The innovative use of comic art as a medium for exploring and “cripping” historical narratives is a compelling approach that has been gaining momentum in recent years. This paper delves into the ways in which various disability groups themselves are narrating their history and how history is envisioned in the realm of comics through the lens of disability.

In taking a comparative and transnational perspective, three examples will be examined, including “Seger!” which delves into the history of the Deaf community in Sweden, “Epileptic,” a graphic novel that provides insight into a family’s epileptic child, intricately interwoven with France’s post-war history, and “Freaks,” offering a contemporary adaptation of the 1932 film by Tod Browning.

What unites these comics is a pervasive theme of emancipation, a stark departure from the typical narrative of “overcoming” disability often depicted in mainstream superhero comics, as exemplified by characters like Marvel’s Daredevil. Instead, they strive to foster a disability identity and are closely linked to what Robert McRuer has termed “crip,” a strategy aimed to “resist the contemporary spectacle of able-bodied heteronormativity,” and to reclaim disability. By applying Rosemary Garland Thomson’s analytical framework of “staring”, we also aim to scrutinize how the able-bodied gaze on disability perpetuates exclusionary narratives and highlights ableist norms.

Ultimately, the core objective of this paper is to enhance norm-critical discussions on ablebodiness and normalcy. It also wants to trace how disability comics aim to foster social justice. In doing so, we aim to contribute to ongoing scholarly discussions on how disability, identity formation, and the pursuit of social justice are fostered within the realm of comics.