A motif is a distinctive feature with a repeating theme that takes on a figurative meaning in a composition. In Kelly Sue DeConnick’s comic “Bitch Planet”, the recurring motif is color and throughout the comic are three major background colors that occur. “Bitch Planet” focuses on the main character, Penelope, not only in her past as a child and an adult, but also herself in present time. The three time periods, visually, give off a very different affect throughout the comic and shows how throughout her life she carries herself in a world that switches from a colorful atmosphere to a grey one, but still doesn’t impact her idealized view of herself. Because if being yourself is good enough, there’s no need to change anything.

On 179/1, the comic sets off to a flashback to when Penelope was a child and the color scheme already gives off a retro feel with the yellow-orange theme. Comparing this panel with the previous one, the color contrast makes the environment more warm and vibrant. With the out-of-date color concept, Penelope and her grandmother are baking sweet goods in the kitchen with their backs turned to the reader. With divergent attention toward each other, Penelope seems to be very focused on cooking while her grandma offers her help, reminding her that it’s never wrong to ask for help. Considering that the word ‘help’ sent us into this panel, Penelope may have heard her grandmother offer her help millions of times. In the upcoming panels, we discover that although Penelope’s mother isn’t as active in her life as much as her father and grandmother, she still thinks highly of her. This flashback shows that Penelope once felt independent and confident in herself. As a whole, the aggressive colors that this panel shows gives a very warm, home-like feeling and shows that in the past Penelope was surrounded with love and support. So if Penelope’s childhood that’s shown didn’t start of as a cold a grey color scheme, what went wrong?

Skipping along some panels, Penelope is asked why is she so angry and looking to 185/1, the colors start to dim into a shady color with an older Penelope in a medium shot and a close up to an unknown character. The bright-colored tone on the nameless character’s skin helps make the rich, dark blood around her lips pop. The monochromatic color scheme in this panel makes the environment seem hostile and dull. In the shown panel, someone yells out Penelope’s name, obviously pointing out that she is the cause for the unknown character’s wound. Although the color concept isn’t as intense as the first panel, Penelope’s intense and sharp gaze differs from when she was a child and instead appears cold and defensive. Is the wounded character the reason for her anger and sudden attitude change?

On 190/1, the color scheme once again changes drastically. In this very inky-colored panel, the only color that stands out is orange from Penelope’s suit and the background. In the background there are many faces on a screen, looking at Penelope like a lab rat and watching her every move. Brought into a close up, there are also men in unilluminated, dark black suits, holding Penelope down with cuffs and blocking every corner near her. The expression on her face is a look of disgust and curiosity with a sharp gaze. At the time, Penelope is curious about what they are going to do with those wires attached to her. The suit that she is wearing is similar to the suits that prisoners wear in jail. In assumption, the mysterious men in black suits shaved half of her hair to hook up those wires onto her face to read her thoughts. In comparison to the first panel, he present time seems gloomy and grey.

The color concept on 199/1 is very different than the previous panels. While we do see Penelope strapped down and wrapped with wires across her face in the underlit-colored area, we also see her in the pastel-bright mirror laughing. The mysterious men in the background look at her, completely shocked at the fact that Penelope’s ideal version of herself is the same exact person she is now. In the upcoming panel, she simply tells the men a powerful message that says along the lines, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”(199/2). Meaning, she sees herself perfectly fine the way she already is and there’s no need to change anything about herself. Her idealized self is a huge contrast from the environment she’s living in, the world around her is sullen and gloomy,

The color motif in this comic is very essential, considering the very different color schemes in each panel. It shows that Penelope’s past was once a happy, colorful time. Out of all the panels in the comic, the time period from the first panel is the brightest, whereas the present time period of the third panel is the darkest. Unlike the second and third panel, Penelope is smiling and playing with her grandmother. She also fits better in the environment of a warm, colorful home with family. In the second panel, it seems that she needed to protect her idealized image to stay confident. In the third panel, it seems as if she hit rock bottom in her life, surrounded by complete strangers and is being held hostage to be an experiment. The three time periods, visually, give off a very different affect throughout the comic and shows how throughout her life she carries herself in a world that pushes her confidence around and pushes her to see herself as someone else, but she is fine the way she already is. So what does this story have anything to do with the title? Perhaps, as a person gets older, the gloomier life gets and the bitchier you become? Or more so that as long as Penelope was near her grandmother she felt small protected, whereas when she was enclosed by men she felt big and sturdy, almost as a threat.