Review of "Bitch Planet Book Two," by Kelly Sue Deconnick and Valentine De Landro

 Review of

Bitch Planet Book Two, by Kelly Sue Deconnick and Valentine De Landro, ISBN 9781632157171

Five out of five stars

Hard dystopia based on some reality

 In the content advisory page, the statistic that 1 in 16 incarcerated females reported being sexually assaulted while in prison is stated. This is hardly surprising, anecdotal evidence indicates that the rate is higher in male prisons. Yet, it is a statistic that demonstrates that life in prison his hard, in many cases, the main threat is from other inmates.

 This is the second volume in a series about a dystopia where women are incarcerated in a very high-tech prison. There are AI holograms that simulate people and there are serious fights for dominance among the inmates. Yet, there is an underlying plotline that some of the inmates are political prisoners. Specifically, a woman named Eleanor Doane.

There are snippets of information to references to some form of massive games, extremely wealthy and powerful men that control the lives of most other people. One of those men is referred to as “high father.”

 While this graphic novel is entertaining, it is almost impossible to make sense of it all if you have not read volume 1. I encountered this book in a used bookstore and once I read it, began a search for the first volume. This is a great story, but there are enough holes in the understanding to both intrigue and frustrate you. There is no “story to date” leading page.