Published on: July 1, 2025
The primary focus of the selections represented here are various physical disabilities in comics. For more selections on mental health and related disabilities, please visit our Mental Health Awareness Month webpage. Suggestions on how we can always improve our selections and representation on our shelves is always welcome! Click here to read about the History of the Disability Pride Flag. “Disability is not inability”.
| Title | Author/Illustrator | Category | Representation |
| Batgirl: Art of Crime | Mairghread Scott, Paul Pelletier | DC | Wheelchair |
| Batgirl: The Joker War | Cecil Castellucci, Carmine Di Giandomenico, Robbi Rodriguez, Jordie Bellaire | DC | Wheelchair |
| Joe the Barbarian | Grant Morrison, Sean Murphy | DC | Type 1 Diabetes |
| The Oracle Code | Marieke Nijkamp | DC Kids | Paralysis |
| Clementine | Tillie Walden | Image | Prosthetic Leg |
| Monstress | Marjorie M. Liu | Image | Prosthetic Arm |
| Invisible Differences | Julie Dachez | Independent | Autism |
| Metaphase | Chip Reece | Independent | Down Syndrome |
| On A Sunbeam | Tillie Walden | Independent | Mute |
| The Degenerates | Jennifer Ann Mann | Independents | Various disabilities |
| Mermaid With No Tail | Jessica Long | Kid’s Picture Book | Missing apendage |
| Outside the Box | Mary Jane Martin, Cayla Besler | Kid’s Picture Book | Dyslexia |
| El Deafo | Cece Bell | Kids | Hearing Disability |
| Goosebumps: Secrets of Swamp | Marieke Nijkamp | Kids | Prosthetic Hand |
| Nova | Suzanne Walker | Kids | Hearing Disability |
| Rose Wolves | Natalie Warner | Kids | Missing apendages |
| Tea Dragon Society | Kay O’Neill | Kids | Various disabilities |
| A Sign of Affection | Suu Morishita | Manga | Deaf |
| I Hear The Sunspot | Yuki Fumino | Manga | Hearing Disability |
| Perfect World | Rie Aruga | Manga | Paralysis |
| Real | Takehiko Inoue | Manga | Wheelchair |
| Run On Your New Legs | Wataru Midori | Manga | Prosthetic Leg |
| Shino Can’t Say Her Name | Shuzo Oshimi | Manga | Mute |
| Snegurochka of the Spring Breeze | Hiroaki Samura | Manga | Wheelchair |
| Dardevil: Parts of A Hole | David Mack, Joe Quesada | Marvel | Deaf |
| Daredevil | Chip Zdarsky | Marvel | Visual Disability |
| Hawkeye: Vol. 1: My Life As A Weapon | Matt Fraction | Marvel | Hearing Disability |
| Always Human | Ari North | Webtoon | Autoimmune Disorder |
| Mooncakes | Suzanne Walker, Wendy Xu | Young Adult | Hearing Disability |
| Stars in Their Eyes | Jessica Walton | Young Adult | Prosthetic Leg |
More Than Able: 15 Disabled Superheroes That Inspire Us (CBR)
“Tee Franklin is a Black, queer, disabled, autistic, award winning, bestselling comic writer, TV writer and public speaker from New Jersey. In 2018, Franklin became the first Black, queer, disabled woman writer with a series published by Image Comics, for her bestselling queer romance graphic novella, BINGO LOVE, which is currently on its fourth printing. Franklin is also the first Black woman to write the DC Comics well-known characters, Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, from the GLAAD nominated and bestselling HARLEY QUINN: EAT. BANG! KILL TOUR series based on the HARLEY QUINN animated series on HBO MAX.
In 2023, Franklin co-created Violette Rainbow, a disabled pony — with vitiligo and anxiety — for My Little Pony, in addition to her best friend, Skye, and Skye’s mother, Mariama — a pair of zebras. All three characters debuted in MY LITTLE PONY #14.
In 2022, Franklin helped develop/co-create Charlotte Webber, a brand new Spider-persona for Marvel Comics. Sun-Spider is a disabled Spider-person with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome that debuted in EDGE OF SPIDER-VERSE #4. Sun-Spider also appeared in the highly anticipated Spider-verse sequel, ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE!
In July 2022, Ford and Mellon Foundations announced their second round of Disability Futures Fellows, Franklin was nominated and received a $50,000 grant for the work she’s done that advances the cultural landscape thanks to the disability representation in her works.
Franklin’s stories have also appeared in the New York Times bestselling and Eisner winning graphic novel, LOVE IS LOVE as well as award winning anthologies — ELEMENTS: FIRE and FEMME MAGNIFIQUE.
Franklin won the 2017 Prism Queer Press Grant, which allowed her to create BINGO LOVE and raised almost $60k via Kickstarter. BINGO LOVE was nominated for a GLAAD award for best comic in 2019, in addition to being a GoodReads Choice nominee. BINGO LOVE dominated “Best Of” 2018 lists and won the Virginia Library Diversity Award for best graphic novel in August 2019. Franklin was named one of 2018’s Icons, Innovators and Disruptors by Advocate Magazine.
Franklin’s goals are to change the ugly and harmful narrative the media has created about disabled people. They want to show that you can create works of art without offending disabled people. Franklin has proven if given accommodations and accessibility, disabled people can accomplish anything. There’s so much talent that lies within disabled people, all you need to do is open your mind and see us as more than our disabilities.
Tee Franklin is a domestic violence survivor, mom of four adult children, veteran sex worker and a Teema to one grandbaby. When they’re not writing — or tweeting — Franklin is watching anime, Asian horror movies or reliving the joy from re-watching the Justice League and Justice League Unlimited shows — especially the episodes featuring Vixen, and enjoying medical marijuana, curly fries and lemon pepper wings (flats baby!!!)
As of January 2024, Franklin is writing an unannounced television project, a creator owned comic series, horror film, and graphic novel.” – from Tee Franklin’s website. You can find Tee’s works on our shelves, such as Bingo Love, Harley Quinn Eat. BANG! Kill. Tour, Harley Quinn Legion of Bats, and more!
Click here to read Tee’s interview with Disability Visibility Project
El Deafo by Cece Bell
“Starting at a new school is scary, especially with a giant hearing aid strapped to your chest! At her old school, everyone in Cece’s class was deaf. Here, she’s different. She’s sure the kids are staring at the Phonic Ear, the powerful aid that will help her hear her teacher. Too bad it also seems certain to repel potential friends.
Then Cece makes a startling discovery. With the Phonic Ear, she can hear her teacher not just in the classroom, but anywhere her teacher is in the school—in the hallway . . . in the teacher’s lounge . . . in the bathroom! This is power. Maybe even superpower! Cece is on her way to becoming El Deafo, Listener for All.
But the funny thing about being a superhero is that it’s just another way of feeling different . . . and lonely. Can Cece channel her powers into finding the thing she wants most: a true friend?
El Deafo is a book that will entertain children, give hearing-impaired children a hero of their own, and challenge others to consider an experience unlike their own. Like other great works for children, it provides the opportunity for young readers to consider how they would act or react in a similar situation, helping to build empathy and understanding through the power of story.” (Gabi’s Pick)
Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu
“A story of love and demons, family and witchcraft. Nova Huang knows more about magic than your average teen witch. She works at her grandmothers’ bookshop, where she helps them loan out spell books and investigate any supernatural occurrences in their New England town. One fateful night, she follows reports of a white wolf into the woods, and she comes across the unexpected: her childhood crush, Tam Lang, battling a horse demon in the woods. As a werewolf, Tam has been wandering from place to place for years, unable to call any townhome. Pursued by dark forces eager to claim the magic of wolves and out of options, Tam turns to Nova for help. Their latent feelings are rekindled against the backdrop of witchcraft, untested magic, occult rituals, and family ties both new and old in this enchanting tale of self-discovery.”
One of my favorite YA graphic novels. Definitely a great read for all ages looking for magic, romance, various representation and intersectionality, beautiful art, with a touch of humor. – Luna Z.
Monstress by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda
“Set in an alternate matriarchal 1900’s Asia, in a richly imagined world of art deco-inflected steam punk, MONSTRESS tells the story of a teenage girl who is struggling to survive the trauma of war, and who shares a mysterious psychic link with a monster of tremendous power, a connection that will transform them both and make them the target of both human and otherworldly powers.”
I started reading “Monstress” as it released roughly 10 years ago. The story is still continuing and absolutely holds up to this day. Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda have created such an intricate and complex universe while also touching on relatable and very real concepts such as identity, familial ties, loss, war, and genocide. Despite the main character, Maika, missing an arm and battling mental and physical demons, she proves to be a powerful force to be reckoned with. – Luna Z.
Questions on in-store availability on any selections? Contact us!
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