Comic Bitch Planet, by Kelly Sue DeConnick shows how much gender inequality is still around to this day, the standards girls and women are told to live up to in society, and how people think women to be stupid in any situation. In this comic, it shows the story of Penny and how much people look down on her. The comic also shows how stands up to it by side comments and smart aleck responses.

In Bitch Planet, it shows a big split in the gender roles and equality. The scene with Penny and her school teacher shows penny getting in trouble for hitting a boy and the school teacher talking to her and in the end fixing and cutting her hair. In the scene with Penny and Mother Siebertling, the mother refers to Penny’s grandmother as Mr. Chester Alexander. Penny corrects her by saying, “my grandma’s name is Bertha.” This shows how women come second to men to a point where they aren’t even called their own names but the name of their husband. This scene also says “fathers” a lot and in one line the mother says to “learn to see yourself through the father’s eyes”. This frame is demanding the reader to ask themselves, what does it mean to see yourself through the father’s eyes? Why do you need to see yourself through the father’s eyes and why not your own eyes? This is telling the audience and women that they should be how men or the father’s want them to be and if they don’t fit those standards then they aren’t good enough. This scene would be different all together if it was a young boy getting in trouble for hitting another boy. He would not be told to learn to see himself through his mother’s eyes, nor would he have his hair cut because it wasn’t up to societies standards. If Penny was a Paul he would probably still be getting in trouble for hitting someone, but would he be told he could be charged with assault? Would the reason for hitting him still be the same? Why did Penny hit the boy, did he make a comment about her hair, or her mother or grandmother? This whole situation would be different if it was a guy and not a girl.

The scene where Mother is “fixing” Penny’s hair starts with her asking Penny, “what are we going to do with this hair of yours?” Penny responds with, “if it ain’t broke. don’t fix it” This visual shows the difference in two peoples hair, and how because the minority in the situation isn’t the same it’s wrong. Nothing is wrong with Penny’s hair. It’s how her hair should be. But because it’s not like mothers it’s wrong. First, mother pulls Penny’s hair back and out of her face. Then mother says she will teach Penny how to see herself through the father’s eyes, and pulls out a razor to shave half of her head. This is part of Mother teaching Penny how to see herself through the Father’s eyes. No matter what Penny looks like, or how put together she makes herself, they still and always will see her one way. Based off her skin color and gender the fathers already have their judgement made up of her. This is a real-life thing that some people do. Based off someone’s race, or gender they have their opinions made up of them when they might not have met them. Mother tell Penny to see herself through her Fathers eyes is her telling her to not think highly of herself because the Fathers don’t think that way of her she shouldn’t see and think of herself that way either. 

One strip that stands out to me is before Penny taken into “Mothers” office, after she has hit the by, it zooms in on the faces of four other students. These four students all look pleased at the fact that she is getting in trouble. They are all smirking and look very rude. These students are also white. All the students in the frame with her hitting the boy are all white, besides her. This shows how much of a minority Penny is in the comic. These frames are also close-ups. This makes the reader pay more attention to these four characters and the emotions that they are portraying. When a reader sees this scene, they will go back to the scene above it and find these four characters to see the reaction they had to Penny hitting the boy, and her getting called out by Mother. This makes the audience pay attention to the reactions that the other characters have, and the feelings they have towards Penny. The author shows this after to show the affect that Penny’s peers have on the situation. The author showing these after she has been called out by Mother makes the audience more sympathetic to Penny. If she would have showed these before Mother calls Penny out, it would look as if the four students support Penny hitting the boy and are happy that she has done it instead of them being against her. 

Bitch Planet by Kelly Sue DeConnick is sending out a message about equality. Not only does this comic send out a message about racial inequality, but about gender inequality. In the society, we live in, the population is told that it’s not okay not be different, that we should all fit this one specific, perfect mold. That’s the biggest piece of bull shit that’s ever been said. It’s okay to be different, it’s better to be different. Why would you want to be someone you’re not and feel uncomfortable in your own skin? This comic is relaying a message to be who you are and stand up for what you believe in, even if you are the minority. The Visual motifs in this comic all relate to gender and equality in general. There are many different scenes that all relate to different life themes and motifs, but all together they relate to equality and how you should stand up for wat you believe and yourself. In the end the last scene Penny says “you bastards are never gonna break me.” This is years later and people are still trying to break her, but they don’t stand a chance because her belief in herself is stronger than theirs against her.

 