All rise, it’s time for “So You Want To Read Comics”. This is our weekly feature where we take a look at a single topic or genre, then give you two comic book recommendations, perfect for new readers, based on that topic or genre. This week we’re looking at comic books for fans of courtroom dramas.
Courtroom dramas have a long history in popular culture with people having enjoyed seeing a pair of lawyers metaphorically duking it out to determine guilt or innocence all the way back in the early 1900s. These stories are often applauded for their ability to provide a distilled and pure drama while touching on many different themes like corruption, social issues, racism, mental health, and many more. Movies like 12 Angry Men, A Few Good Men, the film adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird, and shows like Law and Order have all become touchstones of the genre, and their tropes are known by everyone including people who aren’t necessarily fans. It’s not surprising then that this special brand of drama has found its way into a multitude of mediums, including comic books. In fact, some characters like Daredevil and She-Hulk are themselves lawyers, and practicing law is integral to their makeup.
Here are a couple of courtroom drama-focused comic books that will satisfy all your wants for motions, objections, exhibits, and verdicts.
SHE-HULK
Writer: Charles Soule
Artist: Javiar Pulido
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Jennifer Walters is one of the premiere attorneys operating in the Marvel Universe. She’s also known as She-Hulk, a gamma radiation-empowered superhero. This series sees her breaking away from the law firm she had been working for and striking out on her own. This leads her down a road where she takes on unusual cases that takes both superhero Jennifer and lawyer Jennifer to win and sometimes even involve her superhero friends. While plenty of this series takes place on the streets, a good portion of it puts She-Hulk in a courtroom. The nice thing about this series is that it was written by Charles Soule who himself is a lawyer and is able to apply his knowledge of court proceedings to give the courtroom drama aspects of this series a sense of realism, which might seem impossible considering the main character is green and can destroy a mahogany table with just her index finger. This creative team worked on this title for 12 issues which have been collected in two separate volumes or one complete collection that also includes issues from other titles that tie into the story here.
BATMAN: COLD DAYS
Writer: Tom King
Artist: Tony S. Daniel
Publisher: DC Comics
Batman: Cold Days is a collection of four stories that ran back-to-back right after a failed wedding between Batman and Catwoman. Now, three of these aren’t necessarily about courtrooms or any sort of legal drama, but one of them very much is and more than makes up for the others. The story in question sees Bruce Wayne making his way onto a jury that is presiding over a case that involves a crime that he was involved in, but not as himself but as his alter-ego Batman. What then follows is a sort of re-imagining of 12 Angry Men, where the jurors have to consider the legality of handing in a guilty verdict when some of the evidence used was obtained through the legally grey methods that Batman utilizes. It’s a fascinating story that dives deep into the relationship between costumed superheroes and the legal system, while also touching on the reality of juries in terms of impartiality and objectivity. While this part of the volume does feature a long-time Batman villain, there isn’t much background knowledge needed to enjoy the story nor does it detract from its ability to showcase the more complicated nature of Batman and the city he operates in, which has become the norm in the last 20 years or so.
What are some of your favorite courtroom dramas? What did you think of these recommendations? Let us know in the comments section below.
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At a young age, Jonathan was dragged to a small town in Wisconsin. A small town in Wisconsin that just so happened to have a comic book shop. Faced with a decision to either spend the humid summers and bitter winters traipsing through the pine trees or in climate controlled comfort with tales of adventure, horror, and romance, he chose the latter. Jonathan can often be found playing video games, board games, reading comics and wincing as his “to watch” list grows wildly out of control.