In the comic Bitch Planet, by Kelly Sue Deconnick, the main character is a tall heavy set dark-skinned woman named Penelope who ends up being arrested for assault to only end up with wires stuck to her skull and a room full of men she has never met who were supposed to be her “Fathers”. In the panel I chose to focus on Penny is undergoing an experiment the Father’s conducted to expose Penny to her ‘Ideal version’. Although before this scene Penny does not appear to be very confident, when her ideal self is exposed the Fathers are not only shocked, but disappointed.

I believe the Fathers appeared so disappointed because through the context it shows that Mother, mind there was only one and not 30+, fails to persuade Penny into attempting to “learn to see herself through Father’s eyes”. Another explanation is that Penny was supposed to conform to society's standards, and the Father’s, of being this ‘ideal person’ and simply refused. One of the Fathers stated “send her to outpost, this is a waste of time”, showing that their purpose is to change people into someone they can admire or merely accept, and when that is not possible they are a lost cause. Despite the fact that the Penny is content with how she is, and would be happy if others were not bothered by the fact that she is different to such an extent that they have to ruin her life.

The design of this comic as a whole greatly uses color as a sign of happiness and is prominent in the early panels while Penny is with her actual birth Mother and reminiscing on past times. On this specific panel there is easily the most contrast in the comic, and is the first time Penny is shown colorfully in front of the Fathers. Penny’s skin is brighter, as well as her orange jumpsuit which almost fades to white in an area, and covered in yellow “Ha’s”. Each of these factors coupled with the happiest look on Penny’s and the look of complete dismay on the Father’s show that Penny is exactly who she wants to be, whether or not the whole world wants her to be someone else. 

This specific panel is in my opinion the climax of the comic, although some details in the context before and after show a great amount of detail that explains why Penny was so happy to show the Fathers they were wrong. One scene depicts a television in the buffet Penny worked at and along with the “hot” women in the restaurant they discussed weight loss and beauty traits. Two men were conversing about Penny and how she was so thick and dark skinned and how no one should want that. One man even states “You ever fuck a skin? Wild.” and when Penny hears this she racks up another assault charge. The third to last panel shows Penny grinning after the outcome, stating “If it aint broke, don’t fix it.” proving that she never had anything wrong with her, the only the wrong was the image everyone else thought was right.

 In the panel I chose to focus on Penny is undergoing an experiment the Father’s conducted to expose Penny to her ‘Ideal version’, and this version is all based on what the Fathers find idealistic. What the Fathers find to be idealistic shows to be nothing of what Penny believes, because she knows she is who she wants to be. Through the Fathers they show what society finds acceptable and disturbing and attempt to sway Penny to the side that she is not appealing and is not who she truly wants to be. The visual text coincides with the written as in they show that Penny is at her happiest when she knows she is who she wants to be. The image affects the reader’s emotions and mindset in a way to make them think about who one is compared to who you want to be, but shows through the visual text that you are who you want to be.
