of mental health struggles to writers using the classic capes to tell stories about mental health through the lens of a superhero. These stories present mental health in a relatable and accessible way, which either helps readers feel represented or lets them gain a greater understanding of others.
10 "Daredevil: Born Again" Tackles Depression
Daredevil (aka Matt Murdock) has suffered from depression his entire life, and Daredevil: Born Again written by Frank Miller and drawn by David Mazzucchelli takes a deeper look at his experience. Regarded as one of the best Daredevil arcs, Born Again focuses on Matt's descent into a darker place thanks to the actions of the Kingpin.
On finding out Daredevil's true identity, the crime boss sets out to ruin Matt's life. Matt loses his job and home and begins lashing out at his friends. Thankfully, he's able to claw his way back from the dark depths of depression and expose the Kingpin for the criminal he is. While most people aren't superheroes, Daredevil's depression is still relatable and realistic.
9 Millennials Love "Adulthood Is A Myth" By Sarah Andersen
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Sarah Andersen's webcomic, Sarah's Scribbles, is a semi-autobiographical comic about the everyday life of millennials. The webcomic is so popular that Andersen released a collection of comics under the title Adulthood is a Myth.
Andersen's comics explore the common stresses of millennial life, including feelings of inadequacy, poor body image, and social anxiety. Her comics are very relatable and address serious subjects in a humorous way. Readers feel safe in the knowledge they're not the only ones who feel weird all the time.
8 Jessica Cruz Struggles With Anxiety
Green Lantern Jessica Cruz suffers from anxiety and panic attacks. At times, her anxiety is so bad she's unable to get out of bed. In all her comic appearances, Jessica is shown managing her condition with support from her partner, Simon Baz. A great example of this support is shown in Green Lanterns: Family Matters by Sam Humphries, Ronan Cliquet, Blond, and Dave Sharpe.
Baz invites Jessica to dinner to meet his family and, at first, her anxiety makes her look for ways to skip the dinner. However, instead of arguing with her, Baz talks her into helping him prepare dessert. Her appreciation for the food helps her overcome her anxiety long enough to meet her partner's family. Jessica's struggles help anxiety sufferers feel seen and inspire hope that they can overcome their feelings too.
7 "Hyperbole And A Half" Made The Leap From Webcomic To Graphic Novel
Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh began as a series of webcomics and blog posts before making the leap to a graphic novel. Brosh's simple art style became enormously popular, and many of her comics about the realities of depression have been shared all over the internet. Her work is odd and often surreal, drawing on meme culture and rage comics to create relatable stories. They often expose the funny side of living with depression and smash the classic stereotypes more commonly seen in media.
6 Red Hood Seeks Redemption And Heals From Trauma
Red Hood is one of the more complicated members of the Bat-Family, but Red Hood and the Outlaws by Scott Lobdell and Kenneth Rocafort explored the theme of redemption and recovery with several of its main characters.
Throughout the story, Jason is able to start putting the trauma of his death behind him. He also works through this grudge against Batman with the support of Starfire and Arsenal. Arsenal is working through his own issues at the same time as a recovering heroin addict, and his friendship with Jason and Starfire is an important part of restoring his self-worth. This arc shows how important friendships are for those suffering from poor mental health and how recovery is a long and challenging journey.
5 Darryl Cunningham Shares Stories From His Work
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Artist Darryl Cunningham previously worked as a nursing assistant in a psychiatric ward. His experiences and knowledge of mental illnesses and their varied symptoms led to his work Psychiatric Tales, which is a collection of stories about mental health told in graphic form. His stark style of art, combined with the mixture of science, history, and anecdotes combine to create a moving and compelling series of graphic stories. Inspired by his patients, Cunningham aims to reduce the stigma around mental illness and educate his readers.
4 Iron Man Was An Alcoholic Who Managed To Turn It Around
One of the first times superhero comics dealt with mental health was in 1979's Iron Man: Demon In A Bottle by David Micheline and Bob Layton – an arc that dealt with Iron Man's alcoholism. In this famous story, Iron Man's armor is malfunctioning, which leads to him accidentally killing a foreign ambassador. Traumatized by this mistake, Tony turns to alcohol to cope. He begins to drink heavily, hoping to forget his problems, and isolates himself by driving away his friends and colleagues. His girlfriend of the time, Bethany Cabe, confronts him and forces him to accept he has a problem, which leads to his recovery. This arc paved the way for superhero comics to tackle subjects like addiction and other mental health conditions.
3 Ellen Forney Worried About Creativity
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Being diagnosed with a mental health condition often comes with a lot of fear and shame. When Ellen Forney was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, she was scared of what the medication would do to her creativity. These kinds of fears aren't uncommon for many people living with conditions like bipolar disorder. Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, and Me explores Forney's relationship to her diagnosis, her journey of acceptance while undergoing treatment, and her determination to maintain her creative life. This graphic novel is a fascinating look at someone's bipolar disorder and the strangeness that comes with seeking treatment.
2 Captain Marvel Has Her Share Of Demons
Captain Marvel is a powerful hero who's dealt with many struggles throughout her storied history. The Life of Captain Marvel, written by Margaret Stohl with art by Carlos Pacheco and Marguerite Sauvage, digs into these struggles and explores Carol's childhood issues and tough relationships.
The story shows Carol's trauma manifesting as panic attacks, which start with her pummeling a villain so hard Captain America has to pull her away. Carol admits she has anger problems and returns to her childhood home to confront them. While there, she deals with her memories of an abusive father and her relationship with her mother. This poignant story handles Carol's troubles with sensitivity and makes her seem more human in the process.
1 Ink In Water Is Honest About Eating Disorders
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Ink In Water by Lacy J. Davies and Jim Ketter is an unflinching graphic memoir about eating disorders. It's the true story of Lacy's journey through multiple eating disorders and her battle to balance society's body standards with her riot grrrl roots. What begins as body worries soon escalates into anorexia, an obsession with health food, and an exercise addiction. Unfortunately, when Lacy sought help from Overeaters Anonymous, she found it didn't fit with her punk, feminist beliefs. This honest memoir is equally brutal and funny. It tackles the conflicts eating disorders and the road to recovery often bring.