ABSTRACT
My daughter was in elementary school when she came home visibly upset and told me about a video she watched in class about 9/11. This video showed horrific images of people jumping from the burning towers, and she just couldn’t process why this would happen. I tried to explain so much about that day, how we felt, the questions we had, and how we were able to go back to school the next day. She felt better, but I still didn’t think that she was able to get past the mental images in her mind to understand what I was saying. I went into my comics bin and pulled out the Amazing Spider-Man Volume 2 #36, December 2001. Marvel comics take place in the real world, often in New York City. Following this tragedy, it was decided not to ignore the events of that day but rather to write them into the comics. This powerful comic opens up with Spider-Man at ground zero as the buildings collapse. Throughout the comic, there are moments of doubt and disbelief, civilians even questioning Spider-Man about how he could let this happen. This really encapsulates many of my feelings from that day—the most powerful nation in the world brought to its knees shook my idea of safety and security. But the comic continues to show the first responders and many others arriving to help. This is an honest look at the events of the day and shows how others reacted around the world. This comic, written by J. Michael Straczynski, penciled by John Romita, Jr., inked by Scott Hanna, and colored by Dan Kemp, enabled my daughter to make sense of an event that was beyond her young mind in an honest yet accessible way, and I am forever grateful as a father and educator. I now use this comic in my classroom every year to discuss not only the events and history of that day, but also on comics as artifacts. This comic can be purchased online, but it can be pricey. However, digital copies can be purchased for $1.99 on Kindle at the time of this writing. (The entire lesson I use is included in the appendix of this book.)
