Does DC handle mental illness well?

[QuinnFillory]

With Heroes in Crisis, it looked like there was a chance to examine how mental health is dealt with in the world of superheroes. Instead, it became a botched sequel to Identity Crisis. This is a disappointment as well as a major missed opportunity for DC. Between this and the fact that a lot of their villains have untreated illnesses, I am left wondering if maybe DC is being irresponsible when it comes to the representation of mental illnesses.

[Robanker]

I mean they do have a character in a Bat costume punching the mentally ill in the head on a nightly basis, though you'll be allowed to reform if you're hot enough (Harley, Ivy, Killer Frost).

Mental illness is largely a backdrop at DC comics. It's used as a springboard to launch a story forward, but they traditionally lose interest at actually delving into it, with Heroes in Crisis the latest indictment of that. Granted, there are some exceptions, but with most big issues, DC is more interested in the drama of the situation rather than the severity of it with respect to the real world. Rape, mental illness, child death; it's there to drive a story, not to be it.

Take that as you will. I'm personally displeased with it.

[Flash Gordon]

Heroes in Crisis doesn't handle anything well.

[CaptCleghorn]

Heroes in Crisis doesn't handle anything well.

The art is beautiful.

But back to the main point, HiC is a disappointment to me as I hoped it would have looked closer at some of these issues. The nine panel vignettes with various characters talking to the camera are kinda enlightening, but generally anything like this needing substance can't be handled well in a nine panel scene. I suspect that had HiC been what I was hoping, it would have done poorly in sales as most readers expect a fight in a book entitled "Crisis" of any kind.

[Agent Z]

Largely, no.

[Vordan]

Mental illness is just a plot device for why the Joker doesn’t get executed. There have been a few good explorations of it, but they’re a rarity.

[king81992]

DC has NEVER handled mental illness well. Most forms of media don't. Heroes In Crisis is more about cheap shock value and character assassination than talking about mental illness.

[SuperiorIronman]

No, no it doesn't and to be completely honest it can come off as insulting but that's what happens when at best a writer comes from a Highschool psychology course.

Ignoring Heroes in Crisis, it's just something DC and others utilize as a "get out of jail free card" when it comes to explaining OOC moments or why they did what they did for the sake of the plot. DC and even Marvel are guilty of this with what's normally lip-service to the whole thing to make you think like they know what someone with a mental disease is like.

[My Two Cents]

A writer can only research and hope his work will be accurate.
I am pretty sure if Stan Lee actually knew what Reed Richards was talking about he would have probably spent the early years of his life building a zillion dollars business empire
and at least explore other galaxies and even taking Jack Kirby on a trip into the past before they teamed up to create Fantastic Four #1

[Jackalope89]

About the only one was Jessica Cruz's social anxiety.

HiC, well, it has nice art. That's about the only positive I've seen of it.

[Harpsikord]

DC Comics killed off their highest profile character that suffers from mental illness off panel, so... the answer is no.

[iron chimp]

The aftermath of black mask in brubaker's catwoman was superb as was mental illness in milligan's Shade. Im sure there are loads of good examples.