It’s good to learn differently and about the people below: a didactic sequence for learning about the 19th-century in Colombia through the comic book ‘the Antagonist’

The teaching of history has been questioned regarding linear interpretations, hero idealization, and national identity construction through unity perspectives. This article explores history teaching during New Granada’s early republican period (now Colombia), presenting the design, implementation, and evaluation of a didactic sequence on 19th-century Colombian history using the comic book ‘The Antagonist’ to demonstrate active and critical approaches through controversial narratives. The study employed a mixed research design, combining quantitative and qualitative methods. The quantitative component correlated competences taught and assessed in students, while the qualitative component analyzed implementation activities. Results highlight the importance of providing empirical evidence on developing historical thinking, using concrete and contextualized pedagogical strategies, and employing assessment tools to visualize and monitor student learning. This approach demonstrates how graphic narratives effectively engage students with complex historical issues, promoting critical analysis of controversial topics like racism while developing historical thinking competences in secondary education.