Hi kids! Do you like comics? For the sighted among you, have you stopped to consider just how many images are in a comic? Like, ya know, the entire thing? Well if you haven’t, please do so now, and ask yourself, “But what about the blind? Can they appreciate comics at all?” Well, today, I’m taking a break from my usual gaming-related discussion, and answering that question. Excelsior!

When you’re blind, especially those of us who are totally blind, your access to the wonderful worlds that exist in comics is limited. The comic books themselves are pretty much out of the question. There are no braille versions, and even the digital versions are still just scanned images. This has a tendency to make conversations with sighted people about comics awkward, as they will invariably know some details you are not aware of. Nevertheless, that hasn’t stopped me from liking both Marvel and DC, and the well-known properties they produce. How, though, do I get what little knowledge I do have?

The keyword here for us is novelizations. Without them, we would have almost nothing. Some comic novelizations are available in audio on audible.com, but if you want the very best versions of some of the greatest Marvel and DC moments in comic book history, you’ll want to check out the hefty comics section of www.graphicaudio.net. These guys are great about adapting graphic novels into fully cast, fully dramatized audio books. Through them, you can experience the event’s of DC’s Infinite Crisis, and Marvel’s Civil War. You can learn about well-known characters like Batman, or more obscure ones like The Question. Not every Graphic Audio production is a masterpiece, but it is kind of wonderful to binge their audio books, and gobble up some comic book knowledge.

So, as you can see, our access is still limited. Nevertheless, it’s good to know that we have a couple options to enjoy comics these days. Maybe someday, a benevolent artificial intelligence will enable us to read all comics everywhere at will, right before concocting a secret plot for world domination! Sounds great, right? Well, until that day, I hope this article has done at least one of two things. First, I hope it has shed light on how we blind folks have access to at least some comic book history, and second I hope it has shown some blind people something they may not have known about. NO matter what, thanks for reading, and continue to be awesome!