SAN DIEGO — In town to celebrate the highly anticipated debut of his graphic novel, “March,” an illustrated account of the civil rights movement in the early 1960s, Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., also laid bare at Comic-Con the grim realities of a life often lived in direct opposition to the status quo.

Speaking with the utmost conviction, with nary a hint of contrition, the veteran activist urged others to bravely speak out and act up — cultural defiance he dubbed “good trouble” — against all manner of injustice.