The Thirteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime. The documentary 13th, directed by Ava Duvernay, discusses the mass incarceration of African Americans since slavery was abolished. The comic Bitch Planet by Kelly Sue DeConnick addresses similar issues using a different medium. By looking at the documentary 13th in comparison to the comic Bitch Planet, we can see how the genre of non-fiction can be very informative and supported by facts yet lacks in the aesthetic storytelling of comics.

Documentaries are essentially nonfiction films that capture reality. Documentaries are typically used to inform viewers on an interesting subject, especially ones that are not covered by the mainstream media. 13th covers the incarceration of African Americans throughout history and how they are virtually being reduced to slavery once more as a result of the clause “except as a punishment for a crime”. This is definitely not something that is widely discussed among people. Another characteristic of documentaries is that they can be funny, disturbing, or even shocking. They can be widely diverse, just like comics. Documentaries often feature interviews from people that are knowledgeable on the subject that is being discussed. Comics typically take one view point, that of the author, or collaborators if there are any. They typically rely more on the visual storytelling rather than fact. However, comics tend to have more of a wider audience than documentaries.

In order to film a documentary, one has to know the story of what the filmmaker wants to shoot. DuVernay had to research information on the subject of incarceration of African Americans. She had to learn of the economic system that slavery upheld until it abolished after the Civil War, how this brought about the mythology of criminality in African American groups, and that the term “mass incarceration” was coined in the 1970s during the War on Drugs. All of these facts had to come together to create a particular story. Another device used the 13th documentary is the interviews portrayed throughout the film to tell the story. While the people interviewed are knowledgeable, sometimes it can be a hindrance to the audience in way that they can use terminology viewers may not be familiar with. This can allow for audiences to become confused. Some documentaries can even utilize devices such as typography and music, both of which are important to make the film more engaging and to help the story. Music can draw out intensity and emotion in audiences, allowing them to connect to the issue being discussed. Typography can also be used to heighten the music and to make viewers more aware of the point being made. In 13th, lyrics to the music are put into typography, as well the imprisonment rates throughout the years. For example, the U.S. prison population was 357, 292 people in 1970. In 2001, the prison population for African Americans was 878, 400. In 2014, it was 2, 306, 200, where one in three African American males are expected to go to jail or prison. All of these numbers were displayed in typography form to draw the audience’s attention to them. All of these devices heighten the experience of watching documentaries. 