Comic book plans HIV story line

Along with fighting alien menaces and criminal masterminds, the “Green Arrow” comic book will now feature a sidekick engaged in a more personal struggle -- this one against HIV.

It’s the first major comic book to deal with HIV and brings a dose of hard-edged reality to the usually fanciful world of costumed crime fighters.

In the latest issue of “Green Arrow,” a teenage runaway named Mia -- who has been in the care of the title hero for two years -- discovers that her time spent as a street-dweller and prostitute has resulted in her contracting the virus.

Writer Judd Winick, who oversees the “Green Arrow” story line, said this is a way to explore socially conscious themes while also giving the Mia character extra motivation to make a difference in the world.