While the cultural footprint of comics has increased immensely, minorities, women, and the LGBT community have only recently begun to see an increase in representation in mainstream comics. This panel seeks to explore the cultural, societal, and educational ramifications of this recent shift and discuss possible future implications. Educators Ronell Whitaker (Dwight D. Eisenhower High School, Blue Island, IL), Eric Kallenborn (Alan B. Shepard High School, Palos Heights, IL), Adam Huggins (Miras International School, Almaty, Kazakhstan), and Dr. Katie Monnin ( Teaching Graphic Novels, Using Content-Area Graphic Texts for Learning), led by moderator John Shableski (Udon Entertainment), discuss the impact of diverse characters in comics.