Writer: Kelly Sue DeConnick / Artist: Valentine De landro / Image Comics
Bitch Planet is back and it has not missed a step! We’re picking this book back up with the bomb that was dropped in the last: the secret Facility One housing inmates, which includes Kamu’s sister, have been released to the general population of Bitch Planet by a grief-stricken father by way of Meiko Maki, who discovered what happened to his daughter (along with some power outages). Formerly presumed dead, President Eleanor Doane has been found and has emerged as the new leader of this new revolution happening on Bitch Planet… and to see her speak and command attention was awe-inspiring.
For what it’s worth, I would follow Elaeanor Doane to the ends of the earth, or to the corner store for a half galloon of milk — whatever comes first. She knows my number. And my mama’s number.
This entire issue is going to grab your attention and keep you on your toes — but this isn’t a new thing for Bitch Planet. However, this issue just solidifies why we love this comic so much and why you dare not turn away: the good, the bad, and the ugly, it’s all here. We see rebellion and reunions. And ass whoopings. And more with a middle finger to the male gaze, too. A particular scene is one I can’t forget, that I really want to touch on without getting into the more spoiler-y panels of this issue:
Y’all peep what happened to Whitney earlier on? Tossed away by her people, folks she thought was on her side? No longer useful in the upkeep of the oppression of others, she has literally been tossed aside. It’s a sobering sight, and one I see as a visual of what’s happening to many women today, especially here at home in the States: for example, some 53 percent of white women voted for 45 and may especially feel betrayed with the introduction and passing of the AHCA which is perhaps the most dire health bill introduced that will affect women ever in our country.
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This is for the 94% of black women who tried to save us all by casting our votes so 45 wouldn’t be elected. This is for the women of color who know that they won’t have the same protections as protestors and activists as they would if there were white. This is for all the women-identifying folks who went to the Women’s March earlier this year and had to constantly see signs aligning having a certain body part to womanhood.
Yup, this is also for all the black women who had to sit through these awful hot takes on Beyoncé by white women and all the unfunny parodies of Lemonade that no one asked for (I’m looking at you, Amy Schumer.)
This was already a brilliant issue, but the ending was a nicely tied bow on top of it all. De Landro’s art style never feels forced to be something it’s not — it’s stark and gritty in a sense: perfect for this book and explosive when it needs to be, especially in the last pages. The timing of the action and the pop of color, of red in different places in the different panels are visually stunning. This issue stuns. This issue of Bitch Planet drops some bombs. This issue of Bitch Planet rights the ship in the right direction. I needed to read this comic book. I’m glad the creative team did the damn thing and pushed this shit out.
10 “I AM READY FOR WHATEVER HAPPENS” out of 10
Fancy yourself Non-Compliant too? Find BNP’s other reviews of Bitch Planet here.
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