Bitch Planet, Vol. 1: Extraordinary Machine

Bitch Planet is one of the most interesting comic series being run today, and will almost certainly be studied for years to come. The premise is simple: take a dystopian future which differs from ours in that the prejudices against women are far more explicit than they are now. What would such a world look like? DeConnick's writing is brilliant in its simplicity and overtness. In her world, those prejudices (especially against women who are not "compliant" with the norms of society) are hunted down and imprisoned on the "Bitch Planet" colony. The story follows a band of women imprisoned in this colony for various reasons - some violent, others just for "disrespect" - as they struggle to keep their dignity and survive. The comic reads and looks just like an old-school exploitation film, and that's great for what they're trying to do. The art is gorgeous and each issue comes with a page or two of newspaper ads which help flesh out the world.Bitch Planet is an avowedly feminist comic, and worth a read by both average comic readers and academics.

This is the kind of amazing work you expect from Marvel writers. Fantastic, edgy, and refreshing post-apocalyptic feminism. Amazing artwork, great characters, fantastic story line. I just can't wait for more. The only complaint I have is that there isn't a Vol 2 for me to immediately purchase and tear through. This is an excellent piece of comic book work not just for non-compliant women out there, but for anyone. Men and women alike will love this story, the content is fabulous. A little 1984 meets Battle Royale, with a pinch of Mad Max. Can't say enough good things about this comic, it has been making it around my friends quickly.

This was a great book. A dystopian future where women are second class citizens and men are in charge. The only down-side is there is so much time spent in the prison, that the entire society is sort of not depicted which I would like to see more of. There usually is something good about even the worst regimes, and while it is tough to see that reflected here. Characters are well-defined, and while the art is not the best I've seen it is evocative and fits the story. The characters are ones you definitely root for.

As reviewed on Inside254 podcast: I am not a comic book lover. I didn’t grow up poring over them. I had a few Fantastic Fours and Wonder Womans. I have always preferred realistic fiction. So my deep love for the Bitch Planet comic series sometimes catches even me by surprise. Kelly Sue DeConnick’s ongoing comic series tells the story of women relegated to another colony for acts such as being too big, too loud, too sexy, not sexy enough—basically any infraction that would be considered “non-compliant.” Even if you don’t love comics, you want can read this text as a manual for resistance against dominating ideas based in patriarchal attitudes about women. There are two collected editions, and they are great start. However, I recommend you get the single editions so you can enjoy all the backmatter that makes the series an integral part of feminist community and conversation. I am not a comic book lover. I didn’t grow up poring over them. I had a few Fantastic Fours and Wonder Womans. I have always preferred realistic fiction. So my deep love for the Bitch Planet comic series sometimes catches even me by surprise. Kelly Sue DeConnick’s ongoing comic series tells the story of women relegated to another colony for acts such as being too big, too loud, too sexy, not sexy enough—basically any infraction that would be considered “non-compliant.” Even if you don’t love comics, you want can read this text as a manual for resistance against dominating ideas based in patriarchal attitudes about women. There are two collected editions, and they are great start. I might recommend you get the single editions so you can enjoy all the backmatter that makes the series an integral part of feminist community and conversation.

This was a fantastic book. I'm not much of a comics reader, but I couldn't look away. It was an interesting blend of futuristic technology with old-fashioned, discriminatory values. It was realistic enough to be pretty disturbing.Don't forget to read the fake advertisements at the ends of each section. The text is a little small, but they take a sarcastic look at various products and services that can help make someone a "better woman", according to the standards of the settings.There is violent content and depictions of discrimination that could be hard to read. You might want to do some research on the story if you think this could be a barrier to your enjoyment of the book.

Masterfully executed, the comic is a smart exploration of feminism using classical science fiction tools. Dystopia, off world planets, and a monitored society. The work is self aware, much like Alan Moor's 'League of extraordinary gentlemen ' it's a comic which is aware of being a comic. With fake ads and a writer who 'Alaska's to us directly.It's good, even excellent, sci-fi for those willing to tackle the issues. This is NOT an escapism comic.

I read this while snowed in, and I immediately wanted the second volume to get me through the next few days of being holed up in my house! This (along with Lumberjanes) was the feminist comic I needed in my life. The storyline itself is compelling, and I loved the clever "advertisements" in between sections, as well as the questions at the end. I was a big fan of the way the characters worked together, and I think that any non-compliant woman (as well as some men) will find themselves relating to different attributes of the women in Bitch Planet. The style is excellent, as well.

Warning for Kindle readers: The Kindle/comiXology download only includes the first issue, not the whole volume. This is why I only give this three stars so far.Otherwise, it looks like Bitch Planet will be an entertaining series, as I expect nothing less from DeConnick. I look forward to reading the rest of the volume, once Amazon releases the actual volume for Kindle.

Story concept is nice, artwork is average but graphic. Will go for vol2 now.

I loved it! It's a very good read and he drawings are amazing as well. I totally recommend it !

Gostei mas não é algo que eu colecionaria. Comprei achando que a história seria um pouco melhor. Tem altos picos de ficção científica mas fora isso o plot não me convenceu. Quem sabe o volume 2?

If you are looking for relate-able, strong female characters and underdogs to cheer for, this book is it! It features women who are flawed, yes, but who are willing to fight for what is right and push back against evil and corruption. A strong feminist narrative runs through the graphic novel and gives a strong, bold, unapologetic voice to the women of color, size, various sexual orientations, and other women who are oppressed. I was happy with what I read of the story, but I'm sensitive to some topics and some scenes in the novel did disturb me and I found I could not get past them, so I will be returning my copy, but don't let that stop you from trying it out. If you want strong women of all sorts of backgrounds and sizes (plus size women are featured as strong, intelligent and capable too) check this out.

Yes it’s about feminism. No that needn’t put you off. If you are scared of real world issues this isn’t a Garth Ennis polemic and it is possible for you to enjoy a story where people struggle against adversity. But it is a futuristic satire about women and minorities getting the s***ty end of the stick.It is unquestionably bold and brilliant. The issues that face the characters are the same as those faced today and, arguably, women have always faced. But using the lens of science fiction they become less prone to the knee-jerk braying of our internet culture. There are the spoof adverts for those who need their satire to be so blatant it knocks your teeth in and there is your ‘Great Escape’ prison analogy for those who like things more subtle.The art is weird retro with the print being made from dots as it was in the 1970’s. Accompanying this are the Exploitation style covers with lurid headlines. There isn’t a lot of detail and the block colouring really doesn’t help either. But the book is very conscious that if it makes things too realistic and too close to our own world people will just switch off or pigeon-hole it as some kind of rant.Science fiction, and art in general, has a proud and valuable role to expose the underbelly of our world and this significant work does so incisively and artistically.Double Thumbs Up!!