In today’s world, women are expected to act, dress, and look a certain way. If some women do not comply with these rules they are either judged or ridiculed about it. Many men have indiscreetly told women how to dress and act. They have acted like this for so long that some people have gone blind to this fact. Kelly Sue DeConnick decided to address this issue in her comic series, Bitch Planet. The use of colors, text, and actions express the meaning behind Bitch Planet and show the impact that men and technology have on women and how that affects people and relationships.

Bitch Planet is a comic set in the future. Women who are convicted of “anti- social” behaviors are sent to Bitch Planet where they are brought before a panel of Fathers that are there to decide their punishment. The main character of this story is Penny, who, in the very first panel of the comic, is shown standing in her orange jail suit.  This initial scene sets the tone for the comic. She has an angry expression on her face and her hands are clenched into fists. When Penny is brought forth to talk to the Fathers, she sees them only as a projection on a television screen, none of the men are physically in the room with her, speaking directly to her. They are all dressed the same and all have a tint of blue to their skin. This way, it is harder to distinguish among the Fathers, harder to put blame on just one of them because they all look alike. The Fathers ask Penny to picture what her ideal self would look like. Hearing that Penny would not change anything about herself, that she is content as she is, confuses the Fathers. How could somebody not want long hair, a perfect body, and good clothes? This shows how men are trying to create the standard of beauty. The confusion from the Fathers shows that they believe they are right. That the standard of beauty they created is perfect and cannot understand why someone might think differently. They believe that women should obviously agree with all they are told by men.

The pictures and colors alone can have a specific meaning to the overall tone and theme to the story. When the flashbacks occur in the comic, the pictures consist of large half-tone dots to indicate the change in times. During one flashback, Penny is in Mother Siebertling’s office, her school’s administrator, for punching another student. In this office, there are multiple roles being presented. Siebertling’s authoritative position is reminiscent of the Fathers on Bitch Planet. But the similarity ends there. In her office there are pictures of her and her family behind her desk, she is dressed very provocatively for an administer, her hair is perfectly shaped, and there are Greek letters on her wall indicating that she once belonged to a sorority.  Sororities are societies appropriate representation of beauty, gender roles, and femininity.  All of these examples show that while Siebertling is the authority figure here, she is still under the same oppressive rules of society that are in place for all women. If Siebertling were to attempt non-compliance the way Penny did, she would be taken care of by the Fathers. Fortunately, she has the perfect standards of beauty that men want to see: blonde, blue eyes, skinny, white, tight revealing clothes. 

During the flashback with Penny and Mrs. Siebertling, Siebertling begins to brush Penny’s hair. Before she begins, she has put on surgical gloves, as if Penny’s hair was dirty and something was wrong with it. While brushing her hair, mother Siebertling says, “What are we going to do with this hair of yours, hm” (DeConnick 187). Penny asks her what is wrong with her hair. Siebertling says nothing is wrong with it but then continues to explain what is wrong with her hair. She states that it “refuses to behave” (DeConnick 188), creating a metaphor between Penny and her hair. Because people do not know if it is curly or straight, they do not know what to make of it. Similarly, because Penny is not thin and does not conform to this society’s ideals of beauty, people around her have trouble figuring out what she is. True freedom of identity and individuality would normally focus on who Penny is, but this is a society and world of judiciousness and evaluation, along with retribution. The conversation and actions between Penny and Mother Siebertling conclude that Penny’s sense of self must be able to submit and impress the Father’s view of her. 

The scene changes to Penny working in what looks like a bakery. The colors have changed again, from vibrant colors such as blue and orange, to dull forms of brown, purple, and green which represents her change in mood. Penny is working behind the counter. Three young, thin girls come in and order a “sugar-free, salt-free, and gluten-free muffin with three plates” (DeConnick 193). The girls figure out that by sharing one muffin, they each only intake 15 calories. One of the girl’s brags that she has “evac’d 12 ounces in two days” (DeConnick 195). The girls talk about what they wished they looked like. This illustrates the influence that the Fathers have has affects even young preteen girls who are obsessing over their weight and looks. Meanwhile, a man comes to the front and yells to Penny, “We need the feed” (DeConnick 191). It is unclear what the feed is referring to at first until there is a shot of a large television screen. On the screen is a show called “The Feed.” By not watching The Feed, a news show, there might be an indicator of some sort of non-compliance, and therefore, watching The Feed would be one way that the people try and keep themselves safe from the attention of the Fathers. 

Bitch Planet is a comic that has a very powerful message, that people are so used to men controlling what women do and look like, nobody thinks to change anything or go against them. Penny is an example of a ‘hero.’ With the control that they Fathers have on women in her world, she is the only one that has accepted who she is. She does not feel the need to have to change how she looks, acts, or dresses to gain the approval of others. When it comes to self-image and women, having a picture of an ideal self that matches what women really are is analogous to having a superpower. Today it is extremely hard for women to love and accept the bodies they were given without any thought of changing something about them. Here the reader sees Penny, a woman who certainly does not meet any of the standards of beauty within her society, yet she is an example of a strong confident woman who, unlike others, is not blinded by the affect the Fathers have on her. Penny is someone who does not need the approval of men to feel beautiful.
