Bitch Planet, Vol. 2 by Kelly Sue DeConnick

Valentine has yet another bold take on dystopia to bring to life and nails it again by fearlessly keeping every scene dialed up. I take it back the best part of this issue is Valentine De Landro’s art. The best part of this issue, though, is what it sets up. There’s one particular sci-fi trope that’s introduced the holo-deck, and it is played with satirically to great effect, and if not for the way the tables are reversed halfway through the scene, it might feel ham-fisted (or maybe just a little too real). The constant shuffling from one section of the narrative to another keeps the reader on their toes, bouncing from inmates making clandestine plans to media overlords devising their own schemes, with heads butting on both sides. It’s a huge feat on DeConnick’s part that all this exposition and character interaction never feels rote or draining. There’s a blackly amusing melee in the background of another scene that imbues the goings-on with life but outside those two small moments, the rest of the issue is all intrigue and character development. That’s not to say it’s entirely free of action heroine Kam unleashes her rage in a single blow, shattering a video screen, reminding us again of what a badass she is. Kelly Sue DeConnick, the writer of Bitch Planet, doesn’t appear to be concerned about losing her readers’ attention with the world-building and plot-weaving she fills this issue with. Analysing why this is the case is a far weightier discussion than I can spare in this review, but one suspects it may have something to do with the anti-social nature of the current comics industry when was the last time you talked with another reader about the merits or flaws of an ongoing title besides the debut issue? This is generally the pattern with comics it seems everyone gets excited about a new title yet even when it is reviewed positively and received glowingly, it suffers a considerable loss of traction with each following issue. And, like a sophomore album, issue #2 has arrived with not nearly the fervor as the debut, reminding us of just how short an attention span the comic book reading audience in general has. Even the critics who have found flaws to pick apart still acknowledge how fantastic a comic it is.

It already had quite a spotlight to begin with but it’s now officially a fan favorite. I say “since” but I’m basically referring to the 24-hour period between it hitting shelves and the reviews hitting press. Since last we discussed Bitch Planet, the title has gained quite a bit of attention, predictably so.

Bitch Planet, Vol. 2 by Kelly Sue DeConnick