"[3] Moonlighting "as a costumer while continuing to work in the prison programs [she] had organized on [her] own," while not spending much time at conventions or comic shops, she nevertheless eventually became co-owner, with Watkins and Craig Dawson,[4] of a Wilmington comic book (and theatrical costumes) store called Xanadu Comics & Collectables, Inc.[5][4] Her store stocked Harvey Pekar's American Splendor, but when the store "ran out of an issue" (one of Brabner's partners selling the last copy of American Splendor #6 without her getting a chance to read it), Brabner sent Pekar a postcard directly, asking for a copy, and the two "began to correspond.

With the benefit of hindsight, she believes that it was Pekar's honesty that attracted her to him,[6] crediting his work on "American Splendor [for giving her] a worm's-eye view of what his other marriages were like," allowing for a greater degree of understanding and openness between the two of them.

Brabner edited Eclipse Comics' Real War Stories (2 issues, 1987, 1991), which brought Mike W. Barr, Steve Bissette, Brian Bolland, Paul Mavrides, Dean Motter, Denny O'Neil and John Totleben (among others) together on behalf of the Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors and Citizen Soldier.

[10] Lou Ann Merkle, "an art student and activist living in Cleveland" began working with the Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors, a "military and draft counseling organization," and sought out Pekar for advice on the costs involved in creating a comic.

[3] Seeking "a tool to reach teenagers with information about the military" in the face of the peacetime draft and what she saw as an "aggressive recruiting campaign" (aided by the release of Top Gun in 1986).

[3] Brabner recalls that Merkle was looking for some "counterpropaganda, a way of presenting some of the things the recruiters weren't telling the kids about the draft," including the stories of "veterans and people from El Salvador.

"[3] Although Merkle had only budgeted for a black-and-white comic, Brabner felt strongly "that color was necessary if they were going to reach the kids", preferably with "popular artists and writers," but "realized with the integrity and honesty the undergrounds had.

"[3] Brabner, Merkle, and the CCCO managed to find in Eclipe a publisher willing to split the costs of printing, were given "some grant funding," and found some creators willing to defer their pay.

"[3] During one courtroom exchange, Brabner recalls that they "had military Naval court records" supporting the truth of some of the autobiographical comics stories, and when the case was continued, the "CCCO got a letter from the Department of Defense essentially withdrawing the complaint.

"[3] Together, and separately, Pekar and Brabner "have [both] tenaciously pursued a path dedicated to the truths of the human condition, contrary to the lurid escapist fantasies that fuel the main engines of the comic book industry.

"[3] Indeed, in the Stephen R. Bissette/Stanley Wiater-edited Comic Book Rebels, the editors draw a distinction between Pekar's stories – which are "primarily by himself and about himself" — and Brabner, who "uses her own experiences to frame broader investigative narratives about America, and the impact our social, political, and military institutions have upon not only ourselves but the world.

"[3] It takes the reader through Pekar's struggles with lymphoma, as well as serving as a social commentary on events of that year, and was, said Brabner, written "together from our different points of view, in the different way we experienced Harvey's illness.

[18] From 2015 to 2018 Brabner performed in storytelling and comedy shows that also featured Kevin Meaney, Marina Franklin, Lydia Lunch, Aparna Nancherla, Nonye Brown-West, and Cassie J. Sneider.

[21][22] After writing the foreword for Joe Biel's memoir, Good Trouble: Building a Successful Life and Business with Autism,[23] Brabner published The Courage Party: Helping Our Resilient Children Understand and Survive Sexual Assault with Biel's press Microcosm Publishing in 2020 (co-authored with her foster daughter Danielle Batone).

Davis' performance was met with critical acclaim, and she was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture.