Reproductive Rights in Comic Books – From Superheroes to Sci-Fi
Whether it’s slice-of-life stories, resource sharing, or just superheroes and science fiction romance – abortion is a part of human life.
Last Friday, the United States Supreme Court voted to overturn the historic Roe v. Wade case. The decision removed reproductive rights Americans have had for more than 50 years, leaving abortion access up to states. Almost 20 states are now set to eliminate access to various forms of reproductive healthcare.
So many people all over the world have their own abortion stories. Many folks have been sharing their own stories as a way to express how impactful the right to choose has been in their lives. If this kind of sharing can help you or a loved one process what’s happening right now, you should consider these comics.
Comics for Choice
This is the comic book anthology of reproductive info and impact. It’s full of emotional, poignant, funny abortion stories, along with helpful facts and insight from lawyers, activists, historians, medical professionals, and more. The featured stories include trans voices and people from different ages and backgrounds.
Not Funny Ha-Ha
Leah Hayes’ comic about two women undergoing two different methods of abortion is exactly what it says: a handbook. The story is highly praised for its technicality, illuminating the medical procedure and the difficult emotions that can come along with it. It’s a powerful piece of work, and very effectively removes the stigma from “something hard.”
Saga
Saga tells the tale of two star-crossed lovers in another galaxy. Marco and Alana are two soldiers from warring planets who are on the run across space with their daughter. It’s beloved for its breathtaking artwork, the cast of characters, and sharp commentary on difficult issues.
And unsurprisingly, the subject of abortion becomes important in issue #44 when Alana has a miscarriage. She and her family travel to a planet so she can have the baby aborted before she faces dangerous medical (and magical) consequences. To get the care she needs, they face off against radical pro-lifers on an old-West style planet.
You can (and should) read the first volume for free with a Comixology subscription.
No Kidding
Jane and Lucy are two friends with two very different feelings about kids. Lucy didn’t plan on having any kids, but now she’s pregnant and unsure. Jane is so sick of people asking her why she doesn’t want to have kids. Together, they have some valuable conversations about the importance of choice with humor and a good deal of sarcasm in this story by Fair Square Comics.
Invincible
Not too many mainstream superheroes, if any, have had conversations about abortion. Samantha Eve Wilkins, known in costume as Atom Eve, is the atom-manipulating superhero and love interest in Robert Kirkman’s Invincible. Our lead hero, Mark, and Eve have been together for-eh-ver, and eventually, they start a family of their own. But when Mark leaves Earth to fight an intergalactic war, Eve finds out she’s pregnant and she chooses to have an abortion.
The storyline itself isn’t anything too revolutionary – Invincible, like its sister story The Walking Dead, tends to drop emotional bombs left and right without exceptionally deep introspection. But it does mark the big moment of a superhero talking about it.
