If you are a frequent user of Twitter, you have probably seen a lot of tweets about the feminist movement. At this point in time, it is in full swing and many people are supporting it. Feminism is the advocacy of women’s rights politically, socially, and economically. This idea connects to the comic “Bitch Planet” by Kelly Sue DeConnick, which focuses on the inequality of women’s rights. Furthermore, it portrays a futuristic setting in which men appear to dominate the world. Women who are not ideal in the eyes of the fathers are sent off to an unknown location where they are persecuted and analyzed. The fathers try to change the women and make them the best versions of themselves. Bitch planet combines the topics of feminism and self-acceptance with an atypical female main character in a fictional setting to reinforce the belief that women should not be discriminated because of senseless standards. Furthermore, the main character, Penelope, is a visual motif in the story and symbolizes feminism and self-acceptance. 

The last panel on page 190 shows Penelope in the foreground from an over-the-shoulder shot. There are two fathers in the midground, and many fathers in the background on the TV screens. This emphasizes how Penelope’s situation is one versus many; she is the only female, and is being treated negatively by a lot of men. There is only one speech bubble on the panel, and belongs to one of the fathers. This symbolizes how the fathers are in control of the situation, and therefore speak a lot more than Penelope throughout the comic. The colors in the scene are mostly dark, except for the fathers. They are all white, and the fathers in the TV screens are shown on a completely white screen. This relates to how Penelope is the only black character in the setting and connects to the author’s beliefs that the world needs more equality. By making the main character an overweight black woman, she is able to touch on the topics of gender inequality and racial inequality. In the previous two panels, the fathers use a machine to read the electrical impulses of the patient’s brain and get an image of how the woman really wants to be. Then, they create a road map and treatment plan to change the woman. The author portrayed a world in which men dominate the work force, control women, and are even able to change who they are. This is an exaggeration of today’s issues, but gets the point across; there are still gender inequality issues in the world today, and they need to be fixed. 

The final panel on page 198 is a close-up of Penelope’s face and contains one caption, “… the way I see myself.” In the background, Penelope can be seen to be strapped in a chair. Most of the colors in the panel are dark and represent Penelope’s thoughts and emotions in the current scene. She is about to be analyzed by the men and forced to change. The close-up shows a look of both anger and sadness. Penelope wishes that the fathers would understand that she is perfectly fine with how she is. This is a preview of the next panel, which shows the fathers viewing Penelope’s “ideal version of herself” (199). This panel connects to the author’s message that women should feel comfortable in their skin and not worry about what other people, especially men, think about them. 

In relation to the entire comic, Penelope represents the thematic concern of feminism and self-acceptance. She is the polar opposite of what most readers would expect of a female main character. In many comics, the main character is the protagonist and therefore is expected to appear pleasant. Regardless of how Penelope looks, her visual image portrays a very important message. This makes the reader rethink their assumption that the female has to be striking, skinny, and white in order to represent something of importance in a story. By the end of the comic, the reader understands that even after all of the verbal abuse and discrimination that Penelope went through, she is still able to love herself and be comfortable in her skin. This relates to the thematic concern of self-acceptance. The author wants audiences to understand that women should not feel pressured to change. This is important because we live in a world where beauty standards are defined solely by physical appearance. Therefore, a lot of women are constantly stressed about their appearance and weight. Throughout the comic, Penelope is judged and belittled by men. Although the futuristic scene exaggerates gender inequality, the author uses it as a way to show readers what might happen if nothing is done to change the issue.

Penelope herself is a visual motif in the comic “Bitch Planet” by Kelly Sue DeConnick. Her visual image represents the feminist movement and self-acceptance. Although she does not look like the typical female main character that modern beauty standards define, she carries a powerful message about the issues that women face in the world today. Throughout the comic, Penelope has to deal with her frustration and anger towards the world and the people who judge her. However, at the end of the comic, she proves to everyone that she is completely happy and comfortable with herself. This is how the author wants all women to be. Nobody should be pressured or forced to change by the absurd standards of society. Lastly, the setting of “Bitch Planet” exaggerates gender inequality and attempts to convince the reader that things need to change before they get worse. 
