An early UK release. 'Heartstopper' is as precious, gorgeous, edible, and as addictive and readable in a single hour as ever. I was smiling like a blissful, happy, hopeful dope throughout Volume Three.
This time we head for a school trip to Paris!
Nick and Charlie are my children. They are everyone's children. They are so cute together it hurts, in a good way. They are cute. Prepare for more kissing scenes, flirting, teasing, Frenching it up (as in speaking the language, FWI), and rolling play fighting and snuggles in bed! Their relationship development is very real. They are coming to terms with how they would feel if everyone they know knew they were a couple, whether they would be okay with it either way as long as they have each other, and how they would come out to their friends if they chose to.
Charlie and Nick struggle with individual problems, and learn to communicate with each other better. Because they care so much about each other. Their love is as real as flesh and blood.
But even pouring out your heart, your soul, and your innermost, darkest secrets to the person you love isn't easy. It can be the hardest thing you'll ever have to do.
This volume also deals with serious issues - and some issues it delves deeper into than it did before - such as homophobic bullying, depression and other mental illnesses, self-harm, and eating disorders.
And I've just realised that Aled Last from 'Radio Silence' is in this!
Alice Oseman continues to prove that she is a needed gift in this cynical, self-destructive, toxic waste of a world. Just remember that there is Nick and Charlie, and many people like them in real life, and take comfort: Everything is going to be okay.
More than that: There are beautiful things left, and things to make you proud to be human.
Love exists, and will never stop existing. We can be happy; there are things to be happy about.
'Heartstopper' is super LBGTQA (nearly everyone is queer, even the teachers!), and it exists and is super popular. Thank you again, dear Alice Oseman.
My review of Volume One here.
My review of Volume Two here.
Final Score: 5/5
Friday, 31 January 2020
Wednesday, 29 January 2020
Scribble #111
"You can never have too many black dresses."
"A curse is a weight, a burden; something bargained and payed for, where it traps you in a neverending cycle. A gift is unconditional; it is for free, and it sets you free."
"A curse or depression = Low and loneliness. A gift = High and healing."
"A curse is a weight, a burden; something bargained and payed for, where it traps you in a neverending cycle. A gift is unconditional; it is for free, and it sets you free."
"A curse or depression = Low and loneliness. A gift = High and healing."
New Familiars
My cats, Tara and Simian. My newfound familiars, after my last cat, Sheba, passed away. These are photos taken on my new, much better phone.
These girls are not always lying around and sleeping, the little naughties 🐈🐱😸😺😻😼
(I swear they are almost feral 🙀😸)
These girls are not always lying around and sleeping, the little naughties 🐈🐱😸😺😻😼
(I swear they are almost feral 🙀😸)
Tuesday, 28 January 2020
Wonder Woman: Bloodlines 2019 post
'Wonder Woman: Bloodlines' - Plot points and character moments are rushed and skipped over, the animation is stiff in a lot of places, the voice acting is wooden, and there are far too many awkward pauses in between character interactions and dialogue (a common theme in DC animated movies, I'm finding). I don't think that Wonder Woman's values - truth, peace, love - are touched upon at all. At least the rep is decent - Steve Trevor and the Minotaur are literally the only male characters in the whole film, and Etta Candy is black, fat, and queer as hell. Great. If only we are given any reason to care about these characters; to get to know them beyond surface level. Wonderful diversity but such poor plotting - really 'Bloodlines' contains the opposite problem of the 2009 animated 'Wonder Woman' film, which has good storytelling but terrible feminist representation.
Overall, good concept, but bad-to-mediocre execution. 'Bloodlines' is boring and awkward. I recommend sticking to the 2017 live action feature for the best of the Amazon princess and world's greatest superheroine onscreen so far, outside of the Lynda Carter TV series.
Why do animated 'Wonder Woman' movies have to end with Wonder Woman decapitating a villain?
And male audiences really don't like seeing men in female-led films regulated to secretaries and not being the central focus in action scenes. Well, now they know how women audiences of stories have felt for centuries.
There is no such thing as "forced diversity" or "woke culture". It's called getting out more, expanding your horizons, and knowing the world and the people in it better. If it makes you uncomfortable, good, that means you're learning. Don't fight against it because that would be pointless, and you're not helping anyone by lashing out against nature and what is simply the truth. Your insecurities and entitlement issues are your problems to solve, not anyone else's. It's the twenty-first century, it's time for change. Deal with it.
Overall, good concept, but bad-to-mediocre execution. 'Bloodlines' is boring and awkward. I recommend sticking to the 2017 live action feature for the best of the Amazon princess and world's greatest superheroine onscreen so far, outside of the Lynda Carter TV series.
Why do animated 'Wonder Woman' movies have to end with Wonder Woman decapitating a villain?
And male audiences really don't like seeing men in female-led films regulated to secretaries and not being the central focus in action scenes. Well, now they know how women audiences of stories have felt for centuries.
There is no such thing as "forced diversity" or "woke culture". It's called getting out more, expanding your horizons, and knowing the world and the people in it better. If it makes you uncomfortable, good, that means you're learning. Don't fight against it because that would be pointless, and you're not helping anyone by lashing out against nature and what is simply the truth. Your insecurities and entitlement issues are your problems to solve, not anyone else's. It's the twenty-first century, it's time for change. Deal with it.
Sunday, 26 January 2020
Top 20 Space Girls - Part 2
10. Princess/General Leia Organa & Rey (Star Wars)
I know I'm technically cheating here, but these two amazing and capable women from the same franchise deserve to share the same spot together. Leia isn't just a princess and damsel in distress; she's a rebel leader - and later, rightfully titled a General of the Rebel Alliance. For her time, in her first appearance in the seventies, Leia was assertive, bossy, and she talked back fearlessly to her captors - and was proud to do it. Naturally, as a teenage girl back then, she wasn't immune to the roguish, ruggish and slightly chauvinistic charms of Han Solo. But it didn't detract from her leadership skills. Leia is also a survivor of an obliterated home planet, Alderaan, as well. And she kissed her brother, before she knew he was her brother - she's practically a precursor to the female characters in Game of Thrones! In the Star Wars sequels, her skills are more vital, and are just as strong, as they ever were before, amidst further tragedy in her life. Her family is seriously messed up (the men really need to get their shit together). Carrie Fisher has always been absolutely wonderful in her most famous role, and her untimely death in 2016 will never cease to shock and devastate me.
Then there's Rey, the protag of the sequels, whom I fell in love with the moment I first saw her in The Force Awakens. A loner and scavenger-turned-mechanic-turned-pilot-turned-badass heroine of the galaxy, she's the epitome of the traditional Hero's Journey. Mary Sue, my arse. Her arc is no different than Luke's - in fact it might be more complex and tragic. Rey is young and cynical (her denial-and-delusions-as-defence-mechanism concerning her parents notwithstanding), but possesses a good heart and will strive to do the right thing, no matter what. She struggles as she learns the ways of the Jedi - as she is the last living Jedi. She's kind of sweet, too, and friendlier than she'd initially thought. She doesn't always get along with people - just like a real, growing person. I had also liked Rey for being a hero who came from nowhere and was once considered lower than dirt in society, but will prove everyone wrong, and that she is powerful by her own merits and abilities; never mind where she came from. Yes, this is undone in The Rise of Skywalker, and I am a little miffed by that, even though I understand why they did it. But Rey still manages to be a badass heroine (Reylo, what's that?), and her own brave and kindhearted person. A Jedi. The last Jedi, who is a woman. Daisy Ridley is a gem as well, a lucky young actress just getting started.
Rey learns from Leia, and there is respect between the two galactic rebel women. A legacy to carry on - a bit like how Ridley will carry on Fisher's legacy (and Hamill's). How meta. And a pinnacle of female bonding, and of passing the torch of female leadership and heroism. Don't women seem to be smarter, in better control, and one with the Force more intrinsically as well?
How far - and how bright and shining like the stars - Star Wars has come. It's not just for boys anymore.
Read Heroines of Legend: Fictional Universes - 15: Rey (Star Wars) (even though it is a little dated now).
9. Ryoko Hakubi (Tenchi Muyo!)
A rollicking, hilarious, hyperactive, bad tempered, rude, selfish, impulsive, violent, and prideful alien space demon, fighter, and pilot - Ryoko is the self-proclaimed best space pirate in the universe. There are different versions of her in each of the Tenchi series', and her backstory changes a lot, like the DC universe resetting itself every decade. But what doesn't change about Ryoko is her energy, her fearlessness, her boundless charisma, her total disregard for others' feelings and for consequences, the fact that you wouldn't want to meet her in real life, and her hopeless love for Tenchi. We wouldn't want her any other way. There aren't many female characters, not only in anime, who are allowed to be anything like Ryoko - who in theory should be unlikable (not a bad trait in a female character either!), but is such fun to watch. Who is allowed to have fun with her obvious flaws, while still being awesome and heroic. Who is funny and entertaining. That is Ryoko Hakubi (last name given in the original OVA, after Washu Hakubi, who is her creator/mother in the OVA. Washu is the thousands-of-years-old greatest scientist in the universe. Good old anime). Ryoko - one of the first woman anime characters I saw and was fascinated by as a kid. The other women in the Tenchi series' are great in their own individual way, as well. But I feel that Ryoko deserves a special mention on this list (I've yet to talk about her in this much detail, there's that, too). She is also an alcoholic, and technically a goddess (she has the powers to prove it in some Tenchi shows, where she possesses an energy sword to boot). She doesn't exactly cross the line into sociopathy in any of the anime I've seen her in, or in any of the manga I've read her in. She's just Ryoko, female Super Saiyan supreme, who can be vulnerable to top it all off.
From a Favourite Anime list I did a few years back: Technically [Tenchi Muyo! is] an OVA and not a series, but 'Tenchi Muyo!' did start off the fairly-beloved nostalgic franchise, and on viewing it again since childhood, I find more merit, heart and charm to it than in the subsequent anime series's (though some of those are also enjoyable). 'Tenchi' was the first anime I had seen, first aired on the legendary Toonami channel, that made me realize that anime is not just kids' stuff. I was captivated by the variety of female characters, the mythology, and the complex relationships everybody has with each other [...] 'Tenchi', as one of the first harem anime of the nineties, could arguably be considered the best of the genre (not that there is much in the way of competition). But the whole ever-changing franchise is not just a harem, or a silly slapstick romp. It's a space opera, a fantasy, an action show, a power-up shonen action show, a drama, a smart comedy, a buddy comedy, an over-the-top and ambitious sci-fi anime (a known winning combination), a shoujo romance parody, and a number of other genres, I'm sure. There's no containing 'Tenchi'; there are no limits to which it sets itself, with no idea too big, too outrageous, or too ridiculous, and that is awesome. That is anime [...] I was genuinely surprised by how funny 'Tenchi Muyo!' is, being both cleverly mature and immature simultaneously. It is next to impossible for me to pick a favourite character - the ruthless, arrogant and sublimely confident space pirate Ryoko; the snobby yet sweet and kind and equally-ruthless princess Ayeka; the cute, warmhearted child cook and housekeeper, princess Sasami; the teen-sized 20,000-year-old mad scientist who knows even less about the concept of boundaries than Ryoko (and is even more ego-maniacal, as the greatest genius in the universe), Washu; the blonde ditzy galaxy police detective (who is best when bouncing off of her long-suffering straight man partner, Kiyone, who is perhaps the closest to being my number one favourite character, from 'Tenchi Universe'), Mihoshi; and hell, Ryo-oh-ki the cat-rabbit spaceship could be included in Tenchi's harem as well, and no matter what form she's in, she's irresistibly adorable. So, 'Tenchi Muyo!' - an inclusion on this list for almost purely nostalgic reasons, but will always hold a special place in my heart.
Next is my review of a Tenchi Muyo! manga, for a little more info.
8. Night and Day (Sulwe)
The beautiful black lady embodiments of Night and Day themselves. Sulwe is a gorgeous children's picture book, written by Lupita Nyong'o and illustrated to celestial and delightful perfection by Vashti Harrison, about the issue of colorism. It stars (pun unintended) a little black girl, Sulwe, who, because of bullying by cruel peers at school, wishes she were lighter skinned. One night, a shooting star visits her and takes her on a journey through space and time, to tell her a story about Night and Day. Night and Day are sisters and goddesses, from the beginning of time. When Night, despondent, goes away because no one likes and appreciates her for her darkness and essential nighttime, the more beloved and perceived-beautiful Day, missing her sister, looks for her. The two sisters come to love and understand each other further than they did before (hello, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic!). They miss each other, and people miss Night; they will come to love and understand her - and see her beauty, though there will be those who choose not to, and that's their loss.
'Day told her sister, "When you are darkest is when you are most beautiful. It's when you are most you."
Could it be that Night did not need to change, not even a little, not even at all?"
Day and Night are both bright, and strong, and they both shine. They need each other, they love each other very much, and are inseparable.
Black sisterhood and bonding on a universal scale - yes please!
Be your own beautiful self!
Read my review of Sulwe here, for more.
Speaking of diverse and progressive picture books in the sci-fi genre, a couple of honourable mentions are Deborah Underwood's Interstellar Cinderella and Reading Beauty.
7. Madoka Kaname (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)
She's a Magical Girl-turned-literal-goddess. She is hope itself. She is possibly the most selfless character ever created in fiction. She is a great, brave, creative, deeply caring, gentle, vulnerable, ordinary, and boldly and passionately determined young girl. I may have revealed spoilery detail here about Madoka Magica, in case there are people left who haven't seen this nearly-ten-year-old anime yet (and if not, why not!? and wow I feel old). But I feel I need to clarify why I included Madoka on this list of space girls. Yeah, this girl, a Magical Girl yet not, is Godoka. Yet not. This franchise has gotten weird. Weirder, I mean. Well, whatever, Madoka has been to space, at any rate. No spoilers (eh? WHAT?).
But for further info on Madoka that is spoilery, read Heroines of Legend: Fictional Universes - 10: Madoka Kaname (Puella Magi Madoka Magica). Madoka Kaname - the symbol of hope and tragedy in the cosmos, in the body of a fourteen-year-old girl. She is transcendent.
6. Meg Murray (A Wrinkle in Time)
Specifically, this concerns Margaret "Meg" Murray from the 2018 film adaptation of the classic children's science fiction and fantasy book. In the book she is a fairly ordinary and unremarkable girl who is good at maths, but doesn't come close to reaching the genius levels of the rest of her family; including her brother Charles Wallace, the creepy forty-five-year-old college professor in a four-year-old's body. The story is about her gaining confidence as she saves the male members of her family from an evil entity in the universe, but she rarely displays agency of her own, and she is still pushed around and through the narrative by the male characters, whom her life revolves around. The men and boys don't respect Meg, and they think they know better than she does - and they do. She has every right to be angry, upset, and whiny (she is a child, after all). Any unfortunate implications and sexism problems in the book are fixed in the film: Meg is a black/biracial girl who is closed off, friendless, and who gets into trouble at school for any thing; no sympathy is given to her for her missing father. In fact she is mocked and chided for it. Long story short: Meg slowly but surely gains confidence, self-esteem, and power within herself she never knew she possessed. It is simply the power of love, for herself and her family and friends. It is amazingly not cheesy and anticlimactic, unlike in the book, as she travels the universe to find her scientist father. With the help of the three goddess-like beings, Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which. It is Meg's coming of age journey - it is her story, and no one is taking that away from her. This black girl will save the universe through her intelligence, love, positivity, and self confidence; as herself. No violence to defeat the bad guy. Not that is empowerment. That is progress. Meg Murray - how ironic that the latest Disney version of her would be the heroine we all need right now. Highly underrated and underappreciated. Note: Both versions of her character are bespectacled.
5. Rosalina (Super Mario, Nintendo)
I love her. I don't exactly know why - she looks like a retooled Princess Peach in turquoise blue, for a start. But I guess it's her aura, her mysteriousness, her calmness, her reserve, her caring heart, and her tragic backstory as is explained in her reading her Lumas a bedtime story in Super Mario Galaxy. According to Wikipedia: In a backstory which is unlocked gradually as the game progresses, it is explained that Rosalina tells the story of how she was a young girl who went off in a spaceship in order to help a lost Luma find its parents, hiding the fact that she herself had lost her own mother. As Rosalina starts to feel lonely, numerous other Lumas soon come to join her, and she comes to know about their purpose in life to eventually transform into other things. Rosalina decides to build a house for her new family, which soon became the Comet Observatory. Rosalina is basically a space fairy, with a personality like Elsa from Frozen, only more regal, refined and confident. And she's possibly hundreds of years old. This lady, this celestial beauty, is the adoptive mother of Lumas, a captain of her own spaceship, and the watcher of the cosmos in the Super Mario universe. She became popular quickly for a reason - she has appeared in over twenty games so far, including Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (where she's my favourite playable character!) Rosalina is truly a breakout star! Not a damsel in distress like Peach and Daisy - she's a mentor! A princess of the cosmos who made Super Mario Galaxy as different, engaging, and even tearful and bittersweet as it is. If that wasn't enough, she reminds me a little of Sailor Moon characters. I own a plushie, an amiibo, and a T-shirt of Rosalina. Good, starlight and moonlight stuff!
4. She-Ra (Adora) (She-Ra: Princess of Power, & She-Ra and the Princesses of Power)
Why not both versions of She-Ra receive her due. The original Adora from the eighties cartoon is strong in a great many ways; she's brave, massively capable, mature, kind, caring, thoughtful, and a heroine - nay, the most powerful woman in the universe - for a reason.
But if she's too perfect and Mary Sue-ish for you, then there's her reboot counterpart in She-Ra and the Princesses of Power from 2018. Adora is a flawed and uncertain teenager who tries her best and doesn't always succeed. She struggles to live up to people's expectations of her (she doesn't have a secret identity; a big improvement over the original), and her difficulty in using her healing power reflects her inner turmoil and needing to heal herself before she heals others. Her mistakes are her greatest teacher (as well as Madame Raz). Adora rightfully questions her destiny at every turn. Whichever path and discovery she encounters, she is not alone: there is her adorable Best Friends Squad with Glimmer and Bow, and her fellow Princesses of Power on Etheria. Adora/She-Ra shares in her power, and honours friendship and family above everything else. Also awesome is the queerness that leaps from the cartoon - there's colourful, bright and bold representation to rival Steven Universe. I mean, there is same-sex flirting (no one is straight, let's be real), girls are said to be dating, a couple of same-sex couples are clearly married, and there is nonbinary rep! Adora and Catra's complex relationship further exemplifies the LBGTQ dreamscape. Will it become a friends-sisters-to-enemies-to-lovers story? Or is Catra too far gone? We'll find out soon, hopefully!
Well, both versions of She-Ra are high-flying magical young space women who are altruistic to the core and the heart. They could be as popular as Wonder Woman!
Read Heroines of Legend: Fictional Universes - 35: Adora (She-Ra: Princess of Power),
and this and this for my previous Princesses of Power gushing.
3. Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers) (Marvel)
I've said everything there needs to be said about Captain Marvel, my favourite Marvel superheroine, already; in this month alone, in fact. Just read my Captain Marvel entry (number 4) here on my Favourite Female Superheroes list. She's earned her place to be on more than one favourites list, believe me.
2. Sailor Soldiers/Guardians (Sailor Moon)
Same here. One of my favourite animes, that contains my favourite anime superheroines. Who happen to be planetary space girls/reincarnated galactic princesses of the Solar System, fighting the evil forces of the universe in sailor suits. Sailor Moon is my favourite out of all of them, as everyone knows, but they are all great, complex characters with unique personalities.
Sailor Moon (Usagi Tsukino), Sailor Mercury (Ami Mizuno), Sailor Mars (Rei Hino), Sailor Jupiter (Makoto Kino), Sailor Venus (Minako Aino), Sailor Chibi Moon (Small Lady Princess Usagi/Chibi-Usa)), Sailor Pluto (Setsuna Meioh), Sailor Uranus (Haruko Tenou), Sailor Neptune (Michiru Kaiou) (the latter two are overt lesbian lovers!), Sailor Saturn (Hotaru Tomoe) - and all the Sailor Senshi from the fifth and final arc of the Sailor Moon manga and anime. You girls have the power - you save the universe! You are my anime idols from childhood.
Again, read Favourite Female Superheroes list, at number 3, as well as my Sailor Moon manga reviews.
I am aware, also, that for a list where I try to be as diverse as I can, the last four entries near the end have featured white, blonde and blue-eyed women. Oh dear, I shall fix that, for:
My number one favourite Space Girl(s) is... bet you will never guess...
1. The Sunbeam Crew (On a Sunbeam)
Human words - heck, any language consisting of the written and spoken word - cannot begin to describe or do justice how absolutely fabulous this all female and LBGTQA spaceship crew is. The comic itself by Tillie Walden is revolutionary. It is how science fiction should be written, in my eyes. It is progressive and unconventional in practically every way. Where do I begin? There are no male characters in sight, only a few people look to be Caucasian, and a crewmember is nonbinary. Mia Sagong (the protagonist on a coming of age journey across time and space), Grace Hill, Elliot Reed (the nonbinary character), Charlotte, Jules Martinez, and Alma Martinez (the latter two women are married to each other) - these make up the space crew of the Sunbeam. They consist of young adults and plain adults. Their job? They're space architects and archaeologists. They clean up and rebuild other people's messes. And homes, even for those who aren't around anymore. There is so much to explore with this concept, and On a Sunbeam delivers on an astronomical level - with POC and LBGTQA content, totally and masterfully effortless. THIS is the future, my friends. And the future of science fiction. Nonviolent means to solve problems, talking, getting to know one another, becoming friends, and then a family - all modern feminist values and ethics are represented by the beautiful, complex, complicated, messy, but loving Sunbeam crew. The graphic novel is so human and thrilling it hurts, in a good way.
Read my original review of On a Sunbeam here. I describe further how transcendent, enthralling, majestic, warm, stunning, sublime, soulful, life affirming and life changing it is. It needs more attention. It deserves praise in mainstream science fiction.
Phew! That's it, then. I hope that people will learn something from the list. Good day and night to you, my lovely blog readers!
Special note: Funny thing, I watched the recent episode of Doctor Who whilst making this list, and I think it's worth mentioning that there is the potential for even greater diversity rep for the Doctor. It's on the starry and timeless horizon. Major steps forward, rather than backwards, are happening - further than I gave the show credit for before. I'll see if I don't end up eating my own words here, soon.
I know I'm technically cheating here, but these two amazing and capable women from the same franchise deserve to share the same spot together. Leia isn't just a princess and damsel in distress; she's a rebel leader - and later, rightfully titled a General of the Rebel Alliance. For her time, in her first appearance in the seventies, Leia was assertive, bossy, and she talked back fearlessly to her captors - and was proud to do it. Naturally, as a teenage girl back then, she wasn't immune to the roguish, ruggish and slightly chauvinistic charms of Han Solo. But it didn't detract from her leadership skills. Leia is also a survivor of an obliterated home planet, Alderaan, as well. And she kissed her brother, before she knew he was her brother - she's practically a precursor to the female characters in Game of Thrones! In the Star Wars sequels, her skills are more vital, and are just as strong, as they ever were before, amidst further tragedy in her life. Her family is seriously messed up (the men really need to get their shit together). Carrie Fisher has always been absolutely wonderful in her most famous role, and her untimely death in 2016 will never cease to shock and devastate me.
Then there's Rey, the protag of the sequels, whom I fell in love with the moment I first saw her in The Force Awakens. A loner and scavenger-turned-mechanic-turned-pilot-turned-badass heroine of the galaxy, she's the epitome of the traditional Hero's Journey. Mary Sue, my arse. Her arc is no different than Luke's - in fact it might be more complex and tragic. Rey is young and cynical (her denial-and-delusions-as-defence-mechanism concerning her parents notwithstanding), but possesses a good heart and will strive to do the right thing, no matter what. She struggles as she learns the ways of the Jedi - as she is the last living Jedi. She's kind of sweet, too, and friendlier than she'd initially thought. She doesn't always get along with people - just like a real, growing person. I had also liked Rey for being a hero who came from nowhere and was once considered lower than dirt in society, but will prove everyone wrong, and that she is powerful by her own merits and abilities; never mind where she came from. Yes, this is undone in The Rise of Skywalker, and I am a little miffed by that, even though I understand why they did it. But Rey still manages to be a badass heroine (Reylo, what's that?), and her own brave and kindhearted person. A Jedi. The last Jedi, who is a woman. Daisy Ridley is a gem as well, a lucky young actress just getting started.
Rey learns from Leia, and there is respect between the two galactic rebel women. A legacy to carry on - a bit like how Ridley will carry on Fisher's legacy (and Hamill's). How meta. And a pinnacle of female bonding, and of passing the torch of female leadership and heroism. Don't women seem to be smarter, in better control, and one with the Force more intrinsically as well?
How far - and how bright and shining like the stars - Star Wars has come. It's not just for boys anymore.
Read Heroines of Legend: Fictional Universes - 15: Rey (Star Wars) (even though it is a little dated now).
9. Ryoko Hakubi (Tenchi Muyo!)
A rollicking, hilarious, hyperactive, bad tempered, rude, selfish, impulsive, violent, and prideful alien space demon, fighter, and pilot - Ryoko is the self-proclaimed best space pirate in the universe. There are different versions of her in each of the Tenchi series', and her backstory changes a lot, like the DC universe resetting itself every decade. But what doesn't change about Ryoko is her energy, her fearlessness, her boundless charisma, her total disregard for others' feelings and for consequences, the fact that you wouldn't want to meet her in real life, and her hopeless love for Tenchi. We wouldn't want her any other way. There aren't many female characters, not only in anime, who are allowed to be anything like Ryoko - who in theory should be unlikable (not a bad trait in a female character either!), but is such fun to watch. Who is allowed to have fun with her obvious flaws, while still being awesome and heroic. Who is funny and entertaining. That is Ryoko Hakubi (last name given in the original OVA, after Washu Hakubi, who is her creator/mother in the OVA. Washu is the thousands-of-years-old greatest scientist in the universe. Good old anime). Ryoko - one of the first woman anime characters I saw and was fascinated by as a kid. The other women in the Tenchi series' are great in their own individual way, as well. But I feel that Ryoko deserves a special mention on this list (I've yet to talk about her in this much detail, there's that, too). She is also an alcoholic, and technically a goddess (she has the powers to prove it in some Tenchi shows, where she possesses an energy sword to boot). She doesn't exactly cross the line into sociopathy in any of the anime I've seen her in, or in any of the manga I've read her in. She's just Ryoko, female Super Saiyan supreme, who can be vulnerable to top it all off.
From a Favourite Anime list I did a few years back: Technically [Tenchi Muyo! is] an OVA and not a series, but 'Tenchi Muyo!' did start off the fairly-beloved nostalgic franchise, and on viewing it again since childhood, I find more merit, heart and charm to it than in the subsequent anime series's (though some of those are also enjoyable). 'Tenchi' was the first anime I had seen, first aired on the legendary Toonami channel, that made me realize that anime is not just kids' stuff. I was captivated by the variety of female characters, the mythology, and the complex relationships everybody has with each other [...] 'Tenchi', as one of the first harem anime of the nineties, could arguably be considered the best of the genre (not that there is much in the way of competition). But the whole ever-changing franchise is not just a harem, or a silly slapstick romp. It's a space opera, a fantasy, an action show, a power-up shonen action show, a drama, a smart comedy, a buddy comedy, an over-the-top and ambitious sci-fi anime (a known winning combination), a shoujo romance parody, and a number of other genres, I'm sure. There's no containing 'Tenchi'; there are no limits to which it sets itself, with no idea too big, too outrageous, or too ridiculous, and that is awesome. That is anime [...] I was genuinely surprised by how funny 'Tenchi Muyo!' is, being both cleverly mature and immature simultaneously. It is next to impossible for me to pick a favourite character - the ruthless, arrogant and sublimely confident space pirate Ryoko; the snobby yet sweet and kind and equally-ruthless princess Ayeka; the cute, warmhearted child cook and housekeeper, princess Sasami; the teen-sized 20,000-year-old mad scientist who knows even less about the concept of boundaries than Ryoko (and is even more ego-maniacal, as the greatest genius in the universe), Washu; the blonde ditzy galaxy police detective (who is best when bouncing off of her long-suffering straight man partner, Kiyone, who is perhaps the closest to being my number one favourite character, from 'Tenchi Universe'), Mihoshi; and hell, Ryo-oh-ki the cat-rabbit spaceship could be included in Tenchi's harem as well, and no matter what form she's in, she's irresistibly adorable. So, 'Tenchi Muyo!' - an inclusion on this list for almost purely nostalgic reasons, but will always hold a special place in my heart.
Next is my review of a Tenchi Muyo! manga, for a little more info.
8. Night and Day (Sulwe)
The beautiful black lady embodiments of Night and Day themselves. Sulwe is a gorgeous children's picture book, written by Lupita Nyong'o and illustrated to celestial and delightful perfection by Vashti Harrison, about the issue of colorism. It stars (pun unintended) a little black girl, Sulwe, who, because of bullying by cruel peers at school, wishes she were lighter skinned. One night, a shooting star visits her and takes her on a journey through space and time, to tell her a story about Night and Day. Night and Day are sisters and goddesses, from the beginning of time. When Night, despondent, goes away because no one likes and appreciates her for her darkness and essential nighttime, the more beloved and perceived-beautiful Day, missing her sister, looks for her. The two sisters come to love and understand each other further than they did before (hello, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic!). They miss each other, and people miss Night; they will come to love and understand her - and see her beauty, though there will be those who choose not to, and that's their loss.
'Day told her sister, "When you are darkest is when you are most beautiful. It's when you are most you."
Could it be that Night did not need to change, not even a little, not even at all?"
Day and Night are both bright, and strong, and they both shine. They need each other, they love each other very much, and are inseparable.
Black sisterhood and bonding on a universal scale - yes please!
Be your own beautiful self!
Read my review of Sulwe here, for more.
Speaking of diverse and progressive picture books in the sci-fi genre, a couple of honourable mentions are Deborah Underwood's Interstellar Cinderella and Reading Beauty.
7. Madoka Kaname (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)
She's a Magical Girl-turned-literal-goddess. She is hope itself. She is possibly the most selfless character ever created in fiction. She is a great, brave, creative, deeply caring, gentle, vulnerable, ordinary, and boldly and passionately determined young girl. I may have revealed spoilery detail here about Madoka Magica, in case there are people left who haven't seen this nearly-ten-year-old anime yet (and if not, why not!? and wow I feel old). But I feel I need to clarify why I included Madoka on this list of space girls. Yeah, this girl, a Magical Girl yet not, is Godoka. Yet not. This franchise has gotten weird. Weirder, I mean. Well, whatever, Madoka has been to space, at any rate. No spoilers (eh? WHAT?).
But for further info on Madoka that is spoilery, read Heroines of Legend: Fictional Universes - 10: Madoka Kaname (Puella Magi Madoka Magica). Madoka Kaname - the symbol of hope and tragedy in the cosmos, in the body of a fourteen-year-old girl. She is transcendent.
6. Meg Murray (A Wrinkle in Time)
Specifically, this concerns Margaret "Meg" Murray from the 2018 film adaptation of the classic children's science fiction and fantasy book. In the book she is a fairly ordinary and unremarkable girl who is good at maths, but doesn't come close to reaching the genius levels of the rest of her family; including her brother Charles Wallace, the creepy forty-five-year-old college professor in a four-year-old's body. The story is about her gaining confidence as she saves the male members of her family from an evil entity in the universe, but she rarely displays agency of her own, and she is still pushed around and through the narrative by the male characters, whom her life revolves around. The men and boys don't respect Meg, and they think they know better than she does - and they do. She has every right to be angry, upset, and whiny (she is a child, after all). Any unfortunate implications and sexism problems in the book are fixed in the film: Meg is a black/biracial girl who is closed off, friendless, and who gets into trouble at school for any thing; no sympathy is given to her for her missing father. In fact she is mocked and chided for it. Long story short: Meg slowly but surely gains confidence, self-esteem, and power within herself she never knew she possessed. It is simply the power of love, for herself and her family and friends. It is amazingly not cheesy and anticlimactic, unlike in the book, as she travels the universe to find her scientist father. With the help of the three goddess-like beings, Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which. It is Meg's coming of age journey - it is her story, and no one is taking that away from her. This black girl will save the universe through her intelligence, love, positivity, and self confidence; as herself. No violence to defeat the bad guy. Not that is empowerment. That is progress. Meg Murray - how ironic that the latest Disney version of her would be the heroine we all need right now. Highly underrated and underappreciated. Note: Both versions of her character are bespectacled.
5. Rosalina (Super Mario, Nintendo)
I love her. I don't exactly know why - she looks like a retooled Princess Peach in turquoise blue, for a start. But I guess it's her aura, her mysteriousness, her calmness, her reserve, her caring heart, and her tragic backstory as is explained in her reading her Lumas a bedtime story in Super Mario Galaxy. According to Wikipedia: In a backstory which is unlocked gradually as the game progresses, it is explained that Rosalina tells the story of how she was a young girl who went off in a spaceship in order to help a lost Luma find its parents, hiding the fact that she herself had lost her own mother. As Rosalina starts to feel lonely, numerous other Lumas soon come to join her, and she comes to know about their purpose in life to eventually transform into other things. Rosalina decides to build a house for her new family, which soon became the Comet Observatory. Rosalina is basically a space fairy, with a personality like Elsa from Frozen, only more regal, refined and confident. And she's possibly hundreds of years old. This lady, this celestial beauty, is the adoptive mother of Lumas, a captain of her own spaceship, and the watcher of the cosmos in the Super Mario universe. She became popular quickly for a reason - she has appeared in over twenty games so far, including Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (where she's my favourite playable character!) Rosalina is truly a breakout star! Not a damsel in distress like Peach and Daisy - she's a mentor! A princess of the cosmos who made Super Mario Galaxy as different, engaging, and even tearful and bittersweet as it is. If that wasn't enough, she reminds me a little of Sailor Moon characters. I own a plushie, an amiibo, and a T-shirt of Rosalina. Good, starlight and moonlight stuff!
4. She-Ra (Adora) (She-Ra: Princess of Power, & She-Ra and the Princesses of Power)
Why not both versions of She-Ra receive her due. The original Adora from the eighties cartoon is strong in a great many ways; she's brave, massively capable, mature, kind, caring, thoughtful, and a heroine - nay, the most powerful woman in the universe - for a reason.
But if she's too perfect and Mary Sue-ish for you, then there's her reboot counterpart in She-Ra and the Princesses of Power from 2018. Adora is a flawed and uncertain teenager who tries her best and doesn't always succeed. She struggles to live up to people's expectations of her (she doesn't have a secret identity; a big improvement over the original), and her difficulty in using her healing power reflects her inner turmoil and needing to heal herself before she heals others. Her mistakes are her greatest teacher (as well as Madame Raz). Adora rightfully questions her destiny at every turn. Whichever path and discovery she encounters, she is not alone: there is her adorable Best Friends Squad with Glimmer and Bow, and her fellow Princesses of Power on Etheria. Adora/She-Ra shares in her power, and honours friendship and family above everything else. Also awesome is the queerness that leaps from the cartoon - there's colourful, bright and bold representation to rival Steven Universe. I mean, there is same-sex flirting (no one is straight, let's be real), girls are said to be dating, a couple of same-sex couples are clearly married, and there is nonbinary rep! Adora and Catra's complex relationship further exemplifies the LBGTQ dreamscape. Will it become a friends-sisters-to-enemies-to-lovers story? Or is Catra too far gone? We'll find out soon, hopefully!
Well, both versions of She-Ra are high-flying magical young space women who are altruistic to the core and the heart. They could be as popular as Wonder Woman!
Read Heroines of Legend: Fictional Universes - 35: Adora (She-Ra: Princess of Power),
and this and this for my previous Princesses of Power gushing.
3. Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers) (Marvel)
I've said everything there needs to be said about Captain Marvel, my favourite Marvel superheroine, already; in this month alone, in fact. Just read my Captain Marvel entry (number 4) here on my Favourite Female Superheroes list. She's earned her place to be on more than one favourites list, believe me.
2. Sailor Soldiers/Guardians (Sailor Moon)
Same here. One of my favourite animes, that contains my favourite anime superheroines. Who happen to be planetary space girls/reincarnated galactic princesses of the Solar System, fighting the evil forces of the universe in sailor suits. Sailor Moon is my favourite out of all of them, as everyone knows, but they are all great, complex characters with unique personalities.
Sailor Moon (Usagi Tsukino), Sailor Mercury (Ami Mizuno), Sailor Mars (Rei Hino), Sailor Jupiter (Makoto Kino), Sailor Venus (Minako Aino), Sailor Chibi Moon (Small Lady Princess Usagi/Chibi-Usa)), Sailor Pluto (Setsuna Meioh), Sailor Uranus (Haruko Tenou), Sailor Neptune (Michiru Kaiou) (the latter two are overt lesbian lovers!), Sailor Saturn (Hotaru Tomoe) - and all the Sailor Senshi from the fifth and final arc of the Sailor Moon manga and anime. You girls have the power - you save the universe! You are my anime idols from childhood.
Again, read Favourite Female Superheroes list, at number 3, as well as my Sailor Moon manga reviews.
I am aware, also, that for a list where I try to be as diverse as I can, the last four entries near the end have featured white, blonde and blue-eyed women. Oh dear, I shall fix that, for:
My number one favourite Space Girl(s) is... bet you will never guess...
1. The Sunbeam Crew (On a Sunbeam)
Human words - heck, any language consisting of the written and spoken word - cannot begin to describe or do justice how absolutely fabulous this all female and LBGTQA spaceship crew is. The comic itself by Tillie Walden is revolutionary. It is how science fiction should be written, in my eyes. It is progressive and unconventional in practically every way. Where do I begin? There are no male characters in sight, only a few people look to be Caucasian, and a crewmember is nonbinary. Mia Sagong (the protagonist on a coming of age journey across time and space), Grace Hill, Elliot Reed (the nonbinary character), Charlotte, Jules Martinez, and Alma Martinez (the latter two women are married to each other) - these make up the space crew of the Sunbeam. They consist of young adults and plain adults. Their job? They're space architects and archaeologists. They clean up and rebuild other people's messes. And homes, even for those who aren't around anymore. There is so much to explore with this concept, and On a Sunbeam delivers on an astronomical level - with POC and LBGTQA content, totally and masterfully effortless. THIS is the future, my friends. And the future of science fiction. Nonviolent means to solve problems, talking, getting to know one another, becoming friends, and then a family - all modern feminist values and ethics are represented by the beautiful, complex, complicated, messy, but loving Sunbeam crew. The graphic novel is so human and thrilling it hurts, in a good way.
Read my original review of On a Sunbeam here. I describe further how transcendent, enthralling, majestic, warm, stunning, sublime, soulful, life affirming and life changing it is. It needs more attention. It deserves praise in mainstream science fiction.
Phew! That's it, then. I hope that people will learn something from the list. Good day and night to you, my lovely blog readers!
Special note: Funny thing, I watched the recent episode of Doctor Who whilst making this list, and I think it's worth mentioning that there is the potential for even greater diversity rep for the Doctor. It's on the starry and timeless horizon. Major steps forward, rather than backwards, are happening - further than I gave the show credit for before. I'll see if I don't end up eating my own words here, soon.
Top 20 Space Girls - Part 1
For a fantasy fan, I don't talk much about the sci-fi genre. Or science fiction heroines, unless they're also superheroines, or from a dystopia.
I've never been a big fan of science fiction, mostly because I find it to be, ironically, a very static, limited, dated, and hypocritical genre, run by a straight white boys' club mentality; especially when it comes to representation of marginalised groups of people in real life. It is a genre with one of the most, if not the most, toxic fanbase ever conceived, outside of the video games community. The majority-male fandom is so entitled, stuck in its retrograde ways, and unimaginative, that I have to wonder how they could possibly be fans of a genre that is supposed to be all about progress, and breaking boundaries. Is it really meant to be for everyone? Why are most sci-fi fans so dead set against change and giving other people who don't look like them a voice and a chance to be heroes as well (and be writers, directors, and other content creators for that matter)?
Well, here is a list that I hope shows how good - not to mention essential - progress is in the science fiction field. My Top 20 Space Girls - from fictional mediums from all across the limitless entertainment cosmos. I would have called them Space Women, since a lot of the following character entries are adults, or more accurately, Space Heroines; but I'm a feminist with a soft spot for the cute and girly, and Space Girls sounds simpler and cooler to me anyway. It gets the point across.
Doing a list about science fiction heroines is new(ish) for me, and therefore a nice challenge. Besides, if I were to do a list concerning my favourite fantasy heroines, THAT would take way too long and would be way too broad in definition and scope. Sci-fi narrows it down and simplifies things for me.
Before I begin, keep in mind that I don't care for Star Trek, or the Alien franchise. Or Firefly.
I bet you will never guess what my number one choice will be, too.
Well enough of that, let's get on with the list. Begin!
20. Singularity (Marvel)
A short entry, since I've only read a few comic volumes that contain this character. But anyone even looking at her has to admit that she is a cool creation. Basically, Singularity is a universe, or a pocket universe in humanoid form, or a quantum entity, that is sentient, and she looks and acts like a fun loving child. She can do anything from teleportation of herself and others, to shrouding all and making herself bigger than Galactus could imagine; to absorption, to time travel, to multiverse hopping, and psionic sensing of others in the universe. She is mainly a part of the all-female A-Force team, and of Arcadia in a Battleworld multiverse in Marvel comics. In fact, Singularity's character revolves around a lot of Marvel superheroines, such as Nico Minoru, She-Hulk, Medusa, Dazzler, Captain Marvel, and Ms. Marvel. She was also mainly created by women - Marguerite Bennett, G. Willow Wilson, and Jorge Molina. I have to wonder, however, how a sentient night sky and star form can have a gender. And by her very nature whether she is overpowered - much more so than any of the Marvel writers can handle or admit to. But Singularity is cute and charming, and she loves and cares for her female friends, no matter which universe and timeline she travels in. Must be a lonely existence she has, in spite of her gleeful optimism and playful attitude.
For more information see here.
19. Valkyrie (Brunnhilde) (Marvel)
The same as with Singularity, my limited knowledge of this character will lead to a briefly written entry. Mostly I'm going by the movies, where Valkyrie, aka Brunnhilde, aka Scrapper 142, the last survivor of the Valkyrior, is a black Norse goddess badass and recovering alcoholic with PTSD (shame that her bisexuality wasn't made explicit - screw you, Marvel Studios). Naturally some people had a problem with seeing a female character portrayed like this. Like a human being. She's funny, yet tragic, and she gets shit done and takes shit from no one - her gender plays no part in anything about her. She isn't regulated to love interest territory! (But unsurprisingly, she was in the first draft of the Thor: Ragnarok script) That's revolutionary for the Marvel movies! (And credit to them for continuing this with Captain Marvel). Valkyrie is one of the reasons that Thor: Ragnarok is such a great, fun action film. Oh and she's cool in Avengers: Endgame, I guess, as limited as her screen time is. I also never thought I could like a character played by Tessa Thompson after viewing her play a horrible person in Veronica Mars (granted, nearly everyone is irredeemably horrible in that show, but that's beside the point), but wow has she come a long way since then! Valkyrie as a warrior is based on the mythology figure Brynhildr, and me including her as a space heroine is due to her dimension hopping as an Asgardian (on a winged horse, Aragorn), and her appearance in a Patsy Walker: Hellcat comic. She is an expert with a sword and spear, and is a born leader. Valkyrie fits well in both the fantasy and sci-fi categories. Valkyrie - a fantasy, sci-fi, and superhero action woman!
18. Krystal (Star Fox, Nintendo)
Mainly for nostalgic purposes am I including the blue anthropomorphic fox Krystal at all. Yes, in her first appearance (of her regrettably few in Nintendo games) in Star Fox Adventures, she is a love interest and damsel in distress, after you briefly play her as a hero at the beginning of the game; and yes, her hero role and staff weapon were taken from her by a male lead, and she was originally going to be the only lead in an original game, Dinosaur Planet, before Nintendo made it into a Star Fox game. And shafted her into the obligatory love interest and damsel in distress roles. Then there's that disturbing sexualized view of her from a fanbase I'd rather not name. But I really liked Krystal as a kid, in representing one of the very few heroines in video games I got to see at the time. I might have been settling for scraps, but they're cool and understated scraps that I cherished in my little girl's girl power loving heart. There's a mystique and mystery to Krystal's character; she's from a doomed planet, Cirenia, she's an orphan, she originally spoke in her own planetary language, and her design is kind of awesome if people get their minds out of the gutter. The nineteen-year-old blue vixen is also apparently a telepath. Not liking the passive, sexist and exotic angle there. Still, from what little I could find out about her, Krystal is calm and caring, and fights and pilots just as well as the other, male members of the Star Fox team. In one possible ending in Star Fox: Assault, she marries Fox McCloud and has a son, Marcus, with him. The only decent product that I could find and buy concerning Krystal online is a small cushion case (NOT a body pillow). She possesses more potential than as a sex symbol, that's for sure. Where is she in recent games now?
17. EVE (WALL-E)
The Extraterrestrial Vegetation Evaluator (EVE) is a space travelling and exploring - and militaristic - robot, like R2-D2 and BB-8, who is also the title character's love interest, yes, but a hero in her own right. In fact, she does more and achieves more in the film than WALL-E does. Earth would not have been salvaged and saved without her, period. Her romance with WALL-E is one of the sweetest and most charming ever put to celluloid, regardless. The top reason for why she's low on the list is: how and why does she even have a gender? She's a robot! Programmed to verify habitability on planets! Is it because of her feminine voice, and her clean and sleek egg-shaped body? (Oh boy, I think I've cracked it (damn it!); she was created to find fertile planets, and she's called EVE (Eve) for a reason. Crap). EVE is cute, humble, serious, and ultra heroic when she needs to be. She has as much of a charming personality and memorable presence as WALL-E. She was a step in the right direction for Pixar in writing more dynamic female characters with agency.
16. Phoenix (Jean Grey) (X-Men, Marvel)
So what if this planet-destroying fiery goddess's arc has been done and redone to death by now? She is popular for a reason, and hopefully not only because of sex appeal and the thrill that insecure men get from seeing a powerful female - the most "dangerous" in the universe, even - get dominated, taken down a notch by men, and killed by men, over and over again. Phoenix, or Dark Phoenix, is super powerful - in flight, burning everything in a rapturous inferno, telepathy, telekinesis, mind control, and just being able to travel across the universe by her own power, will, and might. In the original Dark Phoenix Saga comics, Phoenix/Jean Grey's hunger for more, that is dangerous and tragic in a human, not merely in a woman, is insatiable and terrifying, and at the same time is kind of intoxicating and infectious to see. All of that unstoppable power, driven by a woman who has been constantly used, abused, tortured, and violated - psychically and otherwise - in the most horrific ways by men; seeing her own that power for herself for once, even if she is not entirely in control of herself (or her human self), is satisfying from an outsider's perspective, looking in on a fictional story featuring an awesome, heart-pounding woman figure at the center. That kind of cognitive dissonance and detachment is the way to see it when you consider that the Dark Phoenix ends up killing billions on a planet when she devours an entire sun. Yet she is neither evil nor good, she just is. She is raw power itself, existing as her own entity, and trying to find her place and purpose in a neverending universe full of cosmic energy and matter. It's thrilling. In other mediums, like cartoons and films, the Phoenix is specifically a split personality and/or a separate space entity from Jean, whilst in the comics it is still her, only no longer fully human. Deep down she might still love and care for other living things like an amazing human, with limitless possibilities inside of her, mutant or not. I only wish that the film adaptations had done Phoenix (or any other female X-Men, in fact) justice. They haven't. Not in the slightest. And X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men: Dark Phoenix were written by the same man, Simon Kinberg! (Who also directed Dark Phoenix!) Who knew that the same guy would fuck up the same character arc twice! What was Einstein's definition of insanity again? This is why we need more female writers in the film industry. And the comics industry. But the Phoenix has been resurrected enough times that hopefully she will one day get the portrayal she deserves. Right? What a universal, supernova powerhouse. A burning goddess of raw power and pleasure.
15. Romy Silvers (The Loneliest Girl in the Universe)
Romy is exactly what the title of her YA science fiction book states. She is sixteen-to-seventeen-years-old, and the sole survivor of a crew on a ship, NASA's The Infinity, heading for a new habitable planet for humanity to thrive and survive on. She was never meant to be born; her parents disobeyed orders, and due to a series of horrifying accidents, and overall insanity caused by being trapped in the loneliness of space for years, they are gone. Romy is all that is left alive on the ship. That was five years ago. Literally no one can be lonelier and more trapped than Romy, yet she is as ordinary a teenage girl as you can imagine. She is nice, sweet, writes fanfiction, watches her favourite cheesy television shows, keeps things clean and functioning, and tries to stay optimistic and calm in an impossible situation such as hers. Which is a feat for someone so young, and who has experienced as many traumatic events as she has; whilst all that is keeping her alive is a metal shell between her and deep, empty space. What's going to happen if oxygen were to run out before she gets to a planet - which will take many more years - with a breathable atmosphere? Romy copes with it all - including the strange noises at bedtime - impressively well. There are no other options left for her, either way. She is an aspiration, and a credit to teen girls. She has PTSD and panic attacks, and no one to talk to or communicate with, except for slow, limited email from earth, and a communications link from a stranger she can't see. Only they give her what passes for human contact and comfort in her life. Romy Silvers - naive but learning about humans as they might reach her from across the universe. And she's the Commander of her ship, and a pilot - don't mess with this tenacious, brave, resourceful, and smart girl. This very ordinary and human girl. Who is perhaps not as alone as she thinks. What a thrilling feminist YA sci-fi book The Loneliest Girl is! It is not a romance, to be sure!
For more read my review of The Loneliest Girl in the Universe here.
14. Karolina Dean (Lucy in the Sky) (Runaways, Marvel)
From one normal teenage girl to another, who happens to be an alien. Again, I'll be showing my limited knowledge of the Marvel Universe here; this is just what I've found in some comics. I find Karolina Dean to be a sweet, perky and friendly blonde girl who one day suddenly discovers that she is more than an outsider (heh, yeah right) - she's an outsider all the way from space! Her criminal parents (who are Hollywood celebrities on earth - she's nonetheless humble and lonely) were originally from the planet Majesdane, and her alien nature and powers were kept hidden from her via a medical alert bracelet. Karolina can transform into gorgeous flowing energy, and fly, and manipulate solar energy. Due to this lineage and heritage - not to mention finding out that another teenager's worst fantasy, that of evil parents, is also true - Karolina is traumatised, ashamed, self-conscious, and insecure. Her identity crisis is raw. Her self-hatred is a serious issue. Her powers of the solar and rainbow form are symbolic, too - she's a lesbian, to add more to what she feels she has to hide about herself from others, who she thinks won't understand her. Despite her bouts of depression, confusion, and insecurity, however, Karolina is a compassionate ray of sunshine who loves and cares deeply for her friends, the Runaways, even though it isn't always easy. She's many levels of complicated, but a nice girl all around. She was once engaged to Xavin, a nonbinary Skrull, who had shapeshifted into a female form in order to accommodate her. Then she dated Julie Power, and now she is the girlfriend of Nico Minoru. Karolina is also a Beatles fan (her original codename, Lucy in the Sky, gives it away), a vegan, a college student, and is seeing a therapist (a good thing for a superhero to do!). She's learning to love herself for who she is, one battle at a time. Her current alias is Princess Justice.
Find out more about Karolina Dean here.
13. The Crystal Gems (Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl) (Steven Universe)
The cartoon lesbian space crystal trio who will always save the day! I will not say much here, since admittedly it's been a while since I've seen Steven Universe, and I've been put off by some highly questionable content and changes to the show recently. For a long running show, it comes with the territory, sadly. But these extraordinary aliens deserve a spot on this list - a soft, rainbow-coloured spot. They are each individually great for diverse representation - in sizes, colours, personalities, skills, and sexual orientations. They're really cool when fused with other Gems, as well. Plus they're musical, for all the tragedy in their long lives. Their powers and aesthetic resemble Magical Girls - my kind of novelty! The three may not know a lot about humans, or how best to look after them in every possible situation, but they try (mostly, or in Amethyst's case barely), and they make good godmothers and teachers for young Steven. They're not perfect, not when it comes to personal problems, but they keep trying, and that's enough. Children's entertainment needs more diversity, especially in LBGTQ rep, and Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, and the other all-femme Gems are an asteroid-sized step in the right direction.
12. The Thirteenth Doctor (Doctor Who)
I just realised that if I had included this as the thirteenth entry, it would have been a good fit. But oh well, my list, my opinions. The quality of the Thirteenth Doctor's episodes and adventures have been...mixed, at best. But the Doctor herself, the first female and subsequently transgender Doctor, remains a startling and amazing character, especially for a female character in a decades running science fiction TV show. What a clever and cunning time traveller, scientist, adventurer, and heroine for girls to look up to. Lest we forget, she built her own sonic screwdriver! Jodi Whittaker is great. Even better, she is explicitly a pacifist - she hates guns, and violence being the only solution to a problem. The Doctor is highly intelligent, eccentric, exuberant, and prideful, but she possesses a big, caring heart for other living beings, as well. Compassion and intelligence are not mutually exclusive, and nihilistic cruelty is not the only optional philosophy to live by when you're super smart, no matter what Rick and Morty might tell you. It is she, the funny and emphatic Thirteenth Doctor, who brought me back to watching Doctor Who after many years, when I couldn't take anymore of Steven Moffat's bullshit. There are women like her in real life; like in STEM fields.
For more of my thoughts on Doctor Who the 13th, read my comic book review here.
11. Starfire (Koriand'r) (Teen Titans, DC)
A young alien princess from the planet Tamaran, who can fly and travel in space anywhere in the universe. She has super strength and can shoot green star bolts from her hands and eyes. She is also an orphan and a former slave on her invaded home planet. She is like the DC version of Karolina Dean, only straight (as far as we know). Sadly, Starfire has been sexualized many, many times in comics and other mediums - she's a teenager, for fuck's sake! Never mind that she's an alien, and conveniently gains her powers from the sun, as absorbed by where her skin is exposed. Oh, what excuses that male writers come up with to put female characters in as little clothing as possible! But Starfire's personality, when she is given one, remains sweet, caring, loving, and naive yet capable of high inhuman intelligence and remembering facts. In children's media she is often given justice - I first saw her in the original Teen Titans cartoon, and she is an admirable superheroine in the DC universe (Teen Titans Go! does not exist for me). The compassionate Starfire is beautiful on the inside, not only on the outside. Not always confident (or gentle, or a peacekeeper, for that matter - she is not afraid to kill when she feels she has to, to protect loved ones and innocents), but she is. Additionally, when written well she shows confidence, comfort, and agency in her sexuality. Atta girl!
More thoughts on Starfire/Kori on a comic book review here.
Part 2 coming soon.
I've never been a big fan of science fiction, mostly because I find it to be, ironically, a very static, limited, dated, and hypocritical genre, run by a straight white boys' club mentality; especially when it comes to representation of marginalised groups of people in real life. It is a genre with one of the most, if not the most, toxic fanbase ever conceived, outside of the video games community. The majority-male fandom is so entitled, stuck in its retrograde ways, and unimaginative, that I have to wonder how they could possibly be fans of a genre that is supposed to be all about progress, and breaking boundaries. Is it really meant to be for everyone? Why are most sci-fi fans so dead set against change and giving other people who don't look like them a voice and a chance to be heroes as well (and be writers, directors, and other content creators for that matter)?
Well, here is a list that I hope shows how good - not to mention essential - progress is in the science fiction field. My Top 20 Space Girls - from fictional mediums from all across the limitless entertainment cosmos. I would have called them Space Women, since a lot of the following character entries are adults, or more accurately, Space Heroines; but I'm a feminist with a soft spot for the cute and girly, and Space Girls sounds simpler and cooler to me anyway. It gets the point across.
Doing a list about science fiction heroines is new(ish) for me, and therefore a nice challenge. Besides, if I were to do a list concerning my favourite fantasy heroines, THAT would take way too long and would be way too broad in definition and scope. Sci-fi narrows it down and simplifies things for me.
Before I begin, keep in mind that I don't care for Star Trek, or the Alien franchise. Or Firefly.
I bet you will never guess what my number one choice will be, too.
Well enough of that, let's get on with the list. Begin!
20. Singularity (Marvel)
A short entry, since I've only read a few comic volumes that contain this character. But anyone even looking at her has to admit that she is a cool creation. Basically, Singularity is a universe, or a pocket universe in humanoid form, or a quantum entity, that is sentient, and she looks and acts like a fun loving child. She can do anything from teleportation of herself and others, to shrouding all and making herself bigger than Galactus could imagine; to absorption, to time travel, to multiverse hopping, and psionic sensing of others in the universe. She is mainly a part of the all-female A-Force team, and of Arcadia in a Battleworld multiverse in Marvel comics. In fact, Singularity's character revolves around a lot of Marvel superheroines, such as Nico Minoru, She-Hulk, Medusa, Dazzler, Captain Marvel, and Ms. Marvel. She was also mainly created by women - Marguerite Bennett, G. Willow Wilson, and Jorge Molina. I have to wonder, however, how a sentient night sky and star form can have a gender. And by her very nature whether she is overpowered - much more so than any of the Marvel writers can handle or admit to. But Singularity is cute and charming, and she loves and cares for her female friends, no matter which universe and timeline she travels in. Must be a lonely existence she has, in spite of her gleeful optimism and playful attitude.
For more information see here.
19. Valkyrie (Brunnhilde) (Marvel)
The same as with Singularity, my limited knowledge of this character will lead to a briefly written entry. Mostly I'm going by the movies, where Valkyrie, aka Brunnhilde, aka Scrapper 142, the last survivor of the Valkyrior, is a black Norse goddess badass and recovering alcoholic with PTSD (shame that her bisexuality wasn't made explicit - screw you, Marvel Studios). Naturally some people had a problem with seeing a female character portrayed like this. Like a human being. She's funny, yet tragic, and she gets shit done and takes shit from no one - her gender plays no part in anything about her. She isn't regulated to love interest territory! (But unsurprisingly, she was in the first draft of the Thor: Ragnarok script) That's revolutionary for the Marvel movies! (And credit to them for continuing this with Captain Marvel). Valkyrie is one of the reasons that Thor: Ragnarok is such a great, fun action film. Oh and she's cool in Avengers: Endgame, I guess, as limited as her screen time is. I also never thought I could like a character played by Tessa Thompson after viewing her play a horrible person in Veronica Mars (granted, nearly everyone is irredeemably horrible in that show, but that's beside the point), but wow has she come a long way since then! Valkyrie as a warrior is based on the mythology figure Brynhildr, and me including her as a space heroine is due to her dimension hopping as an Asgardian (on a winged horse, Aragorn), and her appearance in a Patsy Walker: Hellcat comic. She is an expert with a sword and spear, and is a born leader. Valkyrie fits well in both the fantasy and sci-fi categories. Valkyrie - a fantasy, sci-fi, and superhero action woman!
18. Krystal (Star Fox, Nintendo)
Mainly for nostalgic purposes am I including the blue anthropomorphic fox Krystal at all. Yes, in her first appearance (of her regrettably few in Nintendo games) in Star Fox Adventures, she is a love interest and damsel in distress, after you briefly play her as a hero at the beginning of the game; and yes, her hero role and staff weapon were taken from her by a male lead, and she was originally going to be the only lead in an original game, Dinosaur Planet, before Nintendo made it into a Star Fox game. And shafted her into the obligatory love interest and damsel in distress roles. Then there's that disturbing sexualized view of her from a fanbase I'd rather not name. But I really liked Krystal as a kid, in representing one of the very few heroines in video games I got to see at the time. I might have been settling for scraps, but they're cool and understated scraps that I cherished in my little girl's girl power loving heart. There's a mystique and mystery to Krystal's character; she's from a doomed planet, Cirenia, she's an orphan, she originally spoke in her own planetary language, and her design is kind of awesome if people get their minds out of the gutter. The nineteen-year-old blue vixen is also apparently a telepath. Not liking the passive, sexist and exotic angle there. Still, from what little I could find out about her, Krystal is calm and caring, and fights and pilots just as well as the other, male members of the Star Fox team. In one possible ending in Star Fox: Assault, she marries Fox McCloud and has a son, Marcus, with him. The only decent product that I could find and buy concerning Krystal online is a small cushion case (NOT a body pillow). She possesses more potential than as a sex symbol, that's for sure. Where is she in recent games now?
17. EVE (WALL-E)
The Extraterrestrial Vegetation Evaluator (EVE) is a space travelling and exploring - and militaristic - robot, like R2-D2 and BB-8, who is also the title character's love interest, yes, but a hero in her own right. In fact, she does more and achieves more in the film than WALL-E does. Earth would not have been salvaged and saved without her, period. Her romance with WALL-E is one of the sweetest and most charming ever put to celluloid, regardless. The top reason for why she's low on the list is: how and why does she even have a gender? She's a robot! Programmed to verify habitability on planets! Is it because of her feminine voice, and her clean and sleek egg-shaped body? (Oh boy, I think I've cracked it (damn it!); she was created to find fertile planets, and she's called EVE (Eve) for a reason. Crap). EVE is cute, humble, serious, and ultra heroic when she needs to be. She has as much of a charming personality and memorable presence as WALL-E. She was a step in the right direction for Pixar in writing more dynamic female characters with agency.
16. Phoenix (Jean Grey) (X-Men, Marvel)
So what if this planet-destroying fiery goddess's arc has been done and redone to death by now? She is popular for a reason, and hopefully not only because of sex appeal and the thrill that insecure men get from seeing a powerful female - the most "dangerous" in the universe, even - get dominated, taken down a notch by men, and killed by men, over and over again. Phoenix, or Dark Phoenix, is super powerful - in flight, burning everything in a rapturous inferno, telepathy, telekinesis, mind control, and just being able to travel across the universe by her own power, will, and might. In the original Dark Phoenix Saga comics, Phoenix/Jean Grey's hunger for more, that is dangerous and tragic in a human, not merely in a woman, is insatiable and terrifying, and at the same time is kind of intoxicating and infectious to see. All of that unstoppable power, driven by a woman who has been constantly used, abused, tortured, and violated - psychically and otherwise - in the most horrific ways by men; seeing her own that power for herself for once, even if she is not entirely in control of herself (or her human self), is satisfying from an outsider's perspective, looking in on a fictional story featuring an awesome, heart-pounding woman figure at the center. That kind of cognitive dissonance and detachment is the way to see it when you consider that the Dark Phoenix ends up killing billions on a planet when she devours an entire sun. Yet she is neither evil nor good, she just is. She is raw power itself, existing as her own entity, and trying to find her place and purpose in a neverending universe full of cosmic energy and matter. It's thrilling. In other mediums, like cartoons and films, the Phoenix is specifically a split personality and/or a separate space entity from Jean, whilst in the comics it is still her, only no longer fully human. Deep down she might still love and care for other living things like an amazing human, with limitless possibilities inside of her, mutant or not. I only wish that the film adaptations had done Phoenix (or any other female X-Men, in fact) justice. They haven't. Not in the slightest. And X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men: Dark Phoenix were written by the same man, Simon Kinberg! (Who also directed Dark Phoenix!) Who knew that the same guy would fuck up the same character arc twice! What was Einstein's definition of insanity again? This is why we need more female writers in the film industry. And the comics industry. But the Phoenix has been resurrected enough times that hopefully she will one day get the portrayal she deserves. Right? What a universal, supernova powerhouse. A burning goddess of raw power and pleasure.
15. Romy Silvers (The Loneliest Girl in the Universe)
Romy is exactly what the title of her YA science fiction book states. She is sixteen-to-seventeen-years-old, and the sole survivor of a crew on a ship, NASA's The Infinity, heading for a new habitable planet for humanity to thrive and survive on. She was never meant to be born; her parents disobeyed orders, and due to a series of horrifying accidents, and overall insanity caused by being trapped in the loneliness of space for years, they are gone. Romy is all that is left alive on the ship. That was five years ago. Literally no one can be lonelier and more trapped than Romy, yet she is as ordinary a teenage girl as you can imagine. She is nice, sweet, writes fanfiction, watches her favourite cheesy television shows, keeps things clean and functioning, and tries to stay optimistic and calm in an impossible situation such as hers. Which is a feat for someone so young, and who has experienced as many traumatic events as she has; whilst all that is keeping her alive is a metal shell between her and deep, empty space. What's going to happen if oxygen were to run out before she gets to a planet - which will take many more years - with a breathable atmosphere? Romy copes with it all - including the strange noises at bedtime - impressively well. There are no other options left for her, either way. She is an aspiration, and a credit to teen girls. She has PTSD and panic attacks, and no one to talk to or communicate with, except for slow, limited email from earth, and a communications link from a stranger she can't see. Only they give her what passes for human contact and comfort in her life. Romy Silvers - naive but learning about humans as they might reach her from across the universe. And she's the Commander of her ship, and a pilot - don't mess with this tenacious, brave, resourceful, and smart girl. This very ordinary and human girl. Who is perhaps not as alone as she thinks. What a thrilling feminist YA sci-fi book The Loneliest Girl is! It is not a romance, to be sure!
For more read my review of The Loneliest Girl in the Universe here.
14. Karolina Dean (Lucy in the Sky) (Runaways, Marvel)
From one normal teenage girl to another, who happens to be an alien. Again, I'll be showing my limited knowledge of the Marvel Universe here; this is just what I've found in some comics. I find Karolina Dean to be a sweet, perky and friendly blonde girl who one day suddenly discovers that she is more than an outsider (heh, yeah right) - she's an outsider all the way from space! Her criminal parents (who are Hollywood celebrities on earth - she's nonetheless humble and lonely) were originally from the planet Majesdane, and her alien nature and powers were kept hidden from her via a medical alert bracelet. Karolina can transform into gorgeous flowing energy, and fly, and manipulate solar energy. Due to this lineage and heritage - not to mention finding out that another teenager's worst fantasy, that of evil parents, is also true - Karolina is traumatised, ashamed, self-conscious, and insecure. Her identity crisis is raw. Her self-hatred is a serious issue. Her powers of the solar and rainbow form are symbolic, too - she's a lesbian, to add more to what she feels she has to hide about herself from others, who she thinks won't understand her. Despite her bouts of depression, confusion, and insecurity, however, Karolina is a compassionate ray of sunshine who loves and cares deeply for her friends, the Runaways, even though it isn't always easy. She's many levels of complicated, but a nice girl all around. She was once engaged to Xavin, a nonbinary Skrull, who had shapeshifted into a female form in order to accommodate her. Then she dated Julie Power, and now she is the girlfriend of Nico Minoru. Karolina is also a Beatles fan (her original codename, Lucy in the Sky, gives it away), a vegan, a college student, and is seeing a therapist (a good thing for a superhero to do!). She's learning to love herself for who she is, one battle at a time. Her current alias is Princess Justice.
Find out more about Karolina Dean here.
13. The Crystal Gems (Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl) (Steven Universe)
The cartoon lesbian space crystal trio who will always save the day! I will not say much here, since admittedly it's been a while since I've seen Steven Universe, and I've been put off by some highly questionable content and changes to the show recently. For a long running show, it comes with the territory, sadly. But these extraordinary aliens deserve a spot on this list - a soft, rainbow-coloured spot. They are each individually great for diverse representation - in sizes, colours, personalities, skills, and sexual orientations. They're really cool when fused with other Gems, as well. Plus they're musical, for all the tragedy in their long lives. Their powers and aesthetic resemble Magical Girls - my kind of novelty! The three may not know a lot about humans, or how best to look after them in every possible situation, but they try (mostly, or in Amethyst's case barely), and they make good godmothers and teachers for young Steven. They're not perfect, not when it comes to personal problems, but they keep trying, and that's enough. Children's entertainment needs more diversity, especially in LBGTQ rep, and Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, and the other all-femme Gems are an asteroid-sized step in the right direction.
12. The Thirteenth Doctor (Doctor Who)
I just realised that if I had included this as the thirteenth entry, it would have been a good fit. But oh well, my list, my opinions. The quality of the Thirteenth Doctor's episodes and adventures have been...mixed, at best. But the Doctor herself, the first female and subsequently transgender Doctor, remains a startling and amazing character, especially for a female character in a decades running science fiction TV show. What a clever and cunning time traveller, scientist, adventurer, and heroine for girls to look up to. Lest we forget, she built her own sonic screwdriver! Jodi Whittaker is great. Even better, she is explicitly a pacifist - she hates guns, and violence being the only solution to a problem. The Doctor is highly intelligent, eccentric, exuberant, and prideful, but she possesses a big, caring heart for other living beings, as well. Compassion and intelligence are not mutually exclusive, and nihilistic cruelty is not the only optional philosophy to live by when you're super smart, no matter what Rick and Morty might tell you. It is she, the funny and emphatic Thirteenth Doctor, who brought me back to watching Doctor Who after many years, when I couldn't take anymore of Steven Moffat's bullshit. There are women like her in real life; like in STEM fields.
For more of my thoughts on Doctor Who the 13th, read my comic book review here.
11. Starfire (Koriand'r) (Teen Titans, DC)
A young alien princess from the planet Tamaran, who can fly and travel in space anywhere in the universe. She has super strength and can shoot green star bolts from her hands and eyes. She is also an orphan and a former slave on her invaded home planet. She is like the DC version of Karolina Dean, only straight (as far as we know). Sadly, Starfire has been sexualized many, many times in comics and other mediums - she's a teenager, for fuck's sake! Never mind that she's an alien, and conveniently gains her powers from the sun, as absorbed by where her skin is exposed. Oh, what excuses that male writers come up with to put female characters in as little clothing as possible! But Starfire's personality, when she is given one, remains sweet, caring, loving, and naive yet capable of high inhuman intelligence and remembering facts. In children's media she is often given justice - I first saw her in the original Teen Titans cartoon, and she is an admirable superheroine in the DC universe (Teen Titans Go! does not exist for me). The compassionate Starfire is beautiful on the inside, not only on the outside. Not always confident (or gentle, or a peacekeeper, for that matter - she is not afraid to kill when she feels she has to, to protect loved ones and innocents), but she is. Additionally, when written well she shows confidence, comfort, and agency in her sexuality. Atta girl!
More thoughts on Starfire/Kori on a comic book review here.
Part 2 coming soon.
Saturday, 25 January 2020
Book Review - 'Good Omens' by Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman
Well, all I've got to say at this point in time - just after finishing this, in fact - is:
'Good Omens' is a fast-paced, rollicking, easily-digestible, clever, creative, and bloody hilarious book, that is unfortunately peppered here and there with casual sexism, racism, and homophobia - do NOT get me stated on the homophobia - from 1990. It is funny enough that I might have overlooked the problematic content and thought, "It's from the eighties, in Britain, and written by a couple of straight white men, what did you expect? And what can you do?", if not for the worst and most unfunny joke about burning gay people I have ever seen/read on page 336 in my copy of the book. How that has not been edited out in later editions, I don't know; and I am fervently against censorship, believe me. Only these sorts of "jokes" get people hurt. Even killed. That just destroyed my enjoyment of 'Good Omens' for good. That and the most anticlimactic ending I have read in ages.
And Aziraphale and Crowley needed more page time together.
Looks like Armageddon and the End of the World can be hilarious and enlightening (and British; America doesn't own everything big and exciting, you know). If only it were less hypocritical. And dated (though the book does contain elements that show that it's definitely ahead of its time... but in others not so much.)
So 'Good Omens' is a fun read that can be inhaled eagerly in two days' worth of free time. However, if you ask me, the 2019 television miniseries adaptation is an improved, updated version. There are no homophobic slurs in that, for one.
Final Score: 3/5
EDIT: What in the name of all that is holy and unholy and in-between, is up with Adam suddenly having a sister on pages 131-132? Sarah, the nondescript sister, is literally not mentioned before nor after those pages, ever. She is said to have a boyfriend whom she has been abroad with, so we can presume she is older than Adam's eleven years, and yet his father gave the deliberate impression of expectant fatherhood at the beginning, when the babies are born at the Chattering Order of Saint Beryl hospital. Except for an extremely vague "One kid already" line, concerning the mother (who is not a character in the book - she is given no speaking role nor description), and a line about the father not having held a baby in years. But surely having a progeny already would have been popped in at the beginning somewhere and much more clearly. Apparently not. But why? What's the point? Why give Adam an older sibling at all if you're not going to do anything with them? And not even have them appear in the story once? It's bugging me to no end. This book does need editing in a few places, now that I think about it.
'Good Omens' is a fast-paced, rollicking, easily-digestible, clever, creative, and bloody hilarious book, that is unfortunately peppered here and there with casual sexism, racism, and homophobia - do NOT get me stated on the homophobia - from 1990. It is funny enough that I might have overlooked the problematic content and thought, "It's from the eighties, in Britain, and written by a couple of straight white men, what did you expect? And what can you do?", if not for the worst and most unfunny joke about burning gay people I have ever seen/read on page 336 in my copy of the book. How that has not been edited out in later editions, I don't know; and I am fervently against censorship, believe me. Only these sorts of "jokes" get people hurt. Even killed. That just destroyed my enjoyment of 'Good Omens' for good. That and the most anticlimactic ending I have read in ages.
And Aziraphale and Crowley needed more page time together.
Looks like Armageddon and the End of the World can be hilarious and enlightening (and British; America doesn't own everything big and exciting, you know). If only it were less hypocritical. And dated (though the book does contain elements that show that it's definitely ahead of its time... but in others not so much.)
So 'Good Omens' is a fun read that can be inhaled eagerly in two days' worth of free time. However, if you ask me, the 2019 television miniseries adaptation is an improved, updated version. There are no homophobic slurs in that, for one.
Final Score: 3/5
EDIT: What in the name of all that is holy and unholy and in-between, is up with Adam suddenly having a sister on pages 131-132? Sarah, the nondescript sister, is literally not mentioned before nor after those pages, ever. She is said to have a boyfriend whom she has been abroad with, so we can presume she is older than Adam's eleven years, and yet his father gave the deliberate impression of expectant fatherhood at the beginning, when the babies are born at the Chattering Order of Saint Beryl hospital. Except for an extremely vague "One kid already" line, concerning the mother (who is not a character in the book - she is given no speaking role nor description), and a line about the father not having held a baby in years. But surely having a progeny already would have been popped in at the beginning somewhere and much more clearly. Apparently not. But why? What's the point? Why give Adam an older sibling at all if you're not going to do anything with them? And not even have them appear in the story once? It's bugging me to no end. This book does need editing in a few places, now that I think about it.
Wednesday, 22 January 2020
Manga Review - 'Amazing Agent Luna Vol 1' by Nunzio DeFilippis (Writer), Christina Weir (Writer), Shiei (Artist)
This review is [not] classified.
One word which absolutely defines and encompasses 'Amazing Agent Luna Vol 1' is: Cute.
This manga is so cute that it could bring down any evil organisation and corrupt nation just through the collective reading of it. I want to hug and squeeze this thing to my heart while lying in a valley of fresh, dewy green grass, and willowy ponds, and lily petals. I never thought before that a story about secret agents and espionage could be this freaking adorable, but here we are.
'Amazing Agent Luna Vol 1' is like a funny yet thrilling and action packed Saturday morning cartoon in manga form. It's mainly set in a high school, yes, but it doesn't feel stale, dry, or aggravating. Its premise is simple yet shows promise. Each character is distinguishable, memorable, and likeable. And because of this, some cliches still manage to come across as fresh, if that makes sense. The cliches are understated, at the least. The pacing is just right - its action scenes and character moments happen at the appropriate times.
And did I mention that this American-made manga is cute? 'Cause it is! It is a doll!
Luna is a teenage girl who from the test tube has been trained her entire life to be the world's greatest secret agent. US government funded, she's a biological weapon. But for all of her skills and intelligence, she is an adolescent girl in need of other, more normal experiences. Experiences like her new mission, which assigns her to Nobel High School.
For the first time this brilliant yet cute and naive girl will make friends, and social rivals; plus get to know new clothes and brands, plus modern slang, and game rules (like in netball). And since this is mid-2000s high school writing, Luna will have her first crush on a boy at Nobel High. And waddiya know, this crush and fellow new kid Jonah happens to be the son of Luna's agency's arch nemesis, Count Von Brucken! (Good old American xenophobia which I hope is subverted in later volumes).
But as naive as Luna can be, she has her priorities straight, and she won't let her feelings for a typical mysterious bishonen get in the way of her mission.
How can a spy girl be like a Magical Girl and yet not? That's what 'Amazing Agent Luna' presents to us, and I commend it.
Luna is serious, smart, determined and action orientated as an agent - particularly in her ninja gear - and also rather a crybaby when off duty, and uncertain, shy and self-conscious as a school girl being social for the first time in her life. She's as messy and complex as any teenager, no matter how she was raised. She really is adorable, and relatable (as can be, given all of her bizarre circumstances, and who hasn't felt like a lonely outsider alien in high school?) and worth idolising.
As well as her "Control"/Agent Jennifer Kajiwara (the serious one with the defrosting heart), and Dr. Andy Collins (the understanding house dad one) posing as her parents, other people in Luna's life now include her school friends: Francesca, who is pretty, kind and friendly, but is also friends with the school's popular mean girl Elizabeth, and Francesca will be forced to choose between her and Luna - she will realise who her true friends are, and she's a loyal cream puff; then there's Oliver, a loser skateboarder who always stumbles into trouble, and has a crush on Luna, but for all his moodiness and foibles he is genuinely nice and his heart is in the right place. Jonah is hardly worth mentioning at this time; the love subplot pales in comparison to the main espionage plot. Friendship is more interesting anyway.
Luna also makes friends with Aristotle, an owl, who is the school's mascot. Principle Ohlinger is hilarious, and so is Count Von Brucken, which I definitely did not expect from his serious first appearance. This manga contains great comedic timing.
How sweet, funny and entertaining 'Amazing Agent Luna Vol 1' is. I am actually thinking about reading more of this series, which almost never happens to me with manga nowadays. At least this is a finished series. Recommended for a wholesome and darling good time.
There is certainly more to this mystery - and to Luna - than meets the eye.
Final Score: 4/5
One word which absolutely defines and encompasses 'Amazing Agent Luna Vol 1' is: Cute.
This manga is so cute that it could bring down any evil organisation and corrupt nation just through the collective reading of it. I want to hug and squeeze this thing to my heart while lying in a valley of fresh, dewy green grass, and willowy ponds, and lily petals. I never thought before that a story about secret agents and espionage could be this freaking adorable, but here we are.
'Amazing Agent Luna Vol 1' is like a funny yet thrilling and action packed Saturday morning cartoon in manga form. It's mainly set in a high school, yes, but it doesn't feel stale, dry, or aggravating. Its premise is simple yet shows promise. Each character is distinguishable, memorable, and likeable. And because of this, some cliches still manage to come across as fresh, if that makes sense. The cliches are understated, at the least. The pacing is just right - its action scenes and character moments happen at the appropriate times.
And did I mention that this American-made manga is cute? 'Cause it is! It is a doll!
Luna is a teenage girl who from the test tube has been trained her entire life to be the world's greatest secret agent. US government funded, she's a biological weapon. But for all of her skills and intelligence, she is an adolescent girl in need of other, more normal experiences. Experiences like her new mission, which assigns her to Nobel High School.
For the first time this brilliant yet cute and naive girl will make friends, and social rivals; plus get to know new clothes and brands, plus modern slang, and game rules (like in netball). And since this is mid-2000s high school writing, Luna will have her first crush on a boy at Nobel High. And waddiya know, this crush and fellow new kid Jonah happens to be the son of Luna's agency's arch nemesis, Count Von Brucken! (Good old American xenophobia which I hope is subverted in later volumes).
But as naive as Luna can be, she has her priorities straight, and she won't let her feelings for a typical mysterious bishonen get in the way of her mission.
How can a spy girl be like a Magical Girl and yet not? That's what 'Amazing Agent Luna' presents to us, and I commend it.
Luna is serious, smart, determined and action orientated as an agent - particularly in her ninja gear - and also rather a crybaby when off duty, and uncertain, shy and self-conscious as a school girl being social for the first time in her life. She's as messy and complex as any teenager, no matter how she was raised. She really is adorable, and relatable (as can be, given all of her bizarre circumstances, and who hasn't felt like a lonely outsider alien in high school?) and worth idolising.
As well as her "Control"/Agent Jennifer Kajiwara (the serious one with the defrosting heart), and Dr. Andy Collins (the understanding house dad one) posing as her parents, other people in Luna's life now include her school friends: Francesca, who is pretty, kind and friendly, but is also friends with the school's popular mean girl Elizabeth, and Francesca will be forced to choose between her and Luna - she will realise who her true friends are, and she's a loyal cream puff; then there's Oliver, a loser skateboarder who always stumbles into trouble, and has a crush on Luna, but for all his moodiness and foibles he is genuinely nice and his heart is in the right place. Jonah is hardly worth mentioning at this time; the love subplot pales in comparison to the main espionage plot. Friendship is more interesting anyway.
Luna also makes friends with Aristotle, an owl, who is the school's mascot. Principle Ohlinger is hilarious, and so is Count Von Brucken, which I definitely did not expect from his serious first appearance. This manga contains great comedic timing.
How sweet, funny and entertaining 'Amazing Agent Luna Vol 1' is. I am actually thinking about reading more of this series, which almost never happens to me with manga nowadays. At least this is a finished series. Recommended for a wholesome and darling good time.
There is certainly more to this mystery - and to Luna - than meets the eye.
Final Score: 4/5
Saturday, 18 January 2020
Redo - Top 10 Favourite Female Superheroes
Times change, and so do people. Experiences and tastes change, and hopefully for the better. Here is my Top 10 Favourite Female Superheroes list, done anew; updated from years ago. You get my moonlit drift cascading as ripples on a pond.
I still love superheroes, and heroines are only getting stronger and more complex than ever. Or some have always been that way, and I have only just discovered this on furthering my comic book reading and movie watching journey.
Let us celebrate these powerful, inspiring, indomitable women! Starting at:
10. Nico Minoru (Sister Grimm) (Runaways, Marvel)
She's a superhero, a witch, Asian, bisexual, gothic, and a female teen. She's pretty much a combination of everything that I love! I admit, however, that my knowledge of Nico may still be limited to a few comics. I haven't seen the Runaways TV series or have been made aware of any other adaptation. I don't watch a lot of television. But man is this magic girl with a myriad of elements to her cool! She can be shy, insecure, and overly sensitive, but brave and determined when she needs to be. Nico is a team leader and a deeply flawed but caring and loving individual. She would do anything to protect her friends. After so much heartbreak and betrayal in her life, she will find it difficult to trust anyone and accept anyone as her family. She can work on her own, but works best in a team - as part of a family, lost and founded, blood relations not applicable. Nico's magic is extremely powerful - drawn from her Staff of One - and she knows this, and will want to be extra careful lest she hurt anyone. She's a formidable opponent all around, never to be underestimated. Sister Grimm is a sensitive girl - very emotional but in one so young this is understandable - and has faced as much tragedy as any Marvel superhero. But clinging to who she has left, Nico and the other runaway misfits will make it. What an admirable heroine for girls to look up to. For Asian people and people of the LBGTQ community to proudly mirror themselves on in the pop culture hemisphere. A superhero and witch who's as real as can be. And she looks great! What cosplay potential!
Read my review of 'Runaways, Vol. 1: Find Your Way Home' here.
9. Squirrel Girl (Doreen Green) (Marvel)
Such a fresh, fun and bouncy superheroine! She's curvy - a rarity in a comic book female character, even today - red-haired, buck-toothed, and the most optimistic person in the Marvel universe - and literally the most powerful. Squirrel Girl has beaten Thanos, Galactus, M. O. D. U. K., and Doctor Doom. She is called unbeatable for a reason. Doreen Green has the abilities of super strength, speed, agility, hearing, healing, resilience, deduction, and talking to squirrels; plus a bushy tail! Too fun and cute and self-aware to be angsting - she's got lives to save, friends to make, and nuts to eat! all the while making sure that everybody has a great time - even the villains! Cartoony, yet so charming, endearing, and infectious in her altruism and spunk, Squirrel Girl is virtually impossible not to love. Like a female Deadpool (whom she has actually beaten, more than once) for kids, she's a big, softhearted refresher in a world filled with countless dark, angsty and depressed super people, who can barely catch a break. Squirrel Girl may be a vehicle for humour - and was originally created as a one-off joke in an Iron Man comic in the nineties - but she isn't one dimensional: She is very smart, possessing a high IQ; she has a computer science PHD, and can teach college kids. And babysit - for babies and animals. She does what she does simply because she loves it. Loyal and faithful to no end, everybody will want to be friends with this friend to all living creatures (mostly squirrels); never mind that she can beat them in any fight! In any challenge! With her equally adorable squirrel sidekick and bestie Tippy-Toe on her shoulder and up a tree, nothing can stop this charming force of nature; in all her sunshine glory. Her limitless, timeless river of confidence is her bright shine; she is incapable of hate. She sings her own theme tune while beating up bad guys. Nuff said. Squirrel Girl - a highly underrated Avenger who is meta and upbeat to the nuts--max!
I've written about this great character loads of times before. Here they are for you to enjoy:
Heroines of Legend: Fictional Universes - 20: Doreen Green (Squirrel Girl)
'The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Vol.1: Squirrel Power'
'The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Beats Up the Marvel Universe'
'Marvel Rising (Marvel Rising 0-4)'
'The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel Meets World'
8. Spider-Gwen (Gwen Stacy) (Marvel)
Talk about a surprise combination from a parallel universe! Gwen Stacy, when she isn't one of the original fridged women, is a capable and quippy superheroine, as Spider-Woman. As a civilian she is a police officer's daughter - her father, refreshingly, knows her secret, which causes their bond to grow stronger instead of distancing them further due to how they both handle the law. Gwen is also a drummer in a female band that's led by Mary-Jane Watson, whom she shares a rather complicated friendship with, considering... well, everything. And not just relating to Spider-Man. Gwen has got a lot of rage issues to drum out and vent out. She is moody and angsty, dealing with a trauma and tragedy involving the death of a loved one, as all Spider people have to go through, but even when shouldering all that baggage (and police brutality), she's still got spunk and charisma. And style - I absolutely love her Spider costume. I could look at it all day. Gwen can be a natural leader when she wants to be. She's gotten so popular in such a short amount of time - she has a lead role in the hit 2018 animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse! She's awesome in that, too. I hope she will star in her own movie vehicle after that in the future. I adore this kick-butt, witty, yet vulnerable girl who has been through a lot of tough crap. Spider-Gwen is a rebel who doesn't take PTSD lightly in the slightest; an intelligent martyr with a cause and affect. Like many of the ladies and girls on this list, she is also part of some great, supportive and loving female friendships. What a chance she's been given after being dead for decades!
Read my review of 'Spider-Gwen, Vol. 0: Most Wanted?' here.
7. Harley Quinn (Harleen Quinzel) (DC)
I can technically count her as a hero now, instead of a villain, based on her recent incarnations. Harley Quinn's powerhouse popularity cannot be overstated. She is simply amazing. A colourful, psychopathic, tragic, incredibly complex and complicated, and kind of sweet and friendly clown princess of anarchy, this former victim of domestic abuse will rise above everything from her past, and mark her own path; her own independence; in the bright blaze of an inferno. She's cookie cutter only in that she may look sweet, edible and easy, but she will cut you up if you mistreat her or her friends. Friends like Poison Ivy, whom she's developing a romantic and sexual relationship with after decades of "just friends". As much as I vehemently despise the Suicide Squad movie and how Harley is portrayed in it, in her first mainstream Hollywood appearance, I admit that I am looking forward to the upcoming Birds of Prey movie, where she plays center stage and no doubt has tremendous fun doing it. The film looks like it might be fun, at least, and it having a female director has given me more faith in it not being yet another wasted-millions-of-dollars, straight white adolescent-and-toxic masculinity violence fantasy. Hardly anything can be worse than Suicide Squad, at any rate.
I've written about Harley Quinn so many times now. Here is an exerpt from my previous Favourite Female Superheroes list:
She's spent most of her twenty-plus-years career as a villain. However nowadays Harley Quinn is an independent anti-heroine, growing out of the Joker's shadow. And most people prefer her that way; she is that strong a character. Harley is a survivor in every sense - of abuse, and time. She's a pop culture figure who's defied expectations and transcended barriers in all shapes and sizes.
And here is me talking about her from an entry in my Favourite Female Characters list:
As for Harley Quinn... yeah, enough said, really. She is Barbara [Gordon]'s opposite, not only in that she's a villain (in the majority of her incarnations). Harley is the Clown Queen of Crime, beginning her creation as the Joker's sidekick, then his lover, then his tragic abuse victim, then a survivor who has her own wacky adventures. Harley is a perfect example of someone who is both very funny and entertaining, and horrifically tragic: Caught in a cycle of abuse at the hands of the psychopathic and narcissistic Joker, she makes bad decision after bad decision, despite being a smart woman with a psychology degree. Harley is fun to watch and read about: She's a fun clown lady, yet I also feel terribly sorry for her. She is so interesting and fascinating, it's no wonder a lot of people prefer her without being associated with her puddin'. They prefer her with her female best friend, Poison Ivy, who really is better for her. I'm happy that comic writers are getting this and are starting to seriously pair Harley and Ivy together romantically. She isn't silly or disposable at all: As her colossal fanbase proves, people care deeply about her. It's a damn shame then that Harley Quinn has been turned into a masturbatory fantasy and fanservice object in her later incarnations (I will NOT get into her first major film appearance in 'Suicide Squad', otherwise the world will come to an end before I'm done ranting about that). Reducing her to a blow-up sex doll and the Joker's legit girlfriend is entirely missing the point of Harley's character! Let her move on and be her own person!
And last but not least, my reviews of comic books about Harley:
'Batman: Harley Quinn' by Various
'Batman: Mad Love and Other Stories'
'Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass'
6. Kitty Pryde (Shadowcat) (X-Men, Marvel)
The newest edition on my favourite superheroines list. It's been a very long time coming, considering Kitty Pryde has been around since the early eighties. In the original Uncanny X-Men comics, Kitty is a young teen X-Man - or that's how she started off as - who's got spunk, courage, tenacity, caution yet determination, a high IQ, and so much potential packed into her small, nimble body. She could grow up to be anything she wants. A Jewish dancer and a mutant with phasing abilities (and flight!), Kitty is adorable and a joy. Any tragedy and trauma she goes through, she will bravely and assuredly fight back against; for her friends' and family's sake as well as her own. She is stronger than she realises. She isn't some whiny and disposable teen who's hardly worth the trouble of being given any screen time and character development - get her right already, every adaptation ever! Kitty is one of the most relatable X-Men I've read about. She reminds me of who I would have liked to have been as a teenager. She even has thick brown hair like me! A true inspiration to young girls; she does justice to them. I've only read a few of the more recent comics featuring Kitty - where she has a pet dragon named Lockheed, somehow, because comics I guess, and she becomes a leader of the X-Men and their headmistress/professor, taking over from Professor X (told you she could be whatever she wants), and she is OTP with Peter Quill/Star-Lord (less creepy than when she was with the far older Colossus, I suppose).
Read my review of 'X-Men: Kitty Pryde & Wolverine (Kitty Pryde and Wolverine #1-6)' here,
and my review of 'X-Men: Days of Future Past (Uncanny X-Men (1963) #138-143, Annual #4)' here.
Seriously, I highly recommend these comics in order to get a true taste of who Kitty Pryde is, and who she was always supposed to be.
5. Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel) (Marvel)
The first ever Muslim superhero. And she's a super relatable, Pakistani-American teenage girl, and a huge fangirl, from Marvel comics. Kamala Khan is revolutionary for a lot of reasons, and practically everybody loves her; both within the Marvel universe (she's been a part of MANY superhero teams and team ups), and in the fandom community the world over. Her inspirational character, her impact - you can't not have heard of her. Kamala is a fantastic character in her own right: Like a lot of teens she's insecure and deeply unsure of herself and of her place in the world and in her communities, and she struggles between meeting her parents' expectations and what she wants for herself. Funny, awkward but touchingly caring, she possesses a clear sense of right and wrong, and will protect and save as many people as she possibly can. It isn't naivety, it's simple: Justice is what she does. She will fight for the underprivileged, the sidelined; as she comes from such a background herself, in terms of race, gender, and religion, and she doesn't understand why so many adults struggle to do the obviously right thing sometimes. When Kamala makes mistakes, as everyone does, especially someone so young and coming into her own as she is, she will try to right them with a fierce determination. With all of her powers, as an Inhuman, deep down Kamala is a normal teenager, navigating her own feelings about a great deal of things. Most concerning her identity crises. She is the epitome of youth growth and the coming of age journey. Her potential to do good is boundless. Even when things become far too much for her to handle, eventually she will bounce back from her depression with the help of her dear, loyal civilian friends. They more than her superhero camaraderie are her anchor in her fun yet hectic superheroing existence. Although her relationship with her idol Captain Marvel is a complicated one that is thankfully being rebuilt as a positive, and she is buddies with Squirrel Girl/Doreen Green. Despite the quality of Ms. Marvel's comic run in recent years not being up to snuff compared to the massively high quality of her first several volumes, I still love Kamala/Ms. Marvel herself. She is as full of heart as ever. and her appearances in the Marvel Rising animated adaptations do her justice (I keep using that word, don't I? in a list all about superheroes). Where's her live action debut now!? I don't want to reveal much more about Kamala due to comic spoilers, but I wish to impart this feature: in one possible future, she is the President of the United States. A Pakistani-American Muslim woman as the President of the United States. Just... I want you to realise the full impact of that bold yet really simple statement. I've disclosed more revolutionary and inspiring fiction than I ever anticipated in this world of ours. Kamala Khan is a perfectly imperfect hero who is much needed for this generation and in future ones. She is desperately needed.
I've also said a ton about Kamala Khan in the past. Click on and read the following for more information and pure goodness:
'Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal'
'Ms. Marvel Omnibus Vol. 1 (Ms. Marvel #1-4)'
'Ms. Marvel, Vol. 5: Super Famous'
'Marvel Rising (Marvel Rising 0-4)'
Heroines of Legend: Fictional Universes - 19: Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel)
4. Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers) (Marvel)
Right after that is Captain Marvel herself! Earth's Mightiest Hero! Whose character and comic book run has gone straight down the toilet in recent years thanks to incompetent writers at Marvel, but in a ray of hope she looks to be rising from the faeces-ridden ashes now. For rise she shall. Higher, further, faster, more. Always. Carol Danvers knows no limits. She's a superhero with decades of experience under her belt - from the fanservice-y and abysmally-treated Ms. Marvel, to a powerful space heroine thanks to the guiding pen of Kelly Sue DeConnick. Carol is brave, headstrong, confident, bright, sassy, funny, friendly, caring, and rather aggressive, impulsive, and thoughtless - preferring to punch things instead of thinking and talking things out first - but nonetheless an immovable diplomat in multiple planetary relations. Her alien Kree genes, given to her by accident when she was a young scientist (this is canon and I'm sticking to it - fuck you, The Life of Captain Marvel), are just one part of her. She is still very much human, and that is what makes her so special, so relatable, and so popular; no matter how powerful she is. Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers is awesome, and if you think that Marvel comics don't give her the care and respect she deserves, then watch her film. It's freaking great.
For more on this woman who is a leader, a scientist, a pilot, a space captain, and all the things that make a hero legendary, read my past thoughts on her in the following:
'Captain Marvel, Vol. 1: Higher, Further, Faster, More'
'Captain Marvel, Vol. 1: In Pursuit of Flight'
'Captain Marvel: Earth's Mightiest Hero Vol. 1'
'Captain Marvel, Vol. 1: Rise of Alpha Flight'
'Avengers: The Enemy Within'
'Captain Marvel, Vol. 1: Re-Entry'
'Captain Marvel: Higher, Further, Faster'
Heroines of Legend: Fictional Universes - 16: Carol Danvers (Captain Marvel)
3. Sailor Moon (Usagi Tsukino)
Seriously, what could I possible add that I haven't before, hundreds of times? Sailor Moon is my number one childhood icon and who I revere to this day. She's the original Magical Girl as we know that term today. She's a champion of love and justice, the defender of the earth and the moon, the hero of the universe, the future queen of the earth, and the kindest, most caring and vulnerable and still damn hopeful soul in classic manga and anime. She's a popular superhero in Japan and in anime circles, so I'm including her on this list. Any chance to gush about a heroine who I adore and emulate to tears. Sailor Moon/Usagi's capacity for love and friendship is astronomical. Her heart is pure and purely human. So sensitive, like me; she cares so much for people and will try to protect everyone at all costs. Failure to save loved ones is unthinkable to her. Sailor Moon also goes by the titles: the Soldier of Love and Justice, the Soldier of Mystery, the Sovereign of the Earth, and the future Neo-Queen of Crystal Tokyo, aka Earth.
An excerpt from a previous Favourites list of mine discussing this girl of magic and of the cosmos:
Sailor Moon - star of my gateway drug into anime and my first introduction to girl power - is who I looked up to as a child; who I related to the most, and still do. I was starstruck that a seemingly lazy, non-special and overly-sensitive schoolgirl could be a fighter, even a reluctant one; someone who saves the world time and again through love and compassion, and through all kinds of hardships, rises to become a queen. The growth of Usagi Tsukino is of a royal magnitude. She is better developed in the manga than the anime, making her more likeable and well-rounded. Plus she is the picture of femininity: Pink, skirts, jewellery, sparkles, heart! She's a princess, a friend to all, and future mother of a princess. But these things are not depicted as lesser or weak. They add to Sailor Moon's strengths as a hero, and I was partly a girly-girl myself as well. She grows stronger and more powerful through her own heart and courage rather than through any deus-ex-machina crystal. She will do anything to protect those she loves dearly, and she practically created hope itself.
Click and read here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here
*deeeeeeeeep breath* and here, here, and especially here, for more info on my all encompassing love of Sailor Moon.
2. Wonder Woman (Princess Diana of Themyscira) (DC)
Again, just like with Sailor Moon, I have discussed this character enough times to write a dissertation on. The world's most famous female superhero, one of DC's Holy Trinity of heroes, a feminist icon for eighty years, an original star, an Amazon warrior, a princess, a god, a truth seeker, an ambassador, a diplomat, a peacekeeper, a lover of all things worth loving, a loyal and compassionate and caring friend, most recently and more expressively a bisexual icon, and I could go on and on. Wonder Woman/Diana is many, many, many, many, womanly things. She's a phenomenon.
What I have already written about her in a past Favourite Female Characters list:
Do I need to say anything here? It's Wonder Woman! The most famous, iconic feminist character and superheroine in the world. As I've come to read more and more about her, and watch films and her 70s TV show starring Lynda Carter, I grew to love her unconditionally. Wonder Woman, aka Diana of Themyscira, is the spirit of truth, a champion of the Greek gods. She has a unique backstory as an Amazon princess born out of clay. She's been a superhero, a warrior, a goddess, an ambassador, a writer, a secret agent - she's had more jobs and identities than Barbie. Sure she's had her fair share of bad treatment by comic book writers over the decades, but what superhero hasn't? She's been subjected to all sorts of sexist stereotyping as well, but I don't like to talk about the poorer history of Wonder Woman. After seventy-five-plus years of growth and development, she's had her ups and downs, but her status as a feminist icon hasn't changed. Wondy's saved the world hundreds of times, some without having to even be a violent warrior - she will use her intelligence and determination to seek peaceful solutions towards making the patriarchal world and her homeland Themyscira places for everyone to live in fairly and happily. Overall she is a smart, caring and loving person; as strong in personality as in super strength and flight. I adore her Lynda Carter portrayal. A symbol in every sense of the world, Wonder Woman is queen - still going strong. She is worthy of admiration, inspiration, and respect.
Just go to here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, aaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnd here and here.
Finally, here we are: My favourite female superhero of all time is...
1. Batgirl (Barbara Gordon) (DC)
I was going to attempt to make a grander introduction here, but really, to those who know me, are you in the least surprised by my number one choice of female superhero? I've been a superhero and comics fan for over six years now, and Barbara Gordon, aka Batgirl, aka Oracle, remains my favourite superheroine, and my number one superhero icon and idol. She's so smart, strategic, cunning, resourceful, brave, adaptable, creative, capricious, human. She's an expert martial artist and an unrivalled computer genius. She's a survivor, and doesn't need powers to prove herself. Ever. Barbara Gordon - a librarian, a college student, and a Gotham police commissioner's daughter; turned Batman's protege, turned hero in her own right, throughout the years.
From my previous Favourite Female Superheroes list:
Ad nauseam. Batgirl is a superheroine without powers, and a distaff counterpart to a male hero. But she's stood out and proved herself capable on her own for many years now, and has been through so much, that I see her as a hero in her own damn right. Barbara is a computer genius, and a very brave and human young woman. Heroes in the DCU come to her for their protection and expert advice; she is at their beck and call. A lot of plans would have fallen apart without her. She is important to the DCU, and doesn't often receive respect and recognition for it. A sad reality of the life of a woman who lives behind the successes of a man.
From another Favourite Female Characters list from years ago:
Barbara Gordon, aka Batgirl, aka Oracle, is amazing. She's a martial artist, a daredevil, a world expert computer genius, and is all around an incredibly brave and goodhearted individual. She's an example of how the comic book industry can treat females characters both well and appallingly. Look no further than 'The Killing Joke' (the animated adaption is even worse, and I could go on forever about how I hate that atrocity with a passion, but that's neither here nor there). Barbara has been a fridged woman, but she's bounced back many times - as Oracle, and a revived Batgirl. Because people love and respect her character that much, and recognise that she isn't significant due to her relationships with established male characters (again, glaring at you, 'The Killing Joke'). And I realise I've included several redheads on my list, and Babs is one of the reasons I think people with red hair are awesome. Smart, noble, loyal, and fiercely tenacious - in the comics and the various 'Batman' animated series' - Barbara Gordon overcomes and adapts to anything that comes her way. She never takes anything lying down.
And I'm sure you know where I'm going next: Read every one of my previously established thoughts on Batgirl here, here, here, here, here, here, and here and here.
One more thing: Fuck you, The Killing Joke animated adaptation, you misogynistic, incompetent sack of shit.
I'm tired now. No more thoughts. Only have a good day and night. Remember to love and be kind to others always and every day.
Every woman and girl is a superhero in her own right. Never let anyone tell you otherwise.
I still love superheroes, and heroines are only getting stronger and more complex than ever. Or some have always been that way, and I have only just discovered this on furthering my comic book reading and movie watching journey.
Let us celebrate these powerful, inspiring, indomitable women! Starting at:
10. Nico Minoru (Sister Grimm) (Runaways, Marvel)
She's a superhero, a witch, Asian, bisexual, gothic, and a female teen. She's pretty much a combination of everything that I love! I admit, however, that my knowledge of Nico may still be limited to a few comics. I haven't seen the Runaways TV series or have been made aware of any other adaptation. I don't watch a lot of television. But man is this magic girl with a myriad of elements to her cool! She can be shy, insecure, and overly sensitive, but brave and determined when she needs to be. Nico is a team leader and a deeply flawed but caring and loving individual. She would do anything to protect her friends. After so much heartbreak and betrayal in her life, she will find it difficult to trust anyone and accept anyone as her family. She can work on her own, but works best in a team - as part of a family, lost and founded, blood relations not applicable. Nico's magic is extremely powerful - drawn from her Staff of One - and she knows this, and will want to be extra careful lest she hurt anyone. She's a formidable opponent all around, never to be underestimated. Sister Grimm is a sensitive girl - very emotional but in one so young this is understandable - and has faced as much tragedy as any Marvel superhero. But clinging to who she has left, Nico and the other runaway misfits will make it. What an admirable heroine for girls to look up to. For Asian people and people of the LBGTQ community to proudly mirror themselves on in the pop culture hemisphere. A superhero and witch who's as real as can be. And she looks great! What cosplay potential!
Read my review of 'Runaways, Vol. 1: Find Your Way Home' here.
9. Squirrel Girl (Doreen Green) (Marvel)
Such a fresh, fun and bouncy superheroine! She's curvy - a rarity in a comic book female character, even today - red-haired, buck-toothed, and the most optimistic person in the Marvel universe - and literally the most powerful. Squirrel Girl has beaten Thanos, Galactus, M. O. D. U. K., and Doctor Doom. She is called unbeatable for a reason. Doreen Green has the abilities of super strength, speed, agility, hearing, healing, resilience, deduction, and talking to squirrels; plus a bushy tail! Too fun and cute and self-aware to be angsting - she's got lives to save, friends to make, and nuts to eat! all the while making sure that everybody has a great time - even the villains! Cartoony, yet so charming, endearing, and infectious in her altruism and spunk, Squirrel Girl is virtually impossible not to love. Like a female Deadpool (whom she has actually beaten, more than once) for kids, she's a big, softhearted refresher in a world filled with countless dark, angsty and depressed super people, who can barely catch a break. Squirrel Girl may be a vehicle for humour - and was originally created as a one-off joke in an Iron Man comic in the nineties - but she isn't one dimensional: She is very smart, possessing a high IQ; she has a computer science PHD, and can teach college kids. And babysit - for babies and animals. She does what she does simply because she loves it. Loyal and faithful to no end, everybody will want to be friends with this friend to all living creatures (mostly squirrels); never mind that she can beat them in any fight! In any challenge! With her equally adorable squirrel sidekick and bestie Tippy-Toe on her shoulder and up a tree, nothing can stop this charming force of nature; in all her sunshine glory. Her limitless, timeless river of confidence is her bright shine; she is incapable of hate. She sings her own theme tune while beating up bad guys. Nuff said. Squirrel Girl - a highly underrated Avenger who is meta and upbeat to the nuts--max!
I've written about this great character loads of times before. Here they are for you to enjoy:
Heroines of Legend: Fictional Universes - 20: Doreen Green (Squirrel Girl)
'The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Vol.1: Squirrel Power'
'The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Beats Up the Marvel Universe'
'Marvel Rising (Marvel Rising 0-4)'
'The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel Meets World'
8. Spider-Gwen (Gwen Stacy) (Marvel)
Talk about a surprise combination from a parallel universe! Gwen Stacy, when she isn't one of the original fridged women, is a capable and quippy superheroine, as Spider-Woman. As a civilian she is a police officer's daughter - her father, refreshingly, knows her secret, which causes their bond to grow stronger instead of distancing them further due to how they both handle the law. Gwen is also a drummer in a female band that's led by Mary-Jane Watson, whom she shares a rather complicated friendship with, considering... well, everything. And not just relating to Spider-Man. Gwen has got a lot of rage issues to drum out and vent out. She is moody and angsty, dealing with a trauma and tragedy involving the death of a loved one, as all Spider people have to go through, but even when shouldering all that baggage (and police brutality), she's still got spunk and charisma. And style - I absolutely love her Spider costume. I could look at it all day. Gwen can be a natural leader when she wants to be. She's gotten so popular in such a short amount of time - she has a lead role in the hit 2018 animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse! She's awesome in that, too. I hope she will star in her own movie vehicle after that in the future. I adore this kick-butt, witty, yet vulnerable girl who has been through a lot of tough crap. Spider-Gwen is a rebel who doesn't take PTSD lightly in the slightest; an intelligent martyr with a cause and affect. Like many of the ladies and girls on this list, she is also part of some great, supportive and loving female friendships. What a chance she's been given after being dead for decades!
Read my review of 'Spider-Gwen, Vol. 0: Most Wanted?' here.
7. Harley Quinn (Harleen Quinzel) (DC)
I can technically count her as a hero now, instead of a villain, based on her recent incarnations. Harley Quinn's powerhouse popularity cannot be overstated. She is simply amazing. A colourful, psychopathic, tragic, incredibly complex and complicated, and kind of sweet and friendly clown princess of anarchy, this former victim of domestic abuse will rise above everything from her past, and mark her own path; her own independence; in the bright blaze of an inferno. She's cookie cutter only in that she may look sweet, edible and easy, but she will cut you up if you mistreat her or her friends. Friends like Poison Ivy, whom she's developing a romantic and sexual relationship with after decades of "just friends". As much as I vehemently despise the Suicide Squad movie and how Harley is portrayed in it, in her first mainstream Hollywood appearance, I admit that I am looking forward to the upcoming Birds of Prey movie, where she plays center stage and no doubt has tremendous fun doing it. The film looks like it might be fun, at least, and it having a female director has given me more faith in it not being yet another wasted-millions-of-dollars, straight white adolescent-and-toxic masculinity violence fantasy. Hardly anything can be worse than Suicide Squad, at any rate.
I've written about Harley Quinn so many times now. Here is an exerpt from my previous Favourite Female Superheroes list:
She's spent most of her twenty-plus-years career as a villain. However nowadays Harley Quinn is an independent anti-heroine, growing out of the Joker's shadow. And most people prefer her that way; she is that strong a character. Harley is a survivor in every sense - of abuse, and time. She's a pop culture figure who's defied expectations and transcended barriers in all shapes and sizes.
And here is me talking about her from an entry in my Favourite Female Characters list:
As for Harley Quinn... yeah, enough said, really. She is Barbara [Gordon]'s opposite, not only in that she's a villain (in the majority of her incarnations). Harley is the Clown Queen of Crime, beginning her creation as the Joker's sidekick, then his lover, then his tragic abuse victim, then a survivor who has her own wacky adventures. Harley is a perfect example of someone who is both very funny and entertaining, and horrifically tragic: Caught in a cycle of abuse at the hands of the psychopathic and narcissistic Joker, she makes bad decision after bad decision, despite being a smart woman with a psychology degree. Harley is fun to watch and read about: She's a fun clown lady, yet I also feel terribly sorry for her. She is so interesting and fascinating, it's no wonder a lot of people prefer her without being associated with her puddin'. They prefer her with her female best friend, Poison Ivy, who really is better for her. I'm happy that comic writers are getting this and are starting to seriously pair Harley and Ivy together romantically. She isn't silly or disposable at all: As her colossal fanbase proves, people care deeply about her. It's a damn shame then that Harley Quinn has been turned into a masturbatory fantasy and fanservice object in her later incarnations (I will NOT get into her first major film appearance in 'Suicide Squad', otherwise the world will come to an end before I'm done ranting about that). Reducing her to a blow-up sex doll and the Joker's legit girlfriend is entirely missing the point of Harley's character! Let her move on and be her own person!
And last but not least, my reviews of comic books about Harley:
'Batman: Harley Quinn' by Various
'Batman: Mad Love and Other Stories'
'Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass'
6. Kitty Pryde (Shadowcat) (X-Men, Marvel)
The newest edition on my favourite superheroines list. It's been a very long time coming, considering Kitty Pryde has been around since the early eighties. In the original Uncanny X-Men comics, Kitty is a young teen X-Man - or that's how she started off as - who's got spunk, courage, tenacity, caution yet determination, a high IQ, and so much potential packed into her small, nimble body. She could grow up to be anything she wants. A Jewish dancer and a mutant with phasing abilities (and flight!), Kitty is adorable and a joy. Any tragedy and trauma she goes through, she will bravely and assuredly fight back against; for her friends' and family's sake as well as her own. She is stronger than she realises. She isn't some whiny and disposable teen who's hardly worth the trouble of being given any screen time and character development - get her right already, every adaptation ever! Kitty is one of the most relatable X-Men I've read about. She reminds me of who I would have liked to have been as a teenager. She even has thick brown hair like me! A true inspiration to young girls; she does justice to them. I've only read a few of the more recent comics featuring Kitty - where she has a pet dragon named Lockheed, somehow, because comics I guess, and she becomes a leader of the X-Men and their headmistress/professor, taking over from Professor X (told you she could be whatever she wants), and she is OTP with Peter Quill/Star-Lord (less creepy than when she was with the far older Colossus, I suppose).
Read my review of 'X-Men: Kitty Pryde & Wolverine (Kitty Pryde and Wolverine #1-6)' here,
and my review of 'X-Men: Days of Future Past (Uncanny X-Men (1963) #138-143, Annual #4)' here.
Seriously, I highly recommend these comics in order to get a true taste of who Kitty Pryde is, and who she was always supposed to be.
5. Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel) (Marvel)
The first ever Muslim superhero. And she's a super relatable, Pakistani-American teenage girl, and a huge fangirl, from Marvel comics. Kamala Khan is revolutionary for a lot of reasons, and practically everybody loves her; both within the Marvel universe (she's been a part of MANY superhero teams and team ups), and in the fandom community the world over. Her inspirational character, her impact - you can't not have heard of her. Kamala is a fantastic character in her own right: Like a lot of teens she's insecure and deeply unsure of herself and of her place in the world and in her communities, and she struggles between meeting her parents' expectations and what she wants for herself. Funny, awkward but touchingly caring, she possesses a clear sense of right and wrong, and will protect and save as many people as she possibly can. It isn't naivety, it's simple: Justice is what she does. She will fight for the underprivileged, the sidelined; as she comes from such a background herself, in terms of race, gender, and religion, and she doesn't understand why so many adults struggle to do the obviously right thing sometimes. When Kamala makes mistakes, as everyone does, especially someone so young and coming into her own as she is, she will try to right them with a fierce determination. With all of her powers, as an Inhuman, deep down Kamala is a normal teenager, navigating her own feelings about a great deal of things. Most concerning her identity crises. She is the epitome of youth growth and the coming of age journey. Her potential to do good is boundless. Even when things become far too much for her to handle, eventually she will bounce back from her depression with the help of her dear, loyal civilian friends. They more than her superhero camaraderie are her anchor in her fun yet hectic superheroing existence. Although her relationship with her idol Captain Marvel is a complicated one that is thankfully being rebuilt as a positive, and she is buddies with Squirrel Girl/Doreen Green. Despite the quality of Ms. Marvel's comic run in recent years not being up to snuff compared to the massively high quality of her first several volumes, I still love Kamala/Ms. Marvel herself. She is as full of heart as ever. and her appearances in the Marvel Rising animated adaptations do her justice (I keep using that word, don't I? in a list all about superheroes). Where's her live action debut now!? I don't want to reveal much more about Kamala due to comic spoilers, but I wish to impart this feature: in one possible future, she is the President of the United States. A Pakistani-American Muslim woman as the President of the United States. Just... I want you to realise the full impact of that bold yet really simple statement. I've disclosed more revolutionary and inspiring fiction than I ever anticipated in this world of ours. Kamala Khan is a perfectly imperfect hero who is much needed for this generation and in future ones. She is desperately needed.
I've also said a ton about Kamala Khan in the past. Click on and read the following for more information and pure goodness:
'Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal'
'Ms. Marvel Omnibus Vol. 1 (Ms. Marvel #1-4)'
'Ms. Marvel, Vol. 5: Super Famous'
'Marvel Rising (Marvel Rising 0-4)'
Heroines of Legend: Fictional Universes - 19: Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel)
4. Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers) (Marvel)
Right after that is Captain Marvel herself! Earth's Mightiest Hero! Whose character and comic book run has gone straight down the toilet in recent years thanks to incompetent writers at Marvel, but in a ray of hope she looks to be rising from the faeces-ridden ashes now. For rise she shall. Higher, further, faster, more. Always. Carol Danvers knows no limits. She's a superhero with decades of experience under her belt - from the fanservice-y and abysmally-treated Ms. Marvel, to a powerful space heroine thanks to the guiding pen of Kelly Sue DeConnick. Carol is brave, headstrong, confident, bright, sassy, funny, friendly, caring, and rather aggressive, impulsive, and thoughtless - preferring to punch things instead of thinking and talking things out first - but nonetheless an immovable diplomat in multiple planetary relations. Her alien Kree genes, given to her by accident when she was a young scientist (this is canon and I'm sticking to it - fuck you, The Life of Captain Marvel), are just one part of her. She is still very much human, and that is what makes her so special, so relatable, and so popular; no matter how powerful she is. Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers is awesome, and if you think that Marvel comics don't give her the care and respect she deserves, then watch her film. It's freaking great.
For more on this woman who is a leader, a scientist, a pilot, a space captain, and all the things that make a hero legendary, read my past thoughts on her in the following:
'Captain Marvel, Vol. 1: Higher, Further, Faster, More'
'Captain Marvel, Vol. 1: In Pursuit of Flight'
'Captain Marvel: Earth's Mightiest Hero Vol. 1'
'Captain Marvel, Vol. 1: Rise of Alpha Flight'
'Avengers: The Enemy Within'
'Captain Marvel, Vol. 1: Re-Entry'
'Captain Marvel: Higher, Further, Faster'
Heroines of Legend: Fictional Universes - 16: Carol Danvers (Captain Marvel)
3. Sailor Moon (Usagi Tsukino)
Seriously, what could I possible add that I haven't before, hundreds of times? Sailor Moon is my number one childhood icon and who I revere to this day. She's the original Magical Girl as we know that term today. She's a champion of love and justice, the defender of the earth and the moon, the hero of the universe, the future queen of the earth, and the kindest, most caring and vulnerable and still damn hopeful soul in classic manga and anime. She's a popular superhero in Japan and in anime circles, so I'm including her on this list. Any chance to gush about a heroine who I adore and emulate to tears. Sailor Moon/Usagi's capacity for love and friendship is astronomical. Her heart is pure and purely human. So sensitive, like me; she cares so much for people and will try to protect everyone at all costs. Failure to save loved ones is unthinkable to her. Sailor Moon also goes by the titles: the Soldier of Love and Justice, the Soldier of Mystery, the Sovereign of the Earth, and the future Neo-Queen of Crystal Tokyo, aka Earth.
An excerpt from a previous Favourites list of mine discussing this girl of magic and of the cosmos:
Sailor Moon - star of my gateway drug into anime and my first introduction to girl power - is who I looked up to as a child; who I related to the most, and still do. I was starstruck that a seemingly lazy, non-special and overly-sensitive schoolgirl could be a fighter, even a reluctant one; someone who saves the world time and again through love and compassion, and through all kinds of hardships, rises to become a queen. The growth of Usagi Tsukino is of a royal magnitude. She is better developed in the manga than the anime, making her more likeable and well-rounded. Plus she is the picture of femininity: Pink, skirts, jewellery, sparkles, heart! She's a princess, a friend to all, and future mother of a princess. But these things are not depicted as lesser or weak. They add to Sailor Moon's strengths as a hero, and I was partly a girly-girl myself as well. She grows stronger and more powerful through her own heart and courage rather than through any deus-ex-machina crystal. She will do anything to protect those she loves dearly, and she practically created hope itself.
Click and read here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here
*deeeeeeeeep breath* and here, here, and especially here, for more info on my all encompassing love of Sailor Moon.
2. Wonder Woman (Princess Diana of Themyscira) (DC)
Again, just like with Sailor Moon, I have discussed this character enough times to write a dissertation on. The world's most famous female superhero, one of DC's Holy Trinity of heroes, a feminist icon for eighty years, an original star, an Amazon warrior, a princess, a god, a truth seeker, an ambassador, a diplomat, a peacekeeper, a lover of all things worth loving, a loyal and compassionate and caring friend, most recently and more expressively a bisexual icon, and I could go on and on. Wonder Woman/Diana is many, many, many, many, womanly things. She's a phenomenon.
What I have already written about her in a past Favourite Female Characters list:
Do I need to say anything here? It's Wonder Woman! The most famous, iconic feminist character and superheroine in the world. As I've come to read more and more about her, and watch films and her 70s TV show starring Lynda Carter, I grew to love her unconditionally. Wonder Woman, aka Diana of Themyscira, is the spirit of truth, a champion of the Greek gods. She has a unique backstory as an Amazon princess born out of clay. She's been a superhero, a warrior, a goddess, an ambassador, a writer, a secret agent - she's had more jobs and identities than Barbie. Sure she's had her fair share of bad treatment by comic book writers over the decades, but what superhero hasn't? She's been subjected to all sorts of sexist stereotyping as well, but I don't like to talk about the poorer history of Wonder Woman. After seventy-five-plus years of growth and development, she's had her ups and downs, but her status as a feminist icon hasn't changed. Wondy's saved the world hundreds of times, some without having to even be a violent warrior - she will use her intelligence and determination to seek peaceful solutions towards making the patriarchal world and her homeland Themyscira places for everyone to live in fairly and happily. Overall she is a smart, caring and loving person; as strong in personality as in super strength and flight. I adore her Lynda Carter portrayal. A symbol in every sense of the world, Wonder Woman is queen - still going strong. She is worthy of admiration, inspiration, and respect.
Just go to here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, aaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnd here and here.
Finally, here we are: My favourite female superhero of all time is...
1. Batgirl (Barbara Gordon) (DC)
I was going to attempt to make a grander introduction here, but really, to those who know me, are you in the least surprised by my number one choice of female superhero? I've been a superhero and comics fan for over six years now, and Barbara Gordon, aka Batgirl, aka Oracle, remains my favourite superheroine, and my number one superhero icon and idol. She's so smart, strategic, cunning, resourceful, brave, adaptable, creative, capricious, human. She's an expert martial artist and an unrivalled computer genius. She's a survivor, and doesn't need powers to prove herself. Ever. Barbara Gordon - a librarian, a college student, and a Gotham police commissioner's daughter; turned Batman's protege, turned hero in her own right, throughout the years.
From my previous Favourite Female Superheroes list:
Ad nauseam. Batgirl is a superheroine without powers, and a distaff counterpart to a male hero. But she's stood out and proved herself capable on her own for many years now, and has been through so much, that I see her as a hero in her own damn right. Barbara is a computer genius, and a very brave and human young woman. Heroes in the DCU come to her for their protection and expert advice; she is at their beck and call. A lot of plans would have fallen apart without her. She is important to the DCU, and doesn't often receive respect and recognition for it. A sad reality of the life of a woman who lives behind the successes of a man.
From another Favourite Female Characters list from years ago:
Barbara Gordon, aka Batgirl, aka Oracle, is amazing. She's a martial artist, a daredevil, a world expert computer genius, and is all around an incredibly brave and goodhearted individual. She's an example of how the comic book industry can treat females characters both well and appallingly. Look no further than 'The Killing Joke' (the animated adaption is even worse, and I could go on forever about how I hate that atrocity with a passion, but that's neither here nor there). Barbara has been a fridged woman, but she's bounced back many times - as Oracle, and a revived Batgirl. Because people love and respect her character that much, and recognise that she isn't significant due to her relationships with established male characters (again, glaring at you, 'The Killing Joke'). And I realise I've included several redheads on my list, and Babs is one of the reasons I think people with red hair are awesome. Smart, noble, loyal, and fiercely tenacious - in the comics and the various 'Batman' animated series' - Barbara Gordon overcomes and adapts to anything that comes her way. She never takes anything lying down.
And I'm sure you know where I'm going next: Read every one of my previously established thoughts on Batgirl here, here, here, here, here, here, and here and here.
One more thing: Fuck you, The Killing Joke animated adaptation, you misogynistic, incompetent sack of shit.
I'm tired now. No more thoughts. Only have a good day and night. Remember to love and be kind to others always and every day.
Every woman and girl is a superhero in her own right. Never let anyone tell you otherwise.
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