Whenever we think of a main female character in a comic, most people picture a smaller skinnier Caucasian girl with all of these crazy super powers that contrast with the character’s appearance. In DeConnik’s Bitch Planet, of these stereotypes seem to be challenged. The main character Penelope serves as a motif and represents all of the non-traditional traits of a female lead role in a comic as well as empowerment. The appearance, personality and attitude of Penelope are not what one would typically assume of a comic’s heroine, and that is what makes this piece so unique. 

From the start DeConnik wants to introduce the main character in an effective way. The first image of Penelope is a splash panel which gives the reader a pretty strong idea of her whole persona. Many things are different from what you expect, but one specific thing to point out is her color (176). As mentioned before, more often than not, the lead female role is typically Caucasian. It is clearly visible that this main female character is darker than the usual female lead character and has some color to her skin. Penelope is African American which is a big contrast in comparison to other female roles. Not only is it easy to tell by her skin color alone, but also by other features. DeConnik wanted to make this piece stand out, and this was well executed merely by this simple fact. Other tactics were used such as Penelope’s size and feelings towards herself and her image, but this one seemed to be one of the more empowering methods of helping this character stand out from others. 

Supergirl: Caucasian, skinny, blonde headed. Wonder Woman: Caucasian, skinny, dark headed.  Catwoman: Caucasian, skinny. Batgirl: Caucasian, skinny, dark headed. There is a point to be made here. What do all of these female comic characters have in common? Not only, once again, are they white, but also there is something else physically similar about them; they all have tiny waists. Being fit and slim is another common trait in the usual main female lead. Penelope’s appearance is very strong and muscular and more filled out than her fellow comic women (176). This gives us a sense of power to associate with Penelope’s character because it allows the reader to relate to her more so than other thin, frail typical female roles in other comics. The shot used in this panel is a full body shot which allows the security guards to be visible in the background. This implies that Penelope is tougher than the typical female role, needing security guards to keep her in line, and could maybe do some serious harm because, after all, she is there for a reason. It is clear that the author wanted to change these stereotypes in order to change the way most people thought about women and comics and their influence in the story. Deconnick also writes Captain Marvel comics, where all the stereotypical traits apply to the female roles. Bitch Planet is where she wanted to introduce a different way to approach the traditional heroine.

Throughout the comic, Penelope’s emotions are well displayed and visible. This allows one to really engage in this piece and connect with the main character. The first tier on page one ninety-one is a single panel that is a mid-shot, which allows the reader to really focus on Penelope’s face and emotions. The image in this panel is a flashback of Penelope looking at herself in the reflection of glass with the caption “…s’been a while” (191). Unlike other female roles in comics, Penelope is not comfortable in her own skin. It has been so long since she has looked in a mirror that she is upset, which is visible in the next panel that is a close up of her face that allows the reader to easily focus on Penelope’s expressions showing her grief about her appearance (191). The colors used for this flashback are more soft colors with pinks and purples. This represents how Penelope maybe had a softer attitude back then; she wasn’t forced to become so tough and emotionless at this point and she was a lot more sensitive to people’s opinions than she is in real time and not in the flashback. Her attitude towards herself makes her character different by not being very confident or almost narcissistic as others seem to be. This makes the reader feel for Penelope and almost connect with her better because well, let’s face it; it is impractical that any of us have crazy abilities or super powers, but a lot of people can relate to not being happy with their reflection in the mirror. 

Upon reading this comic the first time it was clear that there was something different about this piece from other traditional comics. DeConnik obviously was trying to go against female stereotypes in the comic world and she did just that. By combining the main character’s gender, color, size, and self-image, the author created a piece of work that highlighted a sense of power within the reader. 
