Spring 2109 (Netgalley, Audible, & Kindle);

Where do I even begin with this novel?

I have been meaning to read this novel since long before it was released. I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley, and picked up the Audible and Kindle versions as soon as they were available but even with all three I had not sat down and devoured it, even as I'd plowed through so much else that Valente had written from Labyrinth forward. I think because I knew how long this would sit with me, and how true it would bleach itself into my bones.

(As a cute beginning aside-

This novella begins "I'm dead. The deadest girl in deadtown," and continues to pluck and interview with the words of Holly Black short story-then-novel 'The Coldest Girl in Coldtown,' the alliterative mimicry of both likely fusing them forever into my mind. )

This novella is a love letter style fuck you to the Patriarchal White Male Superhero of decades, told in the style of the The Vagina Monologues about by the 'Women in Fridergators' as Gail Simone termed them. These are the stories of girlfriends and wives, who always bare the brunt, the abuse, and often the role of the murdered on the path of Responsibility and Greatness for The White Patriarchal Male Superhero.

This work is comprised of six stories of such women, in the "Hell Hath Club" with meets in Dead Town, told from each of their point of views. Each character is very clearly based on a specific, identifiable female from six different comics (Marvel and DC both), whom have been fridged in any (and often many) numbers of way by the universe they were in. They all tell a harrowing story of the life they had before and then after superpowers/superheroes came into their lives, with a sharp close look at the razor wire gender and genre tropes that cut them off at the knees at every turn after.

The writing in these pieces if fierce and fearless, coming for your blood and the love of anything that touched that world, to strip it bare from your hands. Cat pulls out all the stops for these pieces, eviscerating the roles when have been shoved into from good girl to whore, from sane to insane. The requirements of each role and the unsettled feelings the men around them get if they try to step outside of any of these roles, to claim fame, to grow larger, to be uncontrolled, or require respect, or even to want to walk away.

I won't give you any spoilers, but my favorite story was the one for Julia Ash (which I am sure none of you are truly surprised about since I've been in love with her comics counterpart since I was five years old, and I have torn the world asunder on number of these issues for decades of her comics arcs).

A deep and favorite love. Advised reading to all. ( )

Wow, this woman can write! ( )

A fairly scathing look at the "Women in Refrigerators" concept of misogyny in comic books disappoints slightly by pulling its punches instead of really ripping into the subject. A series of interconnected short stories reimagine the deaths and degradations of Gwen Stacy, Jean Grey, Harleen Quinzel, Mera, Karen Page, and Alexandra DeWitt (the girlfriend of Kyle Rayner who turned up dead in a refrigerator in Green Lantern #54 in 1994).

I only wish the book weren't so passive. The women are reduced to retelling their stories from a boring and detached afterlife with a sort of "what are you gonna do?" tone that captures the tragedy and injustice but does nothing to rage against or overturn the narrative. Indeed, in the acknowledgements the author undercuts the message by thanking the comic book creators who created these shared superhero universes and writes, "I have nothing but but respect and honor for the monumental feat of deliberate mythology they have, and continue to, accomplish. Where I have thrown my BANG!s and POW!s, I have done it with love, and where I have dissected, I have, I hope, made as little mess in the lab as one could hope."

I'm sorry, but I would rather have walked in the door of the lab and seen every damn beaker, flask, and piece of equipment lying shattered on the floor. ( )

This was absolutely brilliant. Valenti's writing is always bursting with personality, and the monologues in this books were balms to the the weary comic loving part of my soul. Each character is fully fleshed out, following the stories of multiple messy complicated, broken-hearted heroines who are trying to survive in world hell-bent on killing them. Each chapter traces a different iconic dead woman from Marvel and DC comcis, and is written in a fresh style that really speaks to the heart of the character being alluded to. You don't often see writers who can pull of multiple diverse first person narratives so well, back to back.

A thought-provoking read that had me nodding my head and pumping my fist while screeching with delight.

It's funny how this book was published just before comics like Squirrel Girl, Ms. Marvel, Unstoppable Wasp, and Moon Girl exploded onto the scene. ( )

Really enjoyable. While you can obviously tell what Marvel/DC characters are being referenced, Valente does a great job of creating her own universe/worlds for them to play in. The short stories, told in a style reminiscent of the round table backstory sharing of Haunted (except much better written), have a mix of poignancy, humor, insight, and critique that struck a chord with me. I found myself nodding along in irritation as much as I laughed at loud.

I didn't get a Vagina Monologues feel from this, and that's okay. One feminist work doesn't need to be derived from another feminist work to be good or feminist. (Oh dear, I said the F-word....) This book was a great read that provided some validation to what I've felt/experienced/witnessed as a lady videogame/comic/sci-fi/fantasy fan, and gives plenty of food for thought.

For those of you wondering which comic-book women were featured:

-Gwen Stacey: Exists as plot device, not person. Used to give hero powers and then killed to show the story was serious.
-Jean Grey: One of few women whose power was greater than the men's (and is the object of desire for multiple men). So naturally she can't control it and is used/killed off. The frequent retcons, resurrections, and de-power/re-power are illustrated as dismissive and manipulative, something I hadn't thought of before, but makes sense.
-Harley Quinn: I mean, shit, what is there to say about this one? An intelligent, powerful woman infantilized and trapped into an abusive relationship. A lethally violent relationship. Why this is still being romanticized is beyond me.
-Mera: Wife of Aquaman. All the powers of Aquaman and then some, arguably more powerful and influential...and yet relegated to sidekick and damsel in distress. Her grief at the loss of her child is ignored completely and she's treated as a monster and psychopath for being upset about it.
-Karen Page: Girlfriend of Daredevil, whose contributions are undervalued when she is with Daredevil, and who becomes a pornstar/drug addict when Daredevil isn't in her life. Eventually killed as plot device.
-Alexandra DeWitt: Girlfriend of Kyle Rayner/Green Lantern. Helps train him in his powers initially, and then is killed and stuffed in the eponymous refrigerator.
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