Since their creation in June of 1938, comic books have unified fans hoping to see super-powered good prevail over evil. Comics as a medium have lasted through numerous international conflicts, from World War II to the War on Terror. During each one of these conflicts, the question of politics' role in comic books has been posed. Political comics are those which try to comment on or influence how a country is governed. Should comics, which routinely explore the extraordinary, comment on the ordinary? Or, should comics concern themselves with fictional politics at most and no politics at the least?
Yes, comic books should be political.
Comic books, while fictional, are still grounded in reality. Politics, for better or worse, are an unavoidable part of life.
X-Men: Making comics relatable through politics
The X-Men comics were created during the civil rights movement in the United States. A lot of political ideas and figures from this time have made their way into the comic through the guise of fictional characters.
The infamous cover of Captain America punching Adolf Hitler in the face on the cover of Captain America #1 is inherently political, just as comics are.
Spider-Man and 9/11: Comics should not be politically controversial
Spider-Man #36 focuses depicts Spider-Man cleaning up the rubble after the attack on the Twin Towers. By focusing on the attack itself and not the motivations behind the attack, politics are avoided as best as they can be.
