Invincible, a series created by Robert Kirkman, uses the issue of alcoholism to show readers a story of substance abuse, grief and managing our problems, the character used to show this is the titular character’s mother Debbie Grayson, who, after her husband is revealed to have attempted to conquer the planet and almost beat their son Mark to death in the process, falls into a deep depression, relying heavily on alcohol to get through the long days alone after her son has gone to college. The series makes it very clear how unhealthy this is, with Debbie losing sleep constantly and passing out due to how drunk she is, with her son Mark coming home after patrolling as Invincible to find her out cold in a mess of empty bottles and broken glass, usually having not eaten properly either. Later on in the series, Kirkman gives his own take on getting over this horrendous addiction, with Debbie getting a second child to look after, using it as a way to cope and ignore her urges to drink, it does seem to succeed, with Debbie easing her way out of drinking, although it doesn’t get much more focus after this solution is brought in, not until her husband Nolan (or Omni-Man) returns to Earth, this is a criticism of Kirkman’s writing, as Debbie forgives Nolan despite all the horrible things he’s done, although, this could be argued as a representation of Debbie’s dependence on things going to how they once were, seeing Nolan being back as a chance for the lost sense of security and normality, perhaps using that as further motivation for getting past this addiction.
The second text I have chosen is an article regarding alcoholism and its issues, showing society’s views on alcoholism and how it compares to Kirkman’s rendition of the representation. The article starts by (of course) stating that Alcoholism is dangerous and can cause various health defects and damage the relationships you have with those around you, Kirkman didn’t show this too much, as most of Debbie’s shown issues are her being alone while Mark is out being a hero or in college while Nolan is still off world, although, the health issues mentioned are something Kirkman makes clear, with Debbie having sleep deprivation and an unhealthy lack of eating, leading to her being tired and having little energy daily. The article also mentions that other factors and motivations can lead to the drunk feeling like something the user needs or depends on, which Kirkman shows through Debbie looking after her second son, Oliver and later through her forgiving of Nolan, who she would much rather depend on, clearly urging for the familiarity of the past, something the article also mentions, stating that familiar things can lead to an easier time without the drink, speaking from personal experience, I can also agree with this point, as a family member struggling with alcoholism also found familiar things to be a comfort, whether it be foods, items or places.
Overall, the two texts have similar representations, with both of them highlighting just how impactful alcoholism can be, and the effects it can have on not just the user, but those around them. I do think Kirkman’s representation was accurate to what the article stated, but, there were some things he could’ve done better, with Debbie’s issues being something she mostly showed when she was alone, but, it could be argued this is simply a factor of her not wanting others to see her in such a state. The animated rendition of the graphic novel series is currently available to watch, and Kirkman is writing the show, and has already changed plenty of things from the graphic novels, meaning his representation of alcoholism and how Debbie struggles through and deals with it potentially changing too, whether it be for better or worse is yet to be seen.
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