I wish I could say that I’m an avid comic book reader and a die hard fan of anything with a cape and invincibility, but I wouldn’t be telling the truth. The truth is that I don’t care what form a good story comes in. It just has to have a gripping plot and believable characters for me to even consider flipping through the pages. However, I decided to read Strong Female Protagonist mainly because I wanted a break from continuously reviewing New Adult novels and, surprisingly, Strong Female Protagonist was the breath of fresh air I needed.
The story follows Alison Green, who is literally a strong female protagonist: she has super strength and is indestructible. From just a glance this comic might seem like your average superhero comic book, but when you invest yourself in the book you realize there’s more to the story than just the characters’ abilities. Alison, or rather “Mega Girl” as she’s affectionately called, notices that she’s different from the rest of the world’s population when, at fifteen, she watches a nation-wide address from the then-president, George Bush. Through the president’s address, Alison learns that she is a “biodynamic” individual and that her world will now consist of more than petty high school squabbles.
Her superhero career takes off when she meets a guy who can shrink to the size of a cell named Pintsize at an educational camp for all “biodynamic” people, and they form a superhero team with two other “biodynamic” people called “The Guardians.” Unfortunately, Alison’s crime fighting days come to a screeching halt when she realizes that the supervillains she’s been fighting aren’t her real enemies. She realizes that it doesn’t matter if she defeats every villain on the face of the planet; she still won’t be able to save the world. Feeling dejected, she tries to assimilate into society by going to college and becoming a firefighter (I’m guessing she couldn’t suppress the need to save people).
It was supremely easy to like Alison. She’s a tough nut without being a hot head, and I really did enjoy watching her rationalize the need for superheroes, fight off other “biodynamic” people who are using their powers for evil, and level with supervillains. It made the story believable and added some serious depth. I also adored Patrick, a.k.a “Menace” (Alison’s long time arch-enemy turned close friend). He’s the kind of villain who commits crimes because of his perception of what “the greater good” truly is and not just because he’s a mad scientist. He uncovered the truth behind the government’s intentions for “biodynamic” people and seems to have put his evil mastermind days behind him. He’s also telepathic and frank.
I think Alison has started to like him more than a friend, but Patrick seems to shy away from the possibility of more than friendship. It could be because he’s genuinely not interested in shagging his old time arch-enemy or it could be that he’s still up to no good and can’t face Alison knowing that he hasn’t fully retired from his villainous ways.
There’s also Feral. Feral is invincible like Alison but only because she has the power to regenerate. Alison and Feral didn’t really get along in the beginning because Feral and her team were a pack of unregistered superheroes who were ruthless. However, after an epic battle where they joined forces to take down a villain, they become good friends. I really liked Feral’s character and I can’t imagine how painful regenerating is (when she got shot at during a battle she vomited the bullets).
Thankfully, Strong Female Protagonist isn’t just a comic book alone (I’d die of boredom if I had to wait a few months or so till the next issue came out); it’s an ongoing webcomic! Now (on Tuesdays and Fridays) I can see Alison’s character develop even more, I can witness the plans Menace has in the making, and I can watch as the artists further perfects an already amazing comic.
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Rating: 8.5/10
Book Info:
Publisher: Diamond Book Distributors (November 25, 2014)
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Length: 220 pages
Source: ARC
Genre: Graphic Novel
Completed: January 2015
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