Martinico on Frames of Injustice: Comics as Constitutional Critique/Marcos de Injustica: Los cómics Como crítica Constitucional

Giuseppe Martinico, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, has published Frames of Injustice: Comics As Constitutional Critique; Marcos De Injusticia: Los cómics Como crítica Constitucional at 11 Constitutional Studies 511 (2026). Here is the abstract.

This article examines the potential of comics as a medium for critically analyzing legal pathologies, with particular attention to the insufficiency of law and the role of legal norms in producing discrimination. Contributing to the emerging field of graphic justice, it builds on the interdisciplinary tradition of law and humanities while proposing an original framework for exploring how constitutional concepts are represented, questioned, and contested in popular culture. The article argues that comics not only reflect social perceptions of law but also actively shape collective imaginaries of justice. Their circulation across different legal and cultural contexts further highlights their transnational dimension, allowing shared concerns about law, authority, and justice to be articulated through a common visual language. Focusing primarily on superhero comics, the article analyzes Batman as a figure of extra-legal justice operating in a systemically corrupt legal environment, illustrating the tension between law and justice. More broadly, the article demonstrates the relevance of comics as analytical tools in constitutional studies.

Download the article from SSRN at the link.