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Review 28: Bitch Planet, Vol. 1: Extraordinary Machine by Kelly-Sue DeConnick

Bitch Planet, Vol. 1: Extraordinary Machine
I’ve never been a fan of the word bitch when applied to women, so I confess to some reticence about picking up Bitch Planet. After all, if I don’t like it being used about one woman, using it to describe a whole planet should rocket me into heights of discomfort previously only known to people visiting emergency rooms having glued bits of themselves to other bits of themselves.

I needn’t have worried. Its use in Kelly-Sue DeConnick’s graphic novel series is exactly to underline the reason I don’t like it in the first place. The eponymous Bitch Planet is a sexist epithet used by men to describe an off-world prison reserved for women who don’t fit into the neat box that society wants them in. Its use is deliberate and knowing, rather than lazy.

Yeah, okay Nash, keep yer sociolinguistic jibber-jabber to yerself. What’s the actual story, you pretentious codpiece?

Thank you, dear reader, I value your feedback. Essentially the premise is somewhere between The Handmaid’s Tale and The Hunger Games. An extremely patriarchal, religiously-fuelled political group has (by devious means, it's implied) taken over the United States, and women are now judged by compliance. Any sign of non-compliance (which can include being unattractive, disagreeing with a superior or withholding marital sex) can see them punished, including by being sent to (you’ve guessed it) Bitch Planet.

Of course, what this really results in is a single place where all the most diverse and disruptive women come together to rally against a single foe. It means we get a place for women of all stripes to have a place in the story, each with their own backgrounds and voices.

It also means there’s a lot of violence. Pretty much anything goes on BP, and the faceless male guards wield batons against their charges. But this is a medium for us to explore something else we don’t often see in stories – female physical strength. They’re portrayed as accomplished and eager fighters against their oppressors, and while this can lead to uncomfortable scenes at times, it’s necessary to the narrative.

Like all the best stories, this serves to underline issues today. It’s an extreme example of our existing patriarchy, where women won’t be sent to another colony if they don’t meet male approval, but they will suffer consequences – lower pay, poorer jobs and domestic violence to name a few. It also contains the seed of revolt against these things, which is enjoyable to feel growing.

This is a slow burn. Across the whole first volume (which comprises the first 5 comics in the series) it feels like we’re only really just about to get started with the story, having been building in backstory and worldbuilding. It feels like Deconnick has something epic in mind. This is fine and good, but the time they take between volumes is also quite long – so prepare to do a lot of waiting if you do start this series.

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