Have you heard the name ‘Bitch Planet’ yet? If you haven’t then you will.Sometimes sci-fi portrays worlds and ideas which seem alien to us and not applicable in any way , but the genre is often a perfect way to deconstruct the world we currently live in ,before building it up in fictional form in a way that is fantasical but very real.Bitch Planet is an example of the latter.It asks us to consider a world in which patriarchy and paternalism rule humanity.If you refuse to conform ,especially as a woman, then you are labelled non-compliant and can be sent to Bitch Planet, a prison in space.The earth which is now personified as a man…A father, can’t tolerate the transgressions of those who don’t obey and must cast them out.
We begin the first volume with a variety of characters ,who self identify as women , and are of many races,sexualities,ages,sizes and more.We seem to focus on a white middle aged woman called Marian and at first our tale seems to be shaping out like a sci fi ‘Orange is the New Black’.The character arrives with the other prisoners and keeps insisting she is innocent and a good wife.Her husband likewise is at an office pleading for his wife to be returned to him.Just as it seems that Marian will be returned to her husband it turns out that her spouse had claimed she was non-compliant in order to marry a younger woman.A mix up over both being Mrs.Collins led to his new wife being took away as well.His new wife is returned and as an apology the Burreau involved has Marian murdered by guards on the prison outpost.Suddenly a white hetronormative focus falls away and a variety of POC gain voices in the narrative.Kamua Kogo is an african american athlete who becomes the main protoganist.Her attempt to protect Marian and her strength makes ‘The Fathers’ ,who are the authority of humanity, propose through their representatives , that she create a women’s non-compliant team to compete in the live broadcast bloodsport Metaton.
This attempt to control Kamua’s agency simply makes the bonds between the imprisoned women grow.Other characters stand out as well like Meiko(who built the ship the battle will take place on),Renelle and fanny a mixed race queer couple and the incredible character Penny who ,as an obese POC has refuses to be pressurised by her state appointed ‘Fathers’ into changing herself to gain freedom.A mirror which is meant to shown an ideal perfect self simply shows the imprisoned Penny what she actually looks like and in reaction to the men’s reactions she smirks and thinks of her gran’s motto ‘If it ain’t broken don’t fix it’.
Amazing characters like this are common throughout the comic and bring a feeling of truth and freshness which is dearly needed in fiction.The real earth isn’t the one featured in Bitch Planet ,but in a possible future it is what we could become unless we fight to create a world which isnt controlled by white cis hetronormative standards.We need to make sure the voices we hear aren’t the ones that have always been heard and when we hear what they say we need to listen.I’m proud to be non-compliant and I think once you finish reading this you will be too.
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