Reviewed By Pablo Arriaga. This is the first “special” issue of “Bitch Planet” that Kelly Sue DeConnick has planned for every third issue of the series, focusing on a single inmate and exploring them in depth. The first one is Penny Rolle. In case you don’t know who she is, she’s the badass giant who would beat a guard with another guard just because they told her to cover her mouth when she sneezes or some stupid shit like that.
WRITTEN BY: Kelly Sue DeConnick
ART BY: Valentine De Landro
PUBLISHER: Image Comics
PRICE: $3.50
RELEASE: February 18, 2015
This issue dives into Penny’s memories, the good ones and the super shitty ones as she goes under review from some kind of disciplinary board that is trying to make her see the “error” of her ways, as they tell her that the way she acts, looks, talks, and lives is completely wrong because she should know better, blah blah blah, “you’re really doing this to yourself,” blah blah blah.
I will start by stating right away that I liked this issue. It’s a solid one shot that studies one of the characters of Bitch Planet and delivers a solid story that wraps up in the best way possible, Wilson IV puts some solid panels on the pages, where he makes you feel the anger Penny does when motherfuckers just decided they were better than her. And also feel her pain when you see the consequences to her violence. With that being said, my first reaction to it was not absolutely positive.
While DeConnick promised us an in-depth look at a character, I wasn’t completely prepared for a complete halt in the main story that’s barely two issues in. I was ready to learn more about the MEGATON, yet there wasn’t even a mention of it.
But when I stopped and thought about it, I couldn’t help but compare this issue to an episode of Netflix’s Orange Is The New Black. Whic is not a bad thing, at all. The way DeConnick uses a current situation in the present to trigger a flashback relating to Penny’s attitude at the time, or an event that explains why she reacts so violently to situations. The difference being that in the show, the plot continues to move as we see more of that character. Now I know a comic doesn’t have the luxury of time or page usage to extend the way the show does, but having it all in a room, where it almost feels like time has frozen for everyone else while we see more of this character, does bug me. I like these “special third” issues, but I don’t want to be in a bubble every other two issues and deprived of the excellent main story.
There are things to reflect with the choices of Bitch Planet #3, the fact that the first to be looked into is Penny Rolle, the badass big girl that I want to hug for some reason, even though that would mean the end of me and every single one of my bones, the breaking of my dick, and crushing my skull with her one single head. Point being, that’s all we knew about her for the first two issues, not a major so far in the story, yet that’s the first spotlight given. If I had to guess, it would be two things, one is “don’t just count Penny to diss out the pain when someone fucks with her, she may be more in upcoming issues.” And the second one is “everyone in Bitch Planet has a story. Shut up, sit down, and read.” Kelly Sue likes exploring every aspect of a character so I’m leaning towards the second one.
Overall, this is a very solid First “Special Third,” but may have been too detached from the main story to be a great issue #3.
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Pablo Arriaga has been bringing the gospel of The Slacker Nerd to countless people the world over with Juatcast.com. He also writes the most metal rants on the web and knows a better recipe for tacos than you do. For more writings or to be baptized in the arms of Matthew McConaughey follow Pabby on Twitter and Facebook.